This Day in Hip-Hop and R&B History: September 27

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 2005: Three 6 Mafia released their eighth album, Most Known Unknown, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and topping the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album also spawned two of the group’s biggest hits, “Stay Fly” and “Poppin’ My Collar,” which peaked at No. 13 and No. 21, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.
• 2005: Lil’ Kim released her fourth album, The Naked Truth, which would be her last release under Atlantic Records. It peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and No. 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
• 2010: Lil Wayne’s eighth album, I Am Not a Human Being, dropped. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, eventually climbing to No. 1 and becoming his second U.S. chart-topping album. The album also topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
• 2011: J. Cole released his debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, which featured Missy Elliot, Jay-Z, and Drake. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and sold 218,000 copies in its first week of sales.
• 2011: Evidence released Cats & Dogs, his second album, which produced the singles “To Be Continued…” and “You.” It made it to No. 64 on the Billboard 200 and No. 10 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
• 2016: Danny Brown launched his third album, Atrocity Exhibition, featuring guest performances from Ab-Soul, Kendrick Lamar, Petite Noir, and Earl Sweatshirt. The album reached No. 77 on the Billboard 200 and No. 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It was also ranked No. 12 on Complex’s “50 Best Albums of 2016” list. 
• 2019: Pitbull dropped Libertad 548, his eleventh album, which featured guest appearances from Ludacris, Lil Jon, Daddy Yankee, and Flo Rida. It peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Latin Rhythm Albums chart and at No. 12 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. 
• 2019: DaBaby dropped his sophomore album, Kirk, with Interscope Records. It was his first album to top the Billboard 200, and it went to No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
• 2019: Young M.A. released her debut album, Herstory in the Making. The record peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and achieved No. 60 on Billboard’s Canadian Albums chart.
• 2024: British rapper Nines released his sixth and final album, Quit While You’re Ahead, which featured guest performances from K-Trap, Bellah, Gappy Ranks, and NorthSideBenji. It reached No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 1 on the UK R&B Albums Chart.

Cultural Milestones

• 1971: Big Mike (real name Michael Barnett) was born. He is best known for his work with the hip-hop group Geto Boys, which he joined in 1992 to replace Willie D. He would also later enjoy a successful solo career, releasing his would-be Gold-certified debut album, Somethin’ Serious, in 1994 on Rap-A-Lot Records.
• 1980: Kurtis Blow became the first rapper to perform on national TV when he performed “The Breaks” on Soul Train. A year earlier, he had signed to Mercury Records, becoming the first rapper to sign to a major label.
• 1990: Marvin Gaye was posthumously honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Motown legend, whose hits include “Sexual Healing,” “What’s Going On,” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” had been fatally shot by his father, Marvin Gaye Sr., just six years earlier.
• 2012: Lil Wayne surpassed Elvis Presley’s record for most entries on the Billboard Hot 100 after posting his 109th song on the chart. The song that pushed him over the record was his guest appearance on The Game’s “Celebration,” which debuted at No. 82 on the chart.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1994: New York rapper PMD dropped his debut album, Shade Business, through RCA Records. With guest appearances from Das EFX, Top Quality, and 3rd Eye, the album went to No. 42 on the Billboard 200. 
• 2011: 9th Wonder released his fourth album, The Wonder Years, through his It’s a Wonderful World Music label. Featuring collaborations with Mac Miller, Raekwon, Rapsody, Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, and Marsha Ambrosius, the project hit No. 12 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 76 on the Billboard 200. 
• 2019: Kevin Gates released his second album, I’m Him, which produced the singles “Push It” and “Facts.” It debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, becoming the rapper’s fourth US top-ten album. The project has since been certified Gold by the RIAA for selling over 500,000 album equivalents. 
• 2024: Leon Thomas dropped his acclaimed second album, MUTT, with cameo appearances from Ty Dolla Sign, Wale, Baby Rose, and Masego. The album peaked at No. 35 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 8 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It was nominated for Album of the Year and Best R&B Album at the 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards, ultimately winning the latter.