This Day in Hip Hop & R&B History: January 7
Jan. 7 marks several transformations in hip-hop and R&B. Aloe Blacc was born on this date in 1979. Many will know him from his guest appearance on Avicii’s 2013 international…
Jan. 7 marks several transformations in hip-hop and R&B. Aloe Blacc was born on this date in 1979. Many will know him from his guest appearance on Avicii's 2013 international hit, "Wake Me Up." The track topped charts in much of Europe, while Rolling Stone named it the 26th best song of 2013. His third album, Lift Your Spirit, released the same year, peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It also went to No. 1 on the Billboard U.S. Top Rap Albums chart.
Blacc shares a birthday with BWay Yungy, who was born on Jan. 7, 2003. His standout tracks include "Spazzin Out," "Check Me Out," and "Far Away," featuring American rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Here are genre-shaping records that dropped on Jan. 7:
- 2014: Kid Ink released his second album, My Own Lane. With features from Chris Brown, Meek Mill, Wale, Pusha T, and ASAP Ferg, it charted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- 2022: The Weeknd dropped his fifth album, Dawn FM. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, and topped both the U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and the U.K. R&B Albums chart. Billboard also ranked it No. 8 on its list of the 50 best albums of 2022.
- 2022: Gunna released his third album, DS4Ever. It debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, making it Gunna's second U.S. No. 1 album.
Cultural Milestones
Jan. 7 has witnessed various landmark cultural moments in R&B and hip-hop:
- 2003: 50 Cent released his breakout single, "In da Club." As the lead single from his debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin', it went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the rapper's first U.S. No. 1 single. In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 448 on its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.
- 2012: Beyoncé and Jay-Z welcomed their first child, a daughter they named Blue Ivy Carter. She appeared on the Billboard charts at just two days old with her cries on her father's tribute song "Glory," becoming the youngest person to hit a Billboard chart.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The industry lost several icons on Jan. 7:
- 1980: The death occurred of New Orleans R&B and rock and roll singer Larry Williams. Fans remember him for hits such as "Short Fat Fannie," "Bony Moronie," and "You Bug Me Baby."
- 2013: Sam Pace of the Milwaukee R&B group The Esquires died at the age of 68 following a long illness. The band scored a string of hits in the 1960s, most notably "Get On Up" and "And Get Away," which reached No. 11 and No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.
Jan. 7 will go down as one of the most memorable dates in hip-hop and R&B history. It marked the release of many chart-topping records and witnessed the passing of some R&B greats, such as Larry Williams and Sam Pace.
