This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: October 29

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Oct. 29 left an indelible mark on the hip-hop and R&B scene. This date marked the release of chart-topping hits and notable events.

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

Celebrated music artists released breakthrough hits and albums on Oct. 29:

1991: Ice Cube released his second studio album, Death Certificate. Despite containing politically charged content, it reached No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
1991: Organized Konfusion released its self-titled debut studio album. Its hit single, "Walk Into the Sun," peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart.
1994: Mariah Carey released the single "All I Want for Christmas Is You." When reissued in 2019, it reached the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
1996: Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah released his first solo album, Ironman. It peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
2002: Whitney Houston released the single "One of Those Days" from her fifth album, Just Whitney. The song peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart.
2010: T.I. released the single "Get Back Up" from his album No Mercy. The track featured Chris Brown and ranked at No. 70 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart.
2013: Eminem released "The Monster" from the album The Marshall Mathers LP 2. The song peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
2021: Megan Thee Stallion released the compilation album Something for Thee Hotties. It peaked at No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

Different hip-hop and R&B artists achieved various cultural milestones and received special mentions on Oct. 29:

2005: Alicia Keys' first live album, Unplugged, reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
2012: During a radio interview with WIZF Cincinnati, President Obama named Eminem, Fugees, Stevie Wonder, and James Brown among his favorite music artists.
2021: Jay-Z, Jadakiss, and Kid Cudi, among others, teamed up to release the soundtrack album for Jeymes Samuel's American Western Film, The Harder They Fall.

Oct. 29 saw standout performances by iconic hip-hop and R&B music artists:

2014: National Public Radio posted a T-Pain Tiny Desk concert where he performed three songs without auto-tune. The video went viral, becoming the most popular Tiny Desk concert in history.
2022: 112, Tevin Campbell, and Monica delivered scintillating performances at the Columbus R&B Music Experience at the Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio.

Oct. 29 had its fair share of beefs, controversies, and challenges:

2003: Sean "Diddy" Combs responded to allegations of worker mistreatment and rights abuses at a Honduran sweatshop factory that supplied garments to his clothing company.
2016: Drake released a diss track titled "Two Birds, One Stone." He aimed the controversial song at Kid Cudi and Pusha T.
2018: New York artist 50 Cent purchased 200 front-row tickets at a Ja Rule concert to keep them empty and troll the rapper.

With breakthrough releases, controversies, and presidential mentions, Oct. 29 remains a momentous date in hip-hop and R&B history.