This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: September 1
Sep. 1 has been a significant date in hip-hop and R&B. British rapper Tion Wayne was born on this day in 1993. His 2021 single “Body,” featuring Russ Millions, was…
Sep. 1 has been a significant date in hip-hop and R&B. British rapper Tion Wayne was born on this day in 1993. His 2021 single “Body,” featuring Russ Millions, was the first U.K. drill song to reach No.1 on the U.K. Singles Chart and has been certified double Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry. Stella Mwangi was also born on this day in 1986. She is best known for the 2011 single “Haba Haba,” which topped Norway’s singles chart and was the country’s entry at the Eurovision Song Contest. Continue reading to learn more about events from Sep. 1.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
This day has seen many iconic hip-hop and R&B artists drop some highly rated albums, including:
- 1998: New York rapper Fat Joe dropped his third album, Don Cartagena, debuting at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and selling 106,000 copies in its opening week. The title track and lead single peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100.
- 2009: American hip-hop duo Insane Clown Posse released their eleventh album, Bang! Pow! Boom! It debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Independent Albums chart.
Cultural Milestones
These cultural highlights in hip-hop and R&B occurred on Sep. 1:
- 1984: Tina Turner’s smash hit, “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, remaining there for three weeks. It went on to win Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 27th Annual GRAMMY Awards.
- 1996: Influential hip-hop group The Fugees released “Ready or Not,” which was the third single from their seminal second album, The Score, and their second song to top the U.K. Singles Chart. However, it wasn’t released as a commercial single in the U.S., making it ineligible to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.
Industry Changes and Challenges
This day has also been occasioned by some unfortunate events and challenging moments for the hip-hop and R&B scene, including:
- 2010: GRAMMY-winning rapper T.I. and his wife, Tameka “Tiny” Cottle, were arrested and detained in West Hollywood for drug possession. The couple was released the following day on a $10,000 bail, but the rapper would be slapped with an 11-month prison sentence a month later for violating probation terms.
- 2019: Fetty Wap was arrested for alleged battery after he got into a physical altercation with three employees at a Las Vegas hotel. The “Trap Queen” artist had previously been arrested and charged with DUI in November 2017 after he was caught drag racing in New York.
Sep. 1 is a date with a rich legacy in hip-hop and R&B history. Several critically acclaimed hip-hop albums were released on this day, and it also witnessed the arrests of two prominent rappers in separate incidents. Sep. 1 has proven to be an important day in shaping the hip-hop and R&B industry.
