This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: August 7

August 7 has left a mark on hip-hop and R&B history. One of the things that makes this date stand out is the many new releases it has witnessed over the years. In 2001 alone, for instance, R&B singer Usher and American rapper Jadakiss released their 8701 and Kiss tha Game Goodbye albums, respectively. During the same year, on August 7, the R&B group The Isley Brothers dropped the Eternal album, while rap duo Philly's Most Wanted made the headlines with their debut album, Get Down or Lay Down. This date has also hosted birthdays and other events that impacted the industry. 

Here are some of the most popular album releases from August 7.

2007: Hip-hop duo UGK dropped their album Undergound Kingz. It topped multiple charts, including the US Billboard 200 and the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. One of the tracks from the collection, "Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)", was even nominated for a GRAMMY.
2015: Dr. Dre released his third studio album, Compton. It performed outstandingly well on the charts, entering the US Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart at No. 2 and No. 1, respectively. 
2020: Rapper Aminé dropped his album Limbo. Debuting at #16 on the Billboard 200 chart in the US, it was one of the singer's most successful albums. The compilation was also his first one to snag a top-ten spot on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

The world has welcomed several hip-hop and R&B singers on August 7, although we've already lost some of them.

1937: August Moon, also known as Mr. Wiggles, was born in Richmond, Virginia. He died in 2023 at 85 after allegedly battling an undisclosed illness.
1968: Big Mello was born in Houston, TX. Regrettably, the American rapper was involved in a tragic car accident that cost him his life in 2002.
1979: Gangsta Boo, who was part of the rap collective Three 6 Mafia, was born. She died at 43 in 2023 after an accidental fentanyl and cocaine overdose. Before her death, she had achieved many feats, including releasing a couple of solo albums. 

Changes and challenges in the hip-hop and R&B industry are pretty common. Here are a few that it has faced on August 7:

2023: Toussaint McCall, whose "Nothing Takes the Place of You" track peaked at No. 5 on the US R&B Charts back in 1967, passed away. The 89-year-old's cause of death was not revealed, but his contributions to the R&B genre saw many people honor and celebrate his life.
2024: Freddie Trone, who sent his son to rob and kill American rapper PnB Rock in 2022, was convicted of the murder and sentenced to more than 31 years behind bars. Unfortunately, this might not have given the hip-hop artist's family and friends much-needed closure or helped in the healing process. However, knowing that justice was served in the long run may have brought them some relief.

Thinking back, these events from August 7 make this day special, whether you're a hip-hop and R&B artist or a fan.