This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: November 30

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1999: Two years after releasing his debut album, Rakim dropped a follow-up album, The Master. The album received positive reviews and reached No. 7 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
• 1999: Q-Tip released his studio album, Amplified, which featured the singles "Breathe and Stop" and "Vivrant Thing" and achieved No. 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
• 2004: Nas released Street's Disciple, his seventh album, which peaked at No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 5 on the Billboard 200. The album sold over a million copies, becoming the rapper's seventh Platinum record.
• 2004: Linkin Park and Jay-Z joined forces for a mash-up EP, Collision Course. It was an instant hit, with the single "Numb/Encore" winning a GRAMMY award in 2006.
• 2004: T.I. dropped his third studio album, Urban Legend, which became the first of his seven consecutive records to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
• 2010: Ronald Isley released the album Mr. I seven months after being released from jail, where he served a three-year stint for tax evasion. It entered at No. 11 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and featured guest contributions from T.I. and Lauryn Hill.
• 2010: Slim Thug dropped his third solo album, Tha Thug Show. The album featured the singles "So High" and "Gangsta," reaching No. 7 on the Top Rap Albums chart.
• 2018: Lil Baby released the commercial mixtape Street Gossip. It peaked at No. 2 on both the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.

Cultural Milestones

• 2017: The Barbados government renamed Westbury New Road to Rihanna Drive, honoring the artist as one of the island's most famous brands.
• 2021: Apple announced The Weeknd as the winner of the Global Artist of the Year award. His album, After Hours, held the record for the most-streamed album in its first week on Apple Music.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 2017: 50 Cent, Fat Joe, and other artists graced the stage at the XL Center in Connecticut during the Latin Meets Hip-Hop Concert.
• 2018: Travis Scott, supported by Virgil Abloh, Trippie Redd, Gunna, and Sheck Wes, lit up the stage at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, during his Wish You Were Here Tour.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1991: Billboard transformed its Hot 100 chart methodology, adapting SoundScan and Broadcast Data Systems to monitor sales reports and airplay of singles.
• 1994: Three assailants shot Tupac Shakur five times outside Quad Studios in New York City, injuring his head, hand, and groin. The incident became a pivotal moment in the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop rivalry.