This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: May 11
May 11 is a memorable date in Hip-Hop and R&B history. Rapper Ace Hood was born on this day in 1988. He scored his first charting entry on the Billboard…
May 11 is a memorable date in Hip-Hop and R&B history. Rapper Ace Hood was born on this day in 1988. He scored his first charting entry on the Billboard Hot 100 with the single "Ride" from his debut album, Gutta. The song, which features the R&B singer Trey Songz, peaked at No. 90 on the chart and reached No. 27 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
May 11 is associated with several career-defining albums in hip-hop and R&B, such as:
- 1999: Rapper Snoop Dogg released his fourth album, No Limit Top Dogg, through No Limit and Priority Records. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and went to No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 2007: R&B singer Amerie dropped her third album, Because I Love It, through Columbia Records. While the album failed to chart on the U.S. Billboard 200, it reached No. 4 on the U.K. R&B Albums chart.
- 2012: Rapper Ab-Soul released his second album, Control System, through Top Dawg Entertainment. As his fourth full-length project, it peaked at No. 91 on the Billboard 200 and No. 9 on the Billboard Top Rap Albums.
- 2018: Rapper Tee Grizzley released his debut album, Activated, via 300 Entertainment. The project debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200, becoming the rapper's first entry into the chart's top 10.
Cultural Milestones
This day has witnessed several notable cultural highlights in hip-hop and R&B, including:
- 1993: Hip-hop group Onyx dropped the single "Slam" from their acclaimed debut album, Bacdafucup. The song, which introduced slam dancing into Hip-Hop, would become the group's breakout single. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot Rap Singles chart for two weeks.
- 2018: Rapper Playboi Carti released his debut album, Die Lit, via Interscope Records. It debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
Industry Changes and Challenges
May 11 has also seen challenging and tragic events in hip-hop and R&B, such as:
- 2004: R&B and soul singer John Whitehead was shot and killed by unknown assailants while fixing a car outside his Philadelphia home. He was one half of the R&B duo, McFadden & Whitehead, which he formed with Gene McFadden. The duo is best known for their song "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now," which reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- 2022: Rapper Gunna turned himself over to police custody as part of a racketeering case involving dozens of Young Stoner Life Records associates. Fellow rapper Young Thug, who was also involved in the case, had been arrested two days earlier.
May 11 has hosted several album and single releases in R&B and Hip-Hop. It also saw the murder of one of the most iconic R&B artists and witnessed a chart-topping rapper get taken into custody for racketeering charges.
