This Day in Hip-Hop and R&B History: October 11

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This Day in Hip-Hop and R&B History: October 11

Oct. 11 is a pivotal date in hip-hop and R&B. It’s Cardi B’s birthday, who was born in 1992. She first garnered attention with her 2017 breakout hit, “Bodak Yellow,” topping the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and becoming the second single by a female solo rapper to top the chart. She has had the most number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 for any female rapper and is also the highest-certified female rapper.

MC Lyte was also born on this day in 1970. She was the first female solo rapper to receive a Gold certification with her 1993 single “Ruffneck.” In 2014, she became the first female hip-hop artist to perform at the White House.

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

Numerous genre-defining records have been released on this day, including:

1999: British DJ and producer Aim released his debut album, Cold Water Music, through Grand Central Records. Featuring guest performances from A.G., YZ, and Kate Rogers, the album hit No. 193 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 28 on the UK Independent Albums Chart.
2005: Warren G dropped his fifth album, In the Mid-Nite Hour. Featuring collaborations with Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and B-Real, it peaked at No. 80 on the Billboard 200.
2011: DJ Drama released his third album, Third Power, featuring Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean, Pusha-T, Young Jeezy, Fabolous, and Gucci Mane. The album peaked at No. 42 on the Billboard 200 and reached No. 7 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
2019: YoungBoy Never Broke Again released AI YoungBoy 2, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and was his first release to do so. Six of its fifteen tracks also entered the Billboard Hot 100.
2019: Wale dropped his sixth album, Wow… That’s Crazy. It debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, becoming his fourth Top 10 album in the U.S. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in November 2021.
2019: Lil Tjay released True 2 Myself, his debut album, which featured collaborations with Lil Wayne, Lil Durk, Lil Baby, and Jay Critch. It peaked at No. 5 on both the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Internationally, the album went to No. 22 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 2 on the Canadian Albums chart.
2019: YK Osiris dropped his debut album, The Golden Child, featuring guest appearances from Ty Dolla Sign, Tory Lanez, Russ, and Kehlani. The project reached No. 90 on the Billboard 200 and No. 45 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
2024: GloRilla released her debut album, Glorious. It debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and was the top-selling female rap album of the year.
2024: New York rapper and producer ELUCID released his critically acclaimed Revelator through Fat Possum Records. Rolling Stone ranked the album No. 66 on its “100 Best Albums of 2024” list, while Paste ranked it No. 15 on its list of the “20 Best Rap Albums of 2024.”

Cultural Milestones

These culture-shaping moments in R&B and hip-hop happened on Oct. 11:

1946: Daryl Hall was born in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. He is best known as the co-founder and lead vocalist of Hall & Oates, which he formed with guitarist and songwriter John Oates. The duo scored several R&B hits throughout the 70s and 80s, including “Rich Girl” and “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do),” both of which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart (now the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart). Hall has also released several hit records as a solo artist, including Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine (1986) and Soul Alone (1993).
1986: Janet Jackson’s “When I Think of You” started a two-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, which was her first U.S. No. 1 single. Pitchfork ranked the song No. 48 on their list of The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s.
1994: Phora (real name Marco Anthony Archer) was born in Anaheim, California. He shot to prominence with his 2017 debut album, Yours Truly Forever, which hit No. 44 on the Billboard 200. Its follow-up, Love Is Hell, which was released the following year, peaked at No. 87 on the same chart.
2011: Rihanna was named the “Sexiest Woman Alive” by Esquire magazine. She remains the only musician to be awarded the title, which has previously been given to film stars including Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson, Halle Berry, and Emilia Clarke.
2024: The animated biographical documentary film, Piece by Piece, was released. The animated film follows the life and work of Pharrell Williams from a LEGO animation perspective, featuring the voices of Jay-Z, Timbaland, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, and Busta Rhymes.

Notable Recordings and Performances

Several hip-hop and R&B artists launched some of their greatest works on this day.

2005: Hip-hop duo DANGERDOOM, comprising Danger Mouse and MF DOOM, released The Mouse and the Mask in the US through Epitaph Records. Supported by the singles “Sofa King” and “Old School,” the project peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 31 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
2019: Lil’ Kim dropped her fifth album, 9, which produced the singles “Go Awff,” “Found You,” and “Pray for Me.” The album didn’t chart on the Billboard 200. However, it went to No. 16 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart and peaked at No. 22 on the UK R&B Albums Chart.
2024: Rod Wave dropped his sixth album, Last Lap, which produced the singles “Passport Junkie” and “Fall Fast in Love.” It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, becoming his seventh US top-ten album.

Oct. 11 has been one of hip-hop and R&B’s most consequential dates. This day has welcomed the release of seminal records that continue to shape these genres. It also saw prominent artists set new career records on the charts and in mainstream media.

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