This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: July 30
July 30 is a significant day in the history of hip-hop and R&B. One notable hip-hop artist born on this day in 1977 is Brother Ali, a Wisconsin-born rapper. His…
July 30 is a significant day in the history of hip-hop and R&B. One notable hip-hop artist born on this day in 1977 is Brother Ali, a Wisconsin-born rapper. His fifth album, Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color, released in 2012, is his highest charting to date. Also born on this day in 1994 is the rising-star rapper Skooly from the Atlanta hip-hop group Rich Kidz. Following several releases with the group in the early 2010s, he dropped his first mixtape, Blacc Jon Gotti, in 2015.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
This day welcomed the release of several top-selling records:
- 1996: Queens hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest released their fourth album, Beats, Rhymes and Life, through Jive Records. Their most commercially successful album, it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and earned a Platinum certification from the RIAA in Oct. 1998.
- 2009: Kandi Burruss, best known as a member of the multi-Platinum R&B girl group Xscape, joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta during the show's second season. She became a series regular, remaining on the show for 14 seasons.
- 2013: Tech N9ne dropped his thirteenth album, Something Else. Featuring guest appearances from Kendrick Lamar, Big K.R.I.T., The Game, T-Pain, and Wiz Khalifa, it debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 58,300 copies.
- 2021: Isaiah Rashad released his sophomore album, The House is Burning. It charted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 2021: Logic dropped his seventh mixtape, Bobby Tarantino III. It features a single guest appearance from English singer and actress Cynthia Erivo on the song “Inside.” The album charted at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 and No. 16 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Industry Changes and Challenges
July 30 has also been marked by tragic headlines in the industry:
- 2019: The three-day trial of A$AP Rocky at the Stockholm District Court kicked off. The GRAMMY-nominated rapper pleaded not guilty to the assault charges leveled against him. He had been held in custody since July 3 after an alleged assault that took place the previous month.
- 2021: Los Angeles rap veteran Gonzoe (born Ronald Moore) was shot and killed at a gas station in West Seattle. A close associate of rap legends Ice Cube and Tupac Shakur, he was a member of the California hip-hop group Kausion and the supergroup The Regime.
July 30 has witnessed many iconic moments, including the birthdays of notable rappers, the release of seminal albums, and infamous trials. That explains why it's such a memorable day for lovers of hip-hop and R&B.
