This Day in Hip-Hop and R&B History: March 12

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1989: Geto Boys, known as Ghetto Boys at the time, released their second studio album, Grip It! On That Other Level. It peaked at No. 19 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
• 2002: Destiny's Child released This Is the Remix. This is a  remix album featuring remixes of their hit songs such as "Say My Name," "Bootylicious," and "Survivor." It peaked at No. 19 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
• 2013: Rich Gang premiered the lead single, "Tapout," off their debut album, Rich Gang. The song became available for digital download a week later and peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

Cultural Milestones

• 1964: Tony Terry was born in Pinehurst, North Carolina. He enjoyed a successful run as an R&B singer in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with his most popular song being "With You", which made it to No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.
• 1969: Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" won a GRAMMY for Best R&B Performance, Female, while Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" posthumously won Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male. The Temptations' "Cloud Nine" won Best Rhythm & Blues Performance by a Duo or Group, Vocal or Instrumental.
• 1984: Shareefa was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her only album, Point of No Return, was released in 2006 via Def Jam Records and spawned a minor hit, "Need a Boss," which featured Ludacris.
• 1985: Stormae was born in Etterbeek, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. His music blends hip-hop with electronic music , and he achieved worldwide fame with his hit songs "Alors on danse," and "Formidable."
• 1993: CB4, a mockumentary film starring Chris Rock and Allen Payne, premiered in the U.S. The black comedy film featured celebrities such as Ice Cube, Eazy-E, and Ice-T.
• 2005: The 19th edition of the annual Soul Train Music Awards, which was recorded at the Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California, aired in national syndication. Nick Cannon and Nicole Richie were among the hosts, and winners included Usher, who took home five awards, and Ice Cube, who was honored with the Quincy Jones Award for his entire career.
• 2007: Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five became the first hip-hop group inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1969: The soul and R&B vocal group The Temptations were the opening act at the 11th Annual GRAMMY Awards. They delivered a memorable performance of their hit single "Cloud Nine." 
• 2016: Ariana Grande performed the songs "Be Alright" and "Dangerous Woman" on Saturday Night Live as the show's host and musical guest.
• 2023: Iconic R&B group New Edition delivered an unforgettable performance at FedExForum as part of The Legacy Tour. The event featured a star-studded lineup, including Keith Sweat and Tank.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 2003: Investigations into Michael Jackson's child molestation case alleged he committed the acts between Feb. 21 and March 12, 2003.
• 2013: During a music video shoot in Los Angeles, Lil Wayne endured multiple seizures, compelling him to spend nearly a week in the hospital.
• 2018: Rapper and record producer Craig Mack died at age 47. His family reported that he died of heart failure, but it was later revealed that he died of HIV/AIDS-related complications.