This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: August 20
Aug. 20 has seen many transformative events in the world of hip-hop and R&B. One of the most influential R&B/soul artists of all time, Isaac Hayes, was born on this…
Aug. 20 has seen many transformative events in the world of hip-hop and R&B. One of the most influential R&B/soul artists of all time, Isaac Hayes, was born on this day in 1942. His best-known album, 1971's Shaft, debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart and was included in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress.
Leroy Burgess, another prominent R&B artist, was born on this day in 1953. He's a member of the Harlem vocal group Black Ivory, known for hits such as "Don't Turn Around," "What Goes Around (Comes Around)," and "Spinning Around."
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Several critically acclaimed hip-hop and R&B albums have been released on this day over the decades:
- 1996: Silkk the Shocker released his debut album, The Shocker. Featuring guest appearances from his brothers C-Murder and Master P, it reached No. 49 on the Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 6 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 2002: Clipse dropped their debut album, Lord Willin'. Widely considered a classic rap album from the 2000s, it peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, with 122,000 copies sold in the first week of its release.
- 2002: Angie Martinez released her second and final album, Animal House. Its lead single, "If I Could Go," peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 100 and remains her highest charting song. The album itself reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200.
- 2013: ASAP Ferg's debut album, Trap Lord, dropped. It peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the hit single "Shabba," featuring A$AP Rocky, which reached No. 7 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.
- 2013: Earl Sweatshirt released his debut album, Doris. With features from fellow Odd Future members Tyler, the Creator, Frank Ocean, and Domo Genesis, it debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and topped the U.K. R&B Albums chart.
- 2021: Ohio-born rapper Trippie Redd released his fourth album, Trip at Knight. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and is regarded as a pioneering album in the rage music genre.
Cultural Milestones
Aug. 20 has also been marked by important cultural achievements in hip-hop and R&B:
- 1977: The Emotions scored a No. 1 hit with the single "Best Of My Love." It spent five weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and won the group an award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 20th Annual GRAMMY Awards.
- 2016: Frank Ocean dropped his sophomore album, Blonde. It debuted atop the Billboard 200 with 276,000 album-equivalent units and was named the best album of the 2010s by Pitchfork. Rolling Stone ranked it No. 79 on its updated list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Aug. 20 inspires nostalgia in lovers of hip-hop and R&B for the many remarkable events it's inextricably tied to, from being the birthdate of adored industry figures to the release date of numerous career-defining albums.
