This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: October 21
Did you know that Doja Cat celebrates her birthday on Oct. 21? She has released a few top 10 singles, such as “Need to Know” and “Kiss Me More.” Her…
Did you know that Doja Cat celebrates her birthday on Oct. 21? She has released a few top 10 singles, such as “Need to Know” and “Kiss Me More.” Her long list of achievements includes winning a GRAMMY as well as several MTV Video Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards.
Oct. 21 saw the music industry lose Robert Louis Gordy Sr., who died at age 91 in 2022. He served as the manager of Motown Records' music publishing department. Some of the artists who have been signed to the record label include Akon, Ashanti, Toni Braxton, and Queen Latifah. Additionally, Oct. 21 has witnessed multiple album releases, performances, and other unforgettable events.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
These songs and albums released on Oct. 21 deserve to be on your hip-hop and R&B playlist:
- 1987: Shanice launched her debut album, Discovery, which peaked at No. 37 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and reached No. 149 on the U.S. Billboard 200. Tracks such as “No ½ Steppin'” and “(Baby Tell Me) Can You Dance” garnered attention from fans and established Shanice as a vocal powerhouse.
- 2016: Joe Budden released Rage & The Machine, his eighth solo studio album. It entered the Billboard 200 at No. 40 but performed much better on the Independent Albums and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, where it reached the No. 1 spot.
- 2020: Ty Dolla $ign dropped “Spicy,” featuring Post Malone. This track was from Ty Dolla $ign's Featuring Ty Dolla $ign”album, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart. The project included collaborations with Quavo, Kid Cudi, Nicki Minaj, and other prominent figures.
Cultural Milestones
Oct. 21 has hosted the following cultural moments:
- 2017: Cardi B performed at the Homecoming Concert that took place at Albany's Times Union Center. Following the show, she was thrown out of the Hilton Hotel where she was staying after allegedly smoking weed.
- 2024: André 3000 lit up the stage at The Salt Shed in Chicago, Illinois. He was on his New Blue Sun tour, which supported his debut solo album of the same name. The fact that this project comprised jazz hits distinguished it from André 3000's work with Outkast, whose discography mainly includes rap tracks.
Industry Changes and Challenges
These events from Oct. 21 changed the hip-hop and R&B industry:
- 2000: Frankie “Hollywood” Crocker died from pancreatic cancer at 62. While Crocker wasn't a musician, he played a key role in promoting hip-hop during the 1970s and 1980s, despite initially disliking the genre. He was among the first radio personalities to promote “Rapper's Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang. This song's success helped legitimize hip-hop, allowing it to become the most popular music genre in the United States.
- 2021: Switch founding member Tommy DeBarge died from liver disease and kidney failure at 64. He was known for collaborating with other Switch group members to release hits such as “I Call Your Name” and “There'll Never Be.”
Hopefully, you now see the impact of Oct. 21 on hip-hop and R&B. The music industry would not be what it is today without the events from this date.
