This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: January 15
Jan. 15 has seen many important developments in R&B and hip-hop. Latin hip-hop sensation Pitbull was born on this day in 1981. He first gained mainstream attention in 2009 with…
Jan. 15 has seen many important developments in R&B and hip-hop. Latin hip-hop sensation Pitbull was born on this day in 1981. He first gained mainstream attention in 2009 with the singles “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)” and “Hotel Room Service,” which reached No. 2 and No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. He rebranded as a pop star in the early 2010s and went on to score his first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single in 2011 with “Give Me Everything (featuring Ne-Yo, Nayer, and AfroJack).”
Atlanta rapper Young Dro was born on this day in 1979. His second album, Best Thang Smokin', released in 2006, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and went to No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It featured the hit single “Shoulder Lean,” which charted at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Many artists have released career-defining records on this date:
- 1991: Gang Starr dropped their second album, Step in the Arena. The project peaked at No. 121 on the Billboard 200 and reached No. 19 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 1991: DJ Quik released his debut album, Quik Is the Name, which included his highest-charting single to date, “Tonite,” which peaked at No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album itself reached No. 29 on the Billboard 200 and No. 9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 2013: A$AP Rocky put out his debut album, LONG.LIVE.A$AP, featuring guest appearances from Kendrick Lamar, Drake, ScHoolboy Q, 2 Chainz, Florence Welch, and Joey Bada$$, among others. The project debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, also reaching No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and U.K. R&B Albums charts.
- 2016: Anderson .Paak's second album, Malibu, was released. It peaked at No. 79 on the Billboard 200, went to No. 9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards.
Cultural Milestones
Jan. 15 has witnessed many memorable cultural moments over the years:
- 1961: The Primettes signed a contract with Berry Gordy to join Motown Records, becoming the first girl group signed to the label. They soon changed their name to The Supremes, marking the first step in their journey from Detroit teenagers to international superstars. They would become Motown's most successful act and perhaps the most influential all-women group of all time.
- 1981: Stevie Wonder led a massive rally at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to advocate for Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday to be made a national holiday. Joined by fellow stars Diana Ross and Gladys Knight, the icon performed his 1980 hit “Happy Birthday” to an audience of 50,000 people. The song was written in tribute to the slain civil rights leader.
With the release of many influential albums and some of the most groundbreaking cultural moments in modern music history, it's clear why Jan. 15 holds special significance for fans of R&B and hip-hop.
