This Day in Hip-Hop and R&B History: April 14

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1992: California rapper Spice 1 released his eponymously titled debut album through Jive Records. The project charted at No. 14 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at No. 82 on the Billboard 200. 
• 1998: Aceyalone dropped his second album, A Book of Human Language, which was ranked No. 5 on Paste's list of the “12 Classic Hip-Hop Albums That Deserve More Attention.” In 2015, Fact magazine ranked it No. 24 on its “100 Best Indie Hip-Hop Records of All Time” list. 
• 2009: Canadian rapper k-os released his fourth album, Yes!, via Universal Music Canada. It spawned the moderate hit “4 3 2 1,” which peaked at No. 98 on the Canadian Hot 100. The album itself reached No. 9 on the Canadian Albums chart and was included on the 40-album longlist for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize.
• 2015: B-Legit dropped What We Been Doin, his seventh album, which featured collaborations with E-40, Richie Rich, Problem, and Clyde Carson. The album peaked at No. 23 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at No. 18 on the Top Rap Albums chart. 
• 2015: Memphis rapper Project Pat dropped his eighth album, Mista Don't Play 2: Everythangs Money. Pat's brother, Juicy J, was largely responsible for producing the album, which peaked at No. 43 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
• 2017: American rapper Kendrick Lamar released his fourth studio album D*MN,  which was supported by the singles "HUMBLE.," "LOYALTY.," and "LOVE.," and topped the US Billboard 200 in its first week of release.
• 2017: Playboi Carti released his self-titled debut mixtape, which featured guest appearances from Lil Uzi Vert, Leven Kali, and A$AP Rocky. The project spawned the singles “wokeuplikethis*” and “Magnolia,” which reached No. 76 and No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. It peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 and was ranked No. 8 on Rolling Stone's “40 Best Rap Albums of 2017” list. 
• 2017: Rich Homie Quan launched his eighth mixtape, Back to Basics, which would also be his final. It reached No. 42 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 74 on the Billboard 200. 
• 2017: Talib Kweli and Styles P dropped the collaborative EP, The Seven, which saw guest performances from Jadakiss, Common, Sheek Louch, and Rapsody. It debuted at No. 195 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 8 on the Independent Albums chart.
• 2023: American rapper NLE Choppa released his second album, Cottonwood 2, which included guest appearances from Lil Wayne, Fivio Foreign, Rick Ross, Polo G, G Herbo, and Kevin Gates, among others. The album reached No. 21 on the Billboard 200 and No. 9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
• 2023: American rapper Ice Spice dropped the song "Princess Diana" from her EP Like..?, through Capitol Records. It featured female rap icon Nicki Minaj and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning Spice her second Top 10 hit on the chart. 
• 2023: Yung Bleu released his third album, Love Scars II. With features from Ty Dolla Sign, Tink, and Chris Brown, it peaked at No. 15 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at No. 38 on the Billboard 200.

Cultural Milestones

• 1998: The inaugural VH1 Divas Live special debuted at New York City's Beacon Theatre as a benefit concert for VH1's Save The Music Foundation. Mariah Carey opened the concert with riveting renditions of her hits “My All” and “Make It Happen.” She also performed a duet with Aretha Franklin on the latter's “Chain of Fools.” Other performers at the event included Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan, Shania Twain, and Carole King.
• 2003: Grammy-nominated R&B singer Angie Stone made her Broadway debut when she joined the Chicago cast as the jail warden Matron "Mama" Morton, previously played by the American jazz singer B.J. Crosby.
• 2016: Prince played his final concert at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. He would pass away exactly a week later from a fentanyl overdose.
• 2018: American R&B singer Beyoncé made history as the first black woman to headline Coachella. The star had been slated to headline the festival the previous year but canceled due to pregnancy.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 2001: American rap mogul P. Diddy (real name Sean Combs) was arrested and charged with driving with a suspended license. Miami Beach police had pulled over the controversial star for making an illegal lane change while riding a scooter.
• 2015: American R&B singer Percy Sledge died of liver cancer aged 74. The legendary crooner is best known for his 1966 single "When a Man Loves a Woman," which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot R&B Singles chart.