This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: December 2
On this date, Dec. 2, music met film at the Kodak Theater. Mariah Carey’s “One Sweet Day” climbed to the top of the charts, and Beyoncé made headlines with 10…
Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
On this date, Dec. 2, music met film at the Kodak Theater. Mariah Carey's "One Sweet Day" climbed to the top of the charts, and Beyoncé made headlines with 10 GRAMMY nominations. The following are notable events from Dec. 2 throughout hip-hop and R&B history.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
This date marked notable album releases:
- 2003: Alicia Keys released her sophomore studio album, The Diary of Alicia Keys. The chart-topping album featured the single "You Don't Know My Name," and the limited edition came with a behind-the-scenes bonus DVD.
- 2003: Joe released his fifth studio album, And Then…, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. G-Unit guest-starred on the album, appearing in the "Ride Wit U" single.
- 2008: Akon released his third studio album, Freedom, which featured the singles "Beautiful," "Right Now (Na Na Na)," and "I'm So Paid." It debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, shipping over 110,000 copies within its first week.
- 2008: Scarface released Emeritus, his 10th and final studio album. It topped the Top Rap Albums chart and reached No. 4 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 2014: Wu-Tang Clan marked their return to the game with their sixth studio album, A Better Tomorrow. It peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
- 2016: Childish Gambino's star continued to shine with the release of his third studio album, Awaken, My Love! The GRAMMY-nominated work reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200.
Cultural Milestones
From topping the charts to receiving GRAMMY nominations, this date marked several cultural milestones in hip-hop and R&B:
- 1995: "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 1. In the wake of this milestone, Mariah Carey became the first artist to have two consecutive singles debuting at No. 1.
- 2009: The Recording Academy nominated Beyoncé for 10 GRAMMY awards. She'd go on to win six awards at the main ceremony, becoming the first female solo artist with that many wins in one night.
- 2009: LL Cool J hosted the GRAMMY Nominations Concert for the second consecutive year, becoming the first rapper to achieve this feat.
Notable Recordings and Performances
The Carters delivered strong performances at different venues and events on this date:
- 2007: Beyoncé headlined the inaugural Movies Rock concert at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, celebrating the relationship between music and film.
- 2018: Jay-Z and Beyoncé concluded their On the Run II Tour with a stunning show at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Industry Changes and Challenges
Dec. 2 featured notable legal challenges involving hip-hop artists:
- 1999: Jay-Z supposedly stabbed record executive Lance "Un" Rivera for allegedly bootlegging his unreleased album, Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter. The rapper pleaded guilty to assault charges and served three years' probation.
- 2014: Meek Mill was released from prison after serving a three-to-six-month probation violation sentence.
- 2022: Houston police detained Patrick Xavier Clark, the suspect in the fatal shooting of Migos rapper Takeoff.
From Beyoncé performing at the first-ever Movies Rock concert to Meek Mill completing his prison term, Dec. 2 remains pivotal to the history of hip-hop and R&B.
Bianca BarrattWriter
