“November is Hip-Hop History Month, where we give celebration to what hip hop has done to bring together people of the world, people of all nationalities, young people, all the political systems and politicians on the planet.”
Anytime is a great time to reflect on an art form & lifestyle that means so much to so many. Since November has been designated Hip Hop History Month I hope you'll join me for 30 days of celebrating some of its trailblazers, contributors, memories and the overall beauty of Hip Hop. This post will be updated daily, so be sure to check back and share any flashbacks or highlights that are special to you in the comments.
Day 1
Track of the Day: Slick Rick- Children's Story
Released on this Day
November 1, 1988 Slick Rick dropped The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
Flashback Photo of the Day
Word Up! Magazine June 1996
Hip Hop Education: Afrika Bambaataa on Hip Hop, History and Culture
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Dezert Eez
Day 2
Quote of the Day
“Hip-hop is the streets. Hip-hop is a couple of elements that it comes from back in the days... that feel of music with urgency that speaks to you. It speaks to your livelihood and it’s not compromised. It’s blunt. It’s raw, straight off the street - from the beat to the voice to the words.”
Track of the Day: The Roots- Silent Treatment
Released on This Day
November 2, 1999 Rah Digga drops "Dirty Harriet"
November 2, 1999 The Roots dropped "The Roots Come Alive"
November 2, 2000 Nightmares on Wax dropped "DJ-Kicks: Nightmares on Wax"
Flashback Photo of the Day
Right On! November 1989
Hip Hop Education: 40 Years of Hip Hop by KRS-One
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Anagram
Day 3
Quote of the Day
“Hip-hop is supposed to uplift and create, to educate people on a larger level and to make a change.”
Track of the Day: Geto Boys- Mind Playing Tricks on Me
Released on this Day
November 3, 1992 Geto Boys dropped "Uncut Dope: Geto Boys Best"
November 3, 1992 Positive K dropped "The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills"
November 3, 1998 Juvenile dropped "400 Degreez"
Flashback Photo of the Day
Right On! Magazine
Hip Hop Education: Beat Kings- The History of Hip Hop
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Awthentik
Day 4
Quote of the Day
“Hip Hop is ever changing but you’ll always have the pack. And you’ll always have those people who are separated from the pack.”
Track of the Day: Rakim- "Guess Who's Back"
Released on this Day
November 4, 1986 Too $hort dropped "Raw Uncut and X-Rated"
November 4, 1987 Ice-T dropped "Rhyme Pays"
November 4, 1997 Rakim dropped "The 18th Letter"
November 4, 1997 Jay-Z dropped "In My Lifetime Vol 1"
November 4, 2003 Ja-Rule dropped "Blood in My Eye"
November 4, 2003 Pete Rock dropped Lost & Found: Hip Hop Underground Soul Classics
November 4, 2003 Too $hort dropped "Married to the Game"
Flashback Photo of the Day
WordUp! Magazine
Hip Hop Education: The History of Hip Hop
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Jon GodLee
Day 5
Quote of the Day
“Hip Hop is the last true folk art”
Track of the Day: 2Pac- Hail Mary f. Outlawz
Released on this Day
November 5, 1996 2Pac/Makaveli- "The Don Killuminati 7 Day Theory" was released
Flashback Photo of the Day
1986 Hip Hop Event Flyer
Hip Hop Education: Beat This! A Hip Hop History
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Valid
Day 6
Quote of the Day
“The beautiful thing about hip-hop is it’s like an audio collage. You can take any form of music and do it in a hip-hop way and it’ll be a hip-hop song. That’s the only music you can do that with.”
Track of the Day: Kool Moe Dee- "Wild Wild West"
Released on this Day
November 6, 1987 Kool Moe Dee dropped "How Ya Like Me Now"
November 6, 1987 N.W.A. dropped "N.W.A. and the Posse"
November 6, 2001 Petey Pablo dropped "Diary of a Sinner: 1st Entry"
November 6, 2001 Ludacris dropped "Word of Mouf"
Flashback Photo of the Day
Slick Rick & Run
Hip Hop Education: History of Hip Hop Culture Summed Up in 10 Minutes
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Allen Poe
Day 7
Quote of the Day
“Hip-hop is a cultural expression - it’s embracing.”
Track of the Day: GZA- "Shadowboxin'" f. Method Man
Released on this Day
November 7, 1989 Queen Latifah dropped "All Hail the Queen"
November 7, 1995 GZA dropped "Liquid Swords"
November 7, 1995 Goodie Mob dropped "Soul Food"
November 7, 2000 Outlawz dropped "Ride Wit Us or Collide Wit Us"
November 7, 2004 Bizzy Bone dropped "The Beginning and the End"
Flashback Photo of the Day
Queen Latifah & MC Lyte
Hip Hop Education: Yo! MTV Raps Documentary
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Saan Solo
Day 8
Quote of the Day
“Hip-hop is supposed to help you elevate, or go higher.”
Track of the Day: Pete Rock & CL Smooth-Searching
Released on this Day
November 8, 1994 Pete Rock & CL Smooth dropped "The Main Ingredient"
November 8, 1994 Keith Murray dropped "The Most Beautifullest Thing in this World"
November 8, 2004 Ja'Rule dropped R.U.L.E.
Flashback Photo of the Day
YSB January 1993
Hip Hop Education (and Humor) : Portlandia Sketch - History of Hip Hop
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Faze Blue le'goon
Day 9
Quote of the Day
“People can look to me as a teacher, but I consider myself a student of hip-hop.”
Track of the Day: A Tribe Called Quest- "Electric Relaxation"
Released on this Day
Flashback Photo of the Day
The Source Magazine, Jan 1994
Hip Hop Education: The Art of 16 Bars
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight M.E.D.- Mental Elastic Dynasty
Day 10
Quote of the Day
“Hip-hop was created out of necessity. We needed to create some digitized things to help us understand what we were feeling.”
Track of the Day: DJ Quick- So Many Wayz f.2nd II None & Peter Gunz
Released on this Day
Flashback Photo of the Day
Pharrell Williams
Hip Hop Education: Money Power Respect
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Ke Sera
Day 11
Quote of the Day
“Hip Hop is all over the planet”
Track of the Day: 2 Pac- Holler if Ya Hear Me
Released on this Day
Flashback Photo of the Day
Shock G & 2Pac
Hip Hop Education: Eclectic Method - A Brief History of Sampling
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- B-Side
Day 12
Quote of the Day
“That’s what hip-hop is: It’s sociology and English put to a beat, you know.”
Track of the Day: Snoop Dogg- Snoop's Upside Ya Head
Released on this Day
Flashback Photo of the Day
Leaders of the New School
Hip Hop Education: Looking for the Perfect Beat
Indie Spotlight- Praverb the Wyse
Day 13
Quote of the Day
“Hip-hop started as this niche moment, and the values of it, the cultures that it carried on its back; language, clothes, the way you wear your clothes, the items that you consume, all came with the music as an art form. And those things helped transform how people buy, shop, speak, engage.”
Track of the Day: Ghostface Killah- Strawberry
Released on this Day
Flashback Photo of the Day
Vibe, October 1995
Hip Hop Education: Scratch
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- WuZee
Day 14
Quote of the Day
“When you talk about rap you have to understand that rap is part of the Hip-Hop culture. ”
Track of the Day: The Pharcyde - Runnin'
Released on this Day
"Labcabincalifornia" - The Pharcyde (1995)
"The Collection: Volume Two" - Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (2000)
"Beg for Mercy" - G-Unit (2003)
"The Black Album" - Jay-Z (2003)
Flashback Photo of the Day
The Source, January 1994
Hip Hop Education: Founding Fathers: The Untold Story of Hip Hop
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight-Sheba Shane
Day 15
Quote of the Day
“I love the hip-hop nation.”
Track of the Day: Method Man- Bring the Pain
Released on this Day
Flashback Photo of the Day
Hip Hop Education: History of the Birth of Hip Hop Culture
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Iyadonna
Day 16
Quote of the Day
“Hip Hop is about the brilliance of pavement poetry. ”
Track of the Day: MF DOOM- Vomitspit
Released on this Day
"Black Reign" - Queen Latifah (1993)
"Shock of the Hour" - MC Ren (1993)
"Straight Up Sewaside" - Das EFX (1993)
"Immobilarity" - Raekwon (1999)
"Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha" - Kurupt (1999)
"2001" - Dr. Dre (1999)
"Willennium" - Will Smith (1999)
"Crunk Juice" - Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz (2004)
"Greatest Hits" - Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (2004)
"Mm.. Food"- MF Doom (2004)
"Powerballin'" - Chingy (2004)
Flashback Photo of the Day
Hip Hop Education: Women In Hip Hop History & the Influence of Lauryn Hill [Documentary]
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Young Havok
Day 17
Quote of the Day
“Hip-hop is the only music in the world where you can take any instrument and make it hip hop. It’s anybody’s music. It’s what you make of it. That’s for anything you do in life.”
Track of the Day: Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock- Turn it Out (Go Base)
Released on this Day
Flashback Photo of the Day
Hip Hop Education: Yo! MTV Raps Episode 1 (1988)
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Ovastandas
Day 18
Quote of the Day
“Hip hop reflects the truth, and the problem is that hip-hop exposes a lot of the negative truth that society tries to conceal. It’s a platform where we could offer information, but it’s also an escape.”
Track of the Day: LL Cool J- I Can't Live Without My Radio
Released on this Day
"Radio" - LL Cool J (1985)
"Revolutionary Vol. 2" - Immortal Technique (2003)
"Under Construction, Part II" - Timbaland & Magoo (2003)
"Weekend Warrior" - Biz Markie (2003)
Flashback Photo of the Day
Gang Starr
Hip Hop Education: And Ya Don't Stop 30 Years of Hip Hop
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Weird Family
Day 19
Quote of the Day
“I want kids of this generation to see that everything is cool, that there’s some kind of unity in hip-hop. We all found something that’s really important to us, and music is all we’ve really got.”
Track of the Day: Talib Kweli- Get By
Released on this Day
"Cool Hand Lōc" - Tone Lōc (1991)
"Hell on Earth" - Mobb Deep (1996)
"Ill Na Na" - Foxy Brown (1996)
"Greatest Hits (Geto Boys album)"- Geto Boys (2002)
"Last Temptation" - Ja Rule (2002)
"Mic Club: The Curriculum" - Canibus (2002)
"Quality" - Talib Kweli (2002)
Flashback Photo of the Day
Jay Z, Lauryn Hill & Common
Hip Hop Education: PBS Independent Lens HIP HOP Beyond Beats and Rhymes
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Sean Summerlin
Day 20
Quote of the Day
“Good art provides people with a vocabulary about things they can’t articulate.”
Track of the Day: Run DMC - The Ave
Released on this Day
"Back from Hell" - Run-D.M.C. (1990)
"Cappadonna Hits" - Cappadonna (2001)
"Indecent Proposal" - Timbaland & Magoo (2001)
Flashback Photo of the Day
Nice & Smooth
Hip Hop Education: True Hip-Hop Stories: Lords Of The Underground
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Miz Jes & Phire Free
Day 21
Quote of the Day
“Hip-hop is the people. What the people are moving toward is what hip-hop is. I think people are moving toward a freer way of thinking. Openness.”
Track of the Day: LL Cool J- Hey Lover f. Boyz II Men
Released on this Day
"Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio (1995)
"Mr. Smith" - LL Cool J (1995)
"Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton" - Eazy-E (1995)
"Checkmate" - B.G. (2000)
"The Reunion" - Capone-N-Noreaga (2000)
"Space Age 4 Eva" - 8Ball & MJG (2000)
"The W" - Wu-Tang Clan (2000)
Flashback Photo of the Day
Chi Ali & Kriss Kross
Hip Hop Education: Farbeon - Hip Hop Re Education
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight - Holly Starks & Kay Fly
Day 22
Quote of the Day
“Well, hip hop is what makes the world go around.”
Track of the Day: Slick Rick- Behind Bars
Released on this Day
"Behind Bars" - Slick Rick (1994)
"Bootlegs & B-Sides" - Ice Cube (1994)
"Dare Iz a Darkside" - Redman (1994)
Flashback Photo of the Day
Biggie, Lil' Kim & Junior Mafia
Hip Hop Education: Most Rare Hip Hop Flyer Collection - Get Gone TV
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Fusion
Day 23
Quote of the Day
“Art is a way to express yourself and through that you can escape a bad situation.”
Track of the Day: Redman- I'll Bee Dat
Released on this Day
Flashback Photo of the Day
Hip Hop Education: True Hip-Hop Stories: Buckshot (of Black Moon)
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- H
Day 24
Quote of the Day
“Never try to make the same record twice, even when people are screaming for the same sound.”
Track of the Day: The Pharcyde- Passin' Me By
Released on this Day
"Licensed to Ill" - Beastie Boys (1986)
"Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde" - The Pharcyde (1992)
"Live and Let Die"- Kool G Rap (1992)
Flashback Photo of the Day
Hip Hop History: 10 Cool Facts About Hip Hop with Grandmaster Flash
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Kevin "V.H." Lavender, CEO of Truth Tone Records
Day 25
Quote of the Day
“I grew up around hip-hop so I didn’t think it was about being cool or being black or being white or whatever.”
Track of the Day: 2Pac - Do For Love
Released on this Day
Flashback Photo of the Day
Hip Hop Education: Bay Area Hip Hop History: Veteran Dancers Reminisce About Local Styles | KQED Arts
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Philosophy Cole
Day 26
Quote of the Day
“I’m serious; I don’t, I don’t rap. I flow; I’m a flow-er. You’ve got rappers, you got MCs, and then you got flow-ers, I’m a flow-er.”
Track of the Day: Busta Rhymes & Mariah Carey f The Flipmode Squad - I Know What You Want
Released on this Day
Flashback Photo of the Day
Doug E. Fresh
Hip Hop Education: Big Fun In The Big Town - Dutch TV Hip Hop Doc (1986)
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- STG Musiq
Day 27
Quote of the Day
“To know the rules of the game, you have to be educated.”
Track of the Day Eazy E- We Want Eazy
Released on this Day
Flashback Photo of the Day
Public Enemy
Hip Hop Education: Make Some Noise
Make Some Noise (1994) from Corbin Smith on Vimeo.
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Red VelveTT
Day 28
Quote of the Day
“My earliest memories of rap music was mixed with my earliest memories of reggae music. They were big sounds around the way, heavy bass lines, strong messages, definitely.”
Track of the Day: Technotronic- Pump Up the Jam
Released on this Day
Flashback Photo of the Day
Hip Hop Education: What Ever Happened to Hip Hop?
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Ashim
Day 29
Quote of the Day
“I’m just basically spillin’ out my emotions to the world. ‘Cause rap is about emotion. And I want you to feel what I’m feelin’, ‘cause that’s what it’s all about.”
Track of the Day: Outkast - Player's Ball
Flashback Photo of the Day
Hip Hop Education: Stüssy x Yo! MTV Raps - Part 2 - Fashion in the Golden Age of Hip Hop
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Jenezyz aka FatBoy
Day 30
Quote of the Day
“I can’t control what people think. I’m not trying to manipulate people’s thoughts or sentiments. I write all the time. You have to experience life, make observations, and ask questions. It’s machine-like how things are run now in hip-hop, and my ambitions are different.”
Track of the Day: Nas - Thief's Theme
Released on this Day
"The Master" - Rakim (1999)
"Collision Course" - Linkin Park and Jay-Z (2004)
"Street's Disciple" - Nas (2004)
"Urban Legend" - T.I. (2004)
Flashback Photo of the Day
House Party
Hip Hop Education: Rapido - The History Of Hip Hop
Hip Hop History in the Making: Indie Spotlight- Dave Gutter
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