This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: December 7
On Dec. 7, Ice Cube made the headlines with his politically charged record, and Kurtis Blow made it big in the mainstream scene. Check out what else happened on Dec….
On Dec. 7, Ice Cube made the headlines with his politically charged record, and Kurtis Blow made it big in the mainstream scene. Check out what else happened on Dec. 7 in hip-hop and R&B history.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Dec. 7 has witnessed groundbreaking album releases:
- 1993: Ice Cube released the album Lethal Injection, which debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and sold 215,000 copies within its first week.
- 1993: Domino released his self-titled debut album, Domino. It charted at No. 10 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and received Gold certification less than three months later.
- 2004: Cam'ron released his fourth album, Purple Haze. It received critical acclaim for its creative sound and surrealist swagger, charting at No. 20 on the Billboard 200.
- 2004: Ludacris released The Red Light District, his fifth studio album. It topped major charts, selling over 320,000 copies in its first week.
- 2010: T.I. released his seventh studio album, No Mercy, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Rap Albums and No. 4 on the Billboard 200.
- 2010: Redman released his final Def Jam album, Reggie, concluding a 19-year relationship with the label. The album featured guest appearances from Faith Evans, Method Man, and Bun B.
- 2018: Ice Cube released the album Everythang's Corrupt, featuring the controversial single "Arrest the President."
- 2018: Gucci Mane dropped his 12th studio album, Evil Genius, which logged at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and featured the singles "Solitaire," "Wake Up in the Sky," and "Kept Back."
Cultural Milestones
Dec. 7 was a cultural turning point for various hip-hop and R&B acts:
- 1979: Kurtis Blow's "Christmas Rappin'" became the first hip-hop song released on a major record label.
- 1994: Da Brat won an award for No. 1 Rap Artist at the Billboard Music Awards in Los Angeles.
- 1998: Usher captured awards for Artist of the Year and R&B Artist of the Year at the ninth Billboard Music Awards ceremony in Las Vegas.
- 2018: Kendrick Lamar received eight nominations for the 61st GRAMMY Awards.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Rousing performances on Dec. 7 helped top hip-hop and R&B artists connect with their fans:
- 2017: During the third leg of his 24K Magic World Tour, Bruno Mars performed at a sold-out concert at the Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica in San Jose.
- 2018: Vancouver came to a standstill as Childish Gambino performed popular hits during his This is America Tour at the Rogers Arena.
Industry Changes and Challenges
Dec. 7 included the nuptials of a top artist and her manager and the arrest of another:
- 2003: Mary J. Blige married her manager, Martin "Kendu" Isaacs, in a private ceremony.
- 2023: Plantation police arrested Kodak Black on several charges, including improperly parking a vehicle.
From Da Brat winning her first major award to Mary J. Blige tying the knot, Dec. 7 remains an eventful date in hip-hop and R&B history. Also on this date, Kendrick Lamar received eight nominations for the 61st GRAMMYs, while Vancouver came to a standstill for a Childish Gambino performance.
