This Day in Hip-Hop and R&B History: March 10

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1967: Aretha Franklin released her tenth album, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You. The album would go on to peak at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
• 2009: Singer and songwriter The Dream released his second studio album, Love vs. Money. It would peak at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
• 2009: J. Holiday released his much-anticipated second album, Round 2. It debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
• 2015: The Empire cast released their debut soundtrack album, Empire: Original Soundtrack from Season 1. The album featured distinguished Hip-Hop and R&B artists such as Juicy J, Jennifer Hudson, Estelle, and Mary J. Blige. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
• 2017: JID released his debut studio album, The Never Story, featuring J. Cole as a producer. The album ranked No. 9 on Rolling Stone magazine's 40 Best Rap Albums of 2017.

Cultural Milestones

• 1963: Legendary producer and Def Jam Recordings co-founder Rick Rubin was born in Long Beach, New York. He played a huge role in bringing hip-hop into the mainstream by producing records for up-and-coming artists like Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, and Public Enemy.
• 1964: R&B and hip-hop singer Neneh Cherry was born in Stockholm, Sweden. She started her career in the 1980s and experimented with multiple styles and genres, with her latest album, The Versions, being launched in 2022.
• 1972: Timbaland was born in Norfolk, Virginia. He achieved phenomenal success both as a producer and as a performer, winning four GRAMMY awards from a total of 22 nominations.
• 1979: Soul and R&B sensation James Brown performed at the Grand Ole Opry at the invitation of country music legend Porter Wagoner. Brown became among the first non-country musicians to ever perform at the venue.
• 1994: Bad Bunny was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. He's widely credited with bringing Spanish-language rap into the mainstream.
• 2008: Blues and R&B singer Little Walter became the first artist explicitly inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a harmonica player.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1992: R&B and Hip-Hop icons, such as Color Me Badd, Heavy D & The Boyz, Boyz II Men, and Vanessa Williams, performed at the Soul Train Music Awards.
• 1998: Killah Priest released his debut studio album, Heavy Mental, via Gefen Records. A former Wu-Tang Clan associate and Sunz of Man band member, he released eight other albums, with the latest being 2015's Planet of the Gods.
• 2012: Drake performed hit singles from his second studio album, Take Care, at the Event Center Arena in San Jose, California, as part of the Club Paradise Tour.
• 2024: Offset of the hip-hop trio Migos kicked off his Set It Off Tour in Philadelphia with energetic performances of his latest tracks.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1997: Celebrated R&B singer LaVern Baker died of cardiovascular disease at age 67.
• 2005: Michael Jackson arrived in court for his child molestation trial more than an hour late and in his pajamas.
• 2017: Joni Sledge of the musical vocal group Sister Sledge died of natural causes at age 60.