This Day in Hip-Hop and R&B History: September 25

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 2001: Guru dropped his fourth album, Baldhead Slick & da Click, through Landspeed Records. It peaked at No. 122 on the Billboard 200 and topped the U.S. Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart.
• 2007: Gorilla Zoe released his debut album, Welcome to the Zoo, via Block Entertainment and Bad Boy Records. With guest appearances from Yung Joc, Boyz n da Hood, and D. Woods, it debuted at No. 18 on the Billboard 200, selling 35,000 copies in its opening week. It also reached No. 3 on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums chart.
• 2012: Lupe Fiasco released his fourth album, Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1. It peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and topped Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts. The album also received a nomination for Best Rap Album at the 55th GRAMMY Awards.
• 2015: Fetty Wap dropped his self-titled debut album through 300 Entertainment, which topped the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album featured the breakout single, “Trap Queen,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
• 2015: The experimental hip-hop trio Big Grams, which comprises Big Boi of Outkast fame and the electronic rock duo Phantogram, released their self-titled debut EP. The project peaked at No. 38 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 5 on the Billboard Top Rap Albums chart. 
• 2015: Casey Veggies dropped his debut album, Live & Grow, which produced the singles “Backflip” and “Tied Up.” It went to No. 93 on the Billboard 200 and No. 15 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. 
• 2020: Machine Gun Kelly released his fifth album, Tickets to My Downfall. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, while Kerrang! magazine named it the ninth best album of 2020.
• 2020: Public Enemy released their fifteenth album, What You Gonna Do When the Grind Goes Down? It peaked at No. 100 on the UK Albums Chart and at No. 2 on the UK R&B Albums Chart. 
• 2020: Atlanta-hailing hip-hop collective Spillage Village released their major-label debut, Spilligion. It peaked at No. 141 on the Billboard 200 and was ranked No. 5 on NPR’s “The 50 Best Albums of 2020” list. 
• 2020: Tory Lanez dropped Daystar, his fifth album, which featured a sole guest appearance from Yoko Gold on “Sorry But I Had To….” The album debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200, becoming his sixth top-ten debut. It also went to No. 6 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart.

Cultural Milestones

• 1947: Cecil Womack was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He was a member of the family R&B vocal group the Valentinos, best known for their 1962 top-10 R&B hit “Lookin’ for a Love.” Womack also achieved success as a songwriter and is credited with writing hits such as “Love TKO” by Teddy Pendergrass and “Your Song” by The Four Tops.
• 1964: The Temptations cut their signature song, “My Girl,” at Hitsville U.S.A. Written and produced by Smokey Robinson, it was their first U.S. number-one single. The National Recording Registry included it in 2017 for its cultural, aesthetic, and historical significance.
• 1978: GRAMMY-nominated singer, songwriter, and producer Ryan Leslie was born in Richmond, Virginia. One of the most prolific and successful R&B songwriters of the mid to late 00s, he has written songs for artists such as Beyoncé, Kanye West, Fabolous, Usher, and LL Cool J. He has also released six albums as a solo artist.
• 1993: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s “Boom! Shake the Room” began a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.K. Singles chart. In the U.S., the song peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at No. 21 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 2015: Eric Sermon released E.S.P. (Erick Sermon’s Perception), his seventh solo album. It featured a star-studded lineup of collaborators, including Krayzie Bone, Faith Evans, Too Short, Method Man & Redman, Keith Murray, and Sheek Louch. Although it didn’t crack the Billboard 200, the album reached No. 41 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
• 2020: ASAP Ferg dropped his fifth album, Floor Seats II, which featured collaborations with Latto, Dennis Rodman, and Marilyn Manson. The album debuted at No. 143 on the Billboard 200. 
• 2020: Fredo Bang released his fourth mixtape, In the Name of Gee. The project performed moderately well on the charts, peaking at No. 40 on the Billboard 200, No. 22 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and No. 19 on the Top Rap Albums chart.
• 2020:  Japanese-American R&B singer Joji launched his second album, Nectar, featuring the singles “Sanctuary,” “Run,” and “Gimme Love.” The project hit No. 3 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart. It has since been certified Gold in both countries.