This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: August 2
Numerous transformations and advancements in hip-hop and R&B happened on August 2. Notably, it’s the birthday of the Atlanta rapper Bankroll Fresh, who was born in 1987. He was featured…
Numerous transformations and advancements in hip-hop and R&B happened on August 2. Notably, it's the birthday of the Atlanta rapper Bankroll Fresh, who was born in 1987. He was featured posthumously on Young Jeezy's 2016 hit, “All There.” Canadian rapper Mark Lee was also born on this day in 1999. He's best known as a member of the South Korean boy band NCT and its sub-units, NCT Dream and NCT 127. Continue reading to learn more about historic R&B and hip-hop events from August 2.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
August 2 has hosted several important hip-hop and R&B albums over the years, including:
- 1994: East Coast hip-hop duo Ill Al Skratch dropped their debut album, Creep Wit' Me, through Mercury Records. The album reached No. 137 on the Billboard 200 and No. 22 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 2024: Khalid released his third album, Sincere. It peaked at No. 43 on the Billboard 200 and achieved No. 11 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Cultural Milestones
These important career milestones occurred on August 2:
- 1962: Aretha Franklin made her television debut on American Bandstand. During the event, the then largely unknown star sang “Try a Little Tenderness” and “Don't Cry Baby.”
- 2019: Lil Durk released his fourth album, Love Songs 4 the Streets 2, featuring guest appearances from Nicki Minaj, Meek Mill, King Von, and 21 Savage. It debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, becoming the rapper's first top-five album in the U.S.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The hip-hop and R&B industry saw many controversial and tragic events on this day, including:
- 1983: James Jamerson died of complications from liver cirrhosis, heart failure, and pneumonia at the age of 47. He was widely regarded as one of the greatest bass players in modern music history, contributing to iconic R&B and soul hits from the Motown era, such as The Temptations' “My Girl,” Stevie Wonder's “For Once in My Life,” and the Supremes' “You Can't Hurry Love.”
- 2017: Kidd Creole, from the influential hip-hop group Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, was arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a homeless man identified as John Jolly. In 2022, he was sentenced to 16 years for the crime.
- 2023: Lizzo was sued by three of her former dancers for allegedly promoting a hostile work environment. They claimed that during their two-year engagement with the four-time GRAMMY winner, they were weight-shamed and pressured into performing disturbingly lewd shows, but Lizzo disputed the claims.
August 2 is a date that has changed the hip-hop and R&B industry. This day has hosted many remarkable moments, including iconic music releases, grand television debuts, and infamous arrests, making it one of the most memorable dates in the history of hip-hop and R&B.
