Official Blog of Hip Hop Scriptures - Virtual Hip Hop Museum
The group's debut single, "Ring the Alarm", entered the top ten on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart in 1992, which sparked anticipation for the group's debut album, F.U. Don't Take It Personal, and also inadvertently immortalized and ignited a new-found popularity for the original "Ring the Alarm", the signature tune of dancehall reggae singjay Tenor Saw from 1985, which the group sampled to create its track of the same name.
In the liner notes on BDP's 1992 album Sex and Violence, KRS-One writes: "BDP in 1992 is KRS-One, Willie D, and Kenny Parker! BDP is not D-Nice, Jamal-ski, Harmony, Ms. Melodie, and Scottie Morris. They are not down with BDP so stop frontin'." Steve "Flash" Juon of RapReviews.com claimed that this initiated the ultimate breakup of the group. Read more about BDP here.
In early 1999, Eminem released "The Slim Shady LP" that spawned hits "My Name Is" and "Guilty Conscience". It sold 1.76 million copies in its first week of release in the U.S., a record for a solo artist, successfully won 3 Grammys and became the first rap album ever to be nominated Album of the Year. Learn more about the Slim Shady LP on our TikTok and read more about Eminem here.
War Zone is the second album by American hip hop trio Black Moon released on February 23rd, 1999. The album was released almost six years after its influential debut Enta da Stage. The group began a lengthy legal battle with Nervous Records in 1995 over the licensing of their name, which finally settled soon before the release of War Zone. It features guest appearances from Busta Rhymes, Heather B, Louieville Sluggah, M.O.P., Q-Tip, Rock, Smif-N-Wessun and Teflon. The album peaked at number 35 on the Billboard 200 and number 9 on the Top R&B Albums. Read more about Black Moon and their career here.
Released February 23rd, 1988, Goin' Off is Biz Markie’s debut studio album. The album was strictly produced by Marley Marl. The lyrics for the first five songs on the album were written by Big Daddy Kane. Biz also shows his talent for beat boxing on the song "Make the Music with Your Mouth, Biz". The album includes some timeless tracks with “Vapors” being one of his most widely known songs. Read more about Biz Markie and his career here.
Released February 23rd, 1999, A Prince Among Thieves is the second studio album by hip hop artist Prince Paul. The album was well received by music critics and features cameos by Kool Keith, Big Daddy Kane, Chubb Rock, Biz Markie, De La Soul, Everlast, Sadat X, Xzibit, Kid Creole, Special Ed, Chris Rock, RZA and Buckshot.
Things Fall Apart is the fourth studio album by American hip hop band The Roots, released on February 23, 1999. This was the group's first record to sell over 500,000 copies. It includes the song "You Got Me", which won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, while Things Fall Apart was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album of the same year, losing to Eminem for The Slim Shady LP. Read more about The Roots and their career here.
19 Naughty III is the third album from Naughty by Nature, released on February 23rd, 1993. The album debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 and even went certified platinum. Production was handled entirely by group member Kay Gee himself, with additional production from S.I.D. Reynolds. It includes guest appearances from Heavy D, Queen Latifah, Freddie Foxxx and Rottin Razkals. The album was a success, having the single “Hip Hop Hooray” be the groups second top 10 single. Read more about Naughty by Nature and their career here.
Rappers Fat Joe and Remy Ma released their first collaborative studio album, “Plata O Plomo” on February 17, 2017. The title translates to “silver or lead” in Spanish, which is a saying that means “money or bullets.” The album has a variety of sounds to old school hip-hop from 90s nostalgia heartstrings. Both Fat Joe and Remy Ma made the right intentions to make this album memorable. In the first week the album was released, it earned 11,158 album-equivalent units.
Released on February 16th, 1993, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... is 2Pac’s second studio album. The albums title includes a backronym; N.I.G.G.A, which stands for "Never Ignorant in Getting Goals Accomplished." The Album features many guest appearances such as Ice-T, Live Squad and Ice Cube. Similar to his debut album, 2Pacalypse, 2Pac shares his social and political views. The album received mostly positive views debuting at number 24 on the US Billboard 200 and number 4 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling 38,000 units in its first week. By April 1995 the album was certified platinum selling over 1 million copies in the US. Read more about 2Pac and his career here.
Released on February 16, 2018, Victory Lap is Nipsey Hussle’s debut album. It is also the only album to be released during his life time after releasing a string of mixtapes for thirteen years. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and at number three on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Following Hussle's death on March 31, 2019, the album reached a new peak of number two on the US Billboard 200. Read more about Nipsey Hussle and his career here.
Several days ahead of its release, West again changed the title, this time to The Life of Pablo. On February 11, West premiered the album at Madison Square Garden as part of the presentation of his Yeezy Season 3 clothing line. Following the preview, West announced that he would be modifying the tracklist once more before its release to the public, and further delayed its release to finalize the recording of the track "Waves" at the behest of co-writer Chance the Rapper. He released the album exclusively on Tidal on February 14, 2016, following a performance on SNL.
