The History of Rap Music

Events in Music

  • 1986-09-26 Run-DMC is the 1st rap group to hit the top 10 with "Raising Hell"
  • 1987-02-07 "Ronnies Rap" by Ron & DC Crew peaks at #93

Straight Outta Compton

1988-08-08 Rap group N.W.A. release their debut studio album "Straight Outta Compton"

  • 1990-06-10 Rap group 2 Live crew members arrested in Florida for obscenity
  • 1990-10-03 Florida record store owner Charles Freeman is found guilty of obscenity, for selling 2 Live Crew rap records
  • 1992-05-20 American rapper Tung Twista raps 597 syllables in under 60 seconds

Music History

1996-09-07 Rap artist Tupac Shakur shot multiple times in a drive by shooting in Las Vegas, dies 6 days later

The Slim Shady LP

1999-02-23 Hip Hop artist Eminem releases his first major record album "The Slim Shady LP" (Grammy 2000 - Rap album)

  • 2000-05-23 Eminem releases 3rd studio album "The Marshall Mathers LP", is fastest ever selling studio album (Grammy - Best Rap Album, 2001)
  • 2002-05-26 Eminem releases his 4th studio album "The Eminem Show" (2002 Billboard Album of the Year, Grammy Award Best Rap Album 2003)
  • 2002-11-13 Eminem releases single 'Lose Yourself' from soundtrack of "8 Mile", 1st rap song to win Academy Award Best Original Song

In Da Club

2003-01-07 "In Da Club" single is released by 50 Cent (MTV Video Music Award Best Rap Video and Best New Artist 2003, Billboard Song of the Year 2003)

"Yeah!"

2004-01-27 "Yeah!" single released by Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris (Grammy Award Best Rap/Sung Collaboration 2005, Billboard Song of the Year 2004)

The College Dropout Released

2004-02-10 Kanye West releases his debut album "The College Dropout" (2005 Grammy Best Rap Album)

  • 2005-03-03 American rapper 50 Cent releases his album “The Massacre” (2005 Billboard Album of the Year, Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album 2006)

Take Care

2011-11-15 "Take Care" second studio album by Drake is released (Grammy Award Best Rap Album 2013)

Thrift Shop

2012-08-27 "Thrift Shop" single is released by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (Billboard Song of the Year 2013, Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song 2014)

  • 2015-08-30 Rap artist Kanye West announces he will run for President in 2020 at the MTV Video Music Awards

Coloring Book

2016-05-13 Chance the Rapper releases his third mixtape "Coloring Book" on Apple Music - first album to chart on Billboard Top 100 based only on streams (Grammy for Best Rap Album)

#1 in the Charts

2019-07-29 Record for longest run at the top of US singles chart made by country rap single "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X remixed with Billy Ray Cyrus, No. 1 for 17 weeks

Music History

2020-03-02 American rap group Public Enemy part ways with Flavor Flav after 35 years over playing for free at Bernie Sanders rally


Birthdays in Music

  • 1960-12-22 Luther Campbell, American rap artist (2 Live Crew), born in Miami, Florida

Adam Yauch (1964-2012)

1964-08-05 American rap-rock vocalist (Beastie Boys -"(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)"), born in Brooklyn, New York

  • 1965-11-20 Mike D [Diamond], American rap vocalist (Beastie Boys - "You Gotta Fight For Your Right To Party"), born in New York City
  • 1966-02-19 Prince Markie Dee [Mark Anthony Morales], American rapper (Fat Boys - "Jail House Rap"; "Wipe-Out"), and actor (Disorderlies), born in Brooklyn, New York City (d. 2021) [1]
  • 1966-11-04 Kool Rock-ski [Damon Wimbley], American rapper (Fat Boys - "Jail House Rap"), born in Brooklyn, New York
  • 1968-07-20 Kool G. Rap [Nathaniel Thomas Wilson], American rapper, born in Queens, New York
  • 1968-11-25 Erick Sermon, American rap music artist (EPMD), born in Brentwood, New York

Ice Cube (54 years old)

1969-06-15 American rapper and actor (Boyz in the Hood, Anaconda), born in Los Angeles, California

Queen Latifah (54 years old)

1970-03-18 American Grammy and Emmy Award-winning rapper ("Ladies First"; "Unity"), actress (Chicago; Bessie: Beauty Shop), and TV personality (THe Queen Latifah Show), born in Newark, New Jersey

Mark Wahlberg (52 years old)

1971-06-05 American singer (Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch) and actor (Boogie Nights, The Departed), born in Boston, Massachusetts

Tupac Shakur (1971-1996)

1971-06-16 American rapper and actor (Juice, Bullet), born in East Harlem, New York

  • 1986-10-26 Schoolboy Q [Quincy Hanley), American rap artist (Oxymoron), born in Wiesbaden, West Germany

Chance the Rapper (30 years old)

1993-04-16 American rapper and record producer (Acid Rap; Coloring Book), born in Chicago, Illinois

  • 1995-08-15 Chief Keef [Keith Cozart}, American rap artist (Drill), born in Chicago, Illinois

Weddings in Music

  • 2004-09-04 American rap singer Juvenile (29) weds American businesswoman Shadonna Jones at The Victory Fellowship Church in Metairie, Louisiana

Deaths in Music

Tupac Shakur (1971-1996)

1996-09-13 American rapper and actor (Juice, Bullet), dies of internal bleeding after a drive-by shooting at 25

  • 2011-11-08 Heavy D [Dwight Errington Myers], Jamaican-American rap artist, dies at 44

Adam Yauch (1964-2012)

2012-05-04 American rap-rock vocalist (Beastie Boys -"(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)"), dies from cancer at 47

  • 2021-02-18 Prince Markie Dee [Mark Anthony Morales], American rapper and songwriter (Fat Boys - "Jail House Rap"; "Wipe-Out"), and actor (Disorderlies), dies at 52 [1]