This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: June 4
June 4 is an extraordinary date in hip-hop and R&B. This day has heralded many culture-shifting moments with lasting impact on the music world. One decorated artist commemorating their birthday…
June 4 is an extraordinary date in hip-hop and R&B. This day has heralded many culture-shifting moments with lasting impact on the music world. One decorated artist commemorating their birthday on this date is the British rapper Central Cee, born in 1998. His debut album Can't Rush Greatness, released in January 2025, debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200, becoming the first U.K. rap album to reach the top 10 in the US. It also topped the U.K. Albums chart, making it his second chart-topping release in the country after his second mixtape, 23, achieved the feat in 2022.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Several charting hip-hop and R&B albums dropped on this date:
- 1996: American hip-hop group the Lost Boyz released their debut album, Legal Drug Money, via Universal Records. It peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 1996: American rapper Ice-T released his sixth album, Ice-T VI: Return of the Real, through Rhyme $yndicate and Priority Records. It peaked at No. 89 on the Billboard 200 and No. 19 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 2021: American rapper Lloyd Banks released his fourth album, The Course of the Inevitable, his first full-length release since parting with G-Unit Records. It peaked at No. 84 on the Billboard 200 and No. 45 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 2021: American rappers Lil Durk and Lil Baby released the collaborative album The Voice of the Heroes. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The industry has also witnessed many challenges and controversies on this day:
- 1991: American rapper MC Trouble died in her sleep at the age of 20 after suffering an epileptic seizure. She was the first female rapper to sign with Motown Records.
- 2000: American rapper Eminem was arrested in the parking lot outside a Detroit nightclub. He allegedly assaulted a man, John Guerra, after he saw him kissing his wife, Kim. Guerra later filed a civil lawsuit against the star, which was settled in 2002 for $100,000.
- 2007: American R&B and Soul singer Freddie Scott died from heart disease at the age of 74. He is best remembered for hits such as "Hey, Girl" and "Are You Lonely for Me."
- 2017: R&B and pop superstar Ariana Grande hosted the One Love Manchester benefit concert to honor victims of the Manchester Arena suicide bombing that killed 22 and injured dozens more. The event raised $24.5 million, with a significant portion of the proceeds awarded to the bereaved families.
- 2024: Swedish rapper C. Gambino was shot and killed in a parking garage in Gothenburg at the age of 26. The up-and-coming star who had signed to Warner Music Sweden released two albums, including "In Memory Of Some Stand Up Guys" (2024), which topped the Swedish chart.
June 4 is a remarkable date in hip-hop and R&B. This day hosted the release of several groundbreaking albums that changed the music landscape. It also witnessed the untimely passing of several venerated artists, including an R&B icon and two rising-star rappers.
