Simply Keera

[simplykeera-blog]

On The Map: Part II

**Before we continue this list we would like for readers to know we have omitted a category off the list because we have other plans for what was mentioned.**

.......continued

Cleveland: Bone Thugs

Everyone knows how we feel about groups being separated and discredited as a whole. Here we go again with another contradiction on the writer’s behalf. Yes each member of the quartet had a distinctive flow, but when they auditioned for Eazy-E it wasn’t a one man show, it was a five man show. Collectively they put the mid-west on the map with their ‘thuggish ruggish’ style and their melodic sound. Not to mention they are the only rap group to work with hip hop legends Big Pun, Biggie, Tupac and Eazy-E before their untimely deaths. They definitely solidified their city and their name in their song “East 1999”.

Runner-Up: Kid Cudi -- Despite whatever demons Cudi is currently facing, we can’t deny that it was refreshing to see and hear someone follow the melodic Cleveland legacy. It must have been a great feeling to go from meeting Kanye in a clothing store, to sitting next to him in a studio. It may sound cliche, but it seems like it was destined for these two to collaborate and make magic. With two gold albums and 5 platinum singles under his belt we would say that’s a great way to follow-up Bone Thugs accolades. Maybe one day Cudi will finally admit he was heavily influenced by the quartet, but until then his album sales will be the only thing keeping him on the map.

**Honorable Mention: Machine Gun Kelly -- This may sound a little harsh, but caucasian rappers, other than Eminem, don’t get the credit they deserve. When Cudi fell off the map, MGK grabbed the crown and has been sitting on the throne with no intentions of stepping down. Cudi may have followed the flow of Bone Thugs, but MGK followed the lyrical legacy which landed him a deal with Diddy/Bad Boy being the FIRST and ONLY caucasian rapper to sign with the label. Even though Cudi followed in Bone Thugs footsteps with the accolades, MGK got the groups stamp of approval when they appeared on the remix of his Cleveland track “Till I Die Part II”. Unlike Cudi, MGK is always giving praise and credit to the quartet for all they’ve done for Cleveland and hip hop. It’s safe to say if MGK can give us at least two more certified albums he’ll soon knock Cudi out that runner-up spot.

Dallas: The D.O.C

First and foremost, we have to applaud this man for being the lyrical mastermind behind Dr. Dre’s highly acclaimed album ‘The Chronic’. Someone had to keep Dre and Eazy afloat following Cube’s exit of NWA and who better than this man. D.O.C’s ghost lyrics proved if it was not for the car accident which crushed his vocal chords he would have been a rap legend. He has written verses on ‘Ain’t Nothing But a G Thang’ for Dr. Dre, ‘We Want Eazy’ for Eazy-E and ‘Always Into Something’ for both Dre and Eazy. There isn’t one song that connects him to Dallas because he represents himself with the West Coast, but we must thank Eazy-E and Dr. Dre for being the voice of The D.O.C.

Runner-Up: At the moment, The D.O.C stands alone because he’s the only rapper in history to show you his greatest through the voice of others.

Detroit: Eminem

There’s honestly no reason to give a long detailed excerpt about why Eminem holds this title. You don’t have to like him, but you have to respect the fact that this man single-handedly put the Motor City on the map for hip hop. Prior to Em, all we truly had coming out of Detroit was Slum Village, Aaliyah and Motown. Lets be honest, Slum Village is not touching Eminem’s fame or accolades. There’s no better song to represent Eminem and Detroit other than his hit song ‘8 Mile’, but the greatest song of them all is ‘Detroit vs. Everybody’ which includes other prominent Detroit rappers: Big Sean, Dej Loaf, Danny Brown, Trick Trick and none other than Royce da 5’9.

Runner-Up: Royce da 5’9 -- When Bad Meets Evil some good could actually come from it. Once Em blew up and crossed over into commercial status, Royce stayed true to Detroit with his gritty lyrics. Now we’re not saying Eminem didn’t do the same, all we’re saying is Royce wasn’t able to reach that commercial status, which in some aspect is a good thing. It also helps that he’s the only artist, not just from Detroit, but in hip hop history to have a collaborative album with Eminem. He proved in their song “Fast Lane” that he could go toe-to-toe with the Rap God.

**Honorable Mention: Proof -- Without Proof there would be no Eminem or Royce da 5’9. Proof influenced the entire underground Detroit movement. He hosted the battles where Eminem was founded and Royce used to freestyle and push his mixtapes outside the venue. Rest in Peace Proof.

Gary: Freddie Gibbs

We’re well aware that we’ve probably thrown this entire list off by mentioning small town Gary, Indiana, but my boyfriend felt it was imperative that we mention what he feels is Indiana hip hop history. Freddie Gibbs, aka ‘The Baby Face Killa’, created the hip hop sound for Indiana. He’s the first and only rap artist to hail from the city/state with a relevant name within this genre. His aggressive poetic flow made him the next best thing since the Indiana Pacers and the Jackson 5. You can truly hear his musical influences in his music. If you take Pac’s poetry and aggression, Bone Thugs harmony and melody and mix it with Scarface concept you’ll have Freddie Gibbs. It also helps that at first glance he could actually pass for Tupac. To date, he is the only rapper from Indiana to make the Freshman XXL cover.  Whoever decides to follow in his footsteps has some pretty big shoes to fill. If you’ve never heard him before and you’re looking for a great example of what we’re talking about, check out his song “Stay Down”.

Houston: Scarface

Now before you call us hypocrites let us give credit where credit is due. Yes, The Geto Boys is where Scarface got his start, but the group in its entirety did not put Houston on the map. It was not until Scarface blessed us with “Mr. Scarface” that we began to pay attention to the talent Houston had to offer. Although the group has several studio albums, only three received certifications. Meanwhile, 6 out of Scarface’s 12 solo album received certifications. Not to mention at least two of those albums were released within the same year as the Geto Boys albums just months apart. He made the impossible look easy by being the only member of the group to have a consistent, long lasting, relevant solo career. Although Scarface may no longer see himself as the King of the South, his influence to other artist says differently.    

Runner-Up: UGK -- The second greatest duo to come out the South. UGK was able to grab a crossover fanbase all while staying true to their Southern roots. It it were not for Scarface showing us the lyrical side of H-Town, UGK would have been the first ‘Southern Pimp Till” sound we would have ever heard to represent the city. 

**Honorable Mention: DJ Screw -- There’s no debating that DJ Screw is the Dr. Dre of the South. Screw is the innovator of Houston’s ‘chopped and screwed’ sound. His weed influenced production not only inspired Southern artist, but artist world wide. You can hear his influence in songs such as Three Six Mafia’s “Sippin on Some Syrup”, Drake’s “November 18th”, T-Pain’s “Chopped ‘N’ Skrewed”, Justin Timberlakes’ “Chop Me Up” and many others. If DJ Screw had the ability of UGK and Scarface to tell stories on his unique beats he would hands down be King of the South. Rest in Peace to “The Originator” DJ Screw

Kansas City: Tech N9ne

Tech N9ne is the Eminem/Freddie Gibbs of Kansas City. His unorthodox/bizarre lyrics and semi-automatic flow has awarded him much respect and fame from artist across the map. Although he has been a member of two rap groups, his solo underground success has led him to collaborations with artist such as Twista, Snoop Dogg, Hopsin, Machine Gun Kelly, Kendrick Lamar and countless others. Unfortunately, his lack of commercial success is overshadowed by his monstrous lyrical abilities. He may not have a specific song that represents KC, but his track “Am I a Psycho” is the greatest track which exposes his dynamic skills.

[simplykeera-blog]

On The Map

I was always told to never discuss religion and politics because tensions run high due to the vast variety of opinions. It never occurred to me that one day Hip Hop would be added to that list. Over the past few years, countless debates and sometimes arguments have transpired between myself and others. Now you may read this and laugh thinking music can not be that serious to argue about, but the truth is, IT IS!

The complexity of the art used to be the biggest debate one could have. An artist lyrics, flow, production, and instrumentals are just some of the core elements that triggered conversations. If you were raised in the 90’s then that is still your core argument. But with the new wave of rappers hitting the scene and so many deeming themselves the King/Queen of their city, the new topic has now become who truly put their city on the map.

I came across an article on thrillest.com which raised a number of questions. I’m very well aware that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but this was a topic I could not ignore. Before breaking down their list, the writer noted, “Determining factors in our selections included, but were not limited to: the strength and consistency of their lyrical content; their local and nationwide impact; and their continued influence on other artists.” Call me closed-minded or biased, but some of the artist and cities listed should have been omitted. It’s hard for me to comprehend how some of these artist met any of the factors which were mentioned. But again, I can be biased and closed-minded.

With the help of my boyfriend, we re-created their list. Our list wasn’t created on who is the better artist or the strength and consistency of their lyrical flow. It was created purely on the influence and impact the artist had locally and nationwide. Overall there are 22 cities, but the list has been broken down to give readers time to digest.

Atlanta: Outkast

Although the writer does give major credit to Outkast for kicking in the door for Atlanta. I feel that it was a contradiction on behalf of the writer to mention them as separate artist. The duo is the introduction to the diversity of ATL. They were the first born of Oragnized Noize. Big Boi gives you the raw, street side of the city while Andre gives you the smooth, pimp side of the city. The two songs that gives you a clear picture of Atlanta are “Player’s Ball” and “B.O.B”.   

Runner-Up: Dungeon Family – We can credit Outkast for opening the door for the rest of the Dungeon Family. Their fame introduced the world to the rest of the family which included artist such as Sleepy Brown, Goodie Mob, Killer Mike and countless others.

**Honorable Mention: Lil’ Jon – Outkast may have put Atlanta on the map, but Lil’ Jon showed us exactly why people love ATL. Andre and Big Boi scratched the surface with their funky, psychedelic, techno hip hop vibe, but Jon created an entire new wave of electronic, rock hip hop which was titled “Crunk Music”. And not to mention, the King of Crunk also credits Outkast as an influence.

Baltimore: Tupac

I know many of you are probably thinking I’m crazy for keeping Tupac the King of Baltimore. I  thought it was strange when the writer mentioned it. I came to the conclusion, they really wanted Pac on this list some way, somehow, so I might as well continue with it. Although he was born in New York, he eventually moved to Baltimore where he lived until his early teenage years. We can credit Baltimore for breeding this diversified rapper. Pac discovered rap and began performing while living in the city. His life experiences in Baltimore was the influence of his hit single “Dear Mama”.   

Runner-Up: King Los (Los) – Los may honestly be the most relevant artist to come from Baltimore. His unorthodox wordplay is what makes him stand out from all others coming out of B-More. Not to mention his strong backing  from artist such as Diddy, Mario, Jeezy, UGK and others.

Boston: Guru

GURU (Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal), the man’s name explains it all. Before we had Kendrick Lamar’s highly praised “To Pimp a Butterfly”, Guru blessed us with “Jazzmatazz”. His socially conscious lyrics mixed with modern jazz is the guiding blueprint of jazz and soul meets hip hop. We would be blind to say we did not notice how strong he influenced artist that came after him. Kendrick, A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul are a mere portion of the artist he’s influenced. If you haven’t noticed, Guru is so influential to hip hop, he was the show-runner for the Netflix series ‘Luke Cage’. Each episode was titled after a Gang Starr song. Even though Guru was born and raised in Boston, he eventually relocated to New York where he has left his biggest influence. “Transit Ride” is one of the greatest tracks dedicated to the city.

Runner-Up: David Mays – He’s not a rapper, but he is the founder of one of the longest running rap magazines to date, The Source. Mays and a group of friends took what was once a newsletter passed out on Harvard University campus and developed it into a million dollar company. For a hip hop artist, seeing your face or name mentioned in Source magazine was a defining moment for your career.

Chicago: Kanye West

Yes Common and Twista were on the rap scene way before Kanye, but we can not neglect the fact that Yeezy’s production skills and poetic flow assisted in a number of careers. It’s solely because of Yeezy why Chief Keef became relevant, he’s the reason behind number one songs like Beanie Sigel’s “The Truth” and Ludacris “Stand Up”. He’s started careers for artist such as John Legend, Big Sean and so many others. There’s no better song to show Kanye’s love for his city other than “Homecoming”.    

Runner-Up: Common – Although Common already had a gold album, once he joined Kanye and G.O.O.D Music, West produced two back to back gold albums for Common. Both albums are known as accolades for in the hip hop community.

**Honorable Mention: Twista – Twista may hold the title for being the fastest rapper in the world, but even this Chi-town choppa style rapper has to credit Kanye for producing his only platinum selling album, “Kamikaze”.

To be continued…….

[simplykeera-blog]

On The Map

I was always told to never discuss religion and politics because tensions run high due to the vast variety of opinions. It never occurred to me that one day Hip Hop would be added to that list. Over the past few years, countless debates and sometimes arguments have transpired between myself and others. Now you may read this and laugh thinking music can not be that serious to argue about, but the truth is, IT IS!

The complexity of the art used to be the biggest debate one could have. An artist lyrics, flow, production, and instrumentals are just some of the core elements that triggered conversations. If you were raised in the 90’s then that is still your core argument. But with the new wave of rappers hitting the scene and so many deeming themselves the King/Queen of their city, the new topic has now become who truly put their city on the map.

I came across an article on thrillest.com which raised a number of questions. I’m very well aware that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but this was a topic I could not ignore. Before breaking down their list, the writer noted, “Determining factors in our selections included, but were not limited to: the strength and consistency of their lyrical content; their local and nationwide impact; and their continued influence on other artists.” Call me closed-minded or biased, but some of the artist and cities listed should have been omitted. It’s hard for me to comprehend how some of these artist met any of the factors which were mentioned. But again, I can be biased and closed-minded.

With the help of my boyfriend, we re-created their list. Our list wasn’t created on who is the better artist or the strength and consistency of their lyrical flow. It was created purely on the influence and impact the artist had locally and nationwide. Overall there are 22 cities, but the list has been broken down to give readers time to digest.

Atlanta: Outkast

Although the writer does give major credit to Outkast for kicking in the door for Atlanta. I feel that it was a contradiction on behalf of the writer to mention them as separate artist. The duo is the introduction to the diversity of ATL. They were the first born of Oragnized Noize. Big Boi gives you the raw, street side of the city while Andre gives you the smooth, pimp side of the city. The two songs that gives you a clear picture of Atlanta are “Player’s Ball” and “B.O.B”.   

Runner-Up: Dungeon Family -- We can credit Outkast for opening the door for the rest of the Dungeon Family. Their fame introduced the world to the rest of the family which included artist such as Sleepy Brown, Goodie Mob, Killer Mike and countless others.

**Honorable Mention: Lil’ Jon -- Outkast may have put Atlanta on the map, but Lil’ Jon showed us exactly why people love ATL. Andre and Big Boi scratched the surface with their funky, psychedelic, techno hip hop vibe, but Jon created an entire new wave of electronic, rock hip hop which was titled “Crunk Music”. And not to mention, the King of Crunk also credits Outkast as an influence.

Baltimore: Tupac

I know many of you are probably thinking I’m crazy for keeping Tupac the King of Baltimore. I  thought it was strange when the writer mentioned it. I came to the conclusion, they really wanted Pac on this list some way, somehow, so I might as well continue with it. Although he was born in New York, he eventually moved to Baltimore where he lived until his early teenage years. We can credit Baltimore for breeding this diversified rapper. Pac discovered rap and began performing while living in the city. His life experiences in Baltimore was the influence of his hit single “Dear Mama”.   

Runner-Up: King Los (Los) -- Los may honestly be the most relevant artist to come from Baltimore. His unorthodox wordplay is what makes him stand out from all others coming out of B-More. Not to mention his strong backing  from artist such as Diddy, Mario, Jeezy, UGK and others.

Boston: Guru

GURU (Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal), the man’s name explains it all. Before we had Kendrick Lamar’s highly praised “To Pimp a Butterfly”, Guru blessed us with “Jazzmatazz”. His socially conscious lyrics mixed with modern jazz is the guiding blueprint of jazz and soul meets hip hop. We would be blind to say we did not notice how strong he influenced artist that came after him. Kendrick, A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul are a mere portion of the artist he’s influenced. If you haven’t noticed, Guru is so influential to hip hop, he was the show-runner for the Netflix series ‘Luke Cage’. Each episode was titled after a Gang Starr song. Even though Guru was born and raised in Boston, he eventually relocated to New York where he has left his biggest influence. “Transit Ride” is one of the greatest tracks dedicated to the city.

Runner-Up: David Mays -- He’s not a rapper, but he is the founder of one of the longest running rap magazines to date, The Source. Mays and a group of friends took what was once a newsletter passed out on Harvard University campus and developed it into a million dollar company. For a hip hop artist, seeing your face or name mentioned in Source magazine was a defining moment for your career.

Chicago: Kanye West

Yes Common and Twista were on the rap scene way before Kanye, but we can not neglect the fact that Yeezy’s production skills and poetic flow assisted in a number of careers. It’s solely because of Yeezy why Chief Keef became relevant, he’s the reason behind number one songs like Beanie Sigel’s “The Truth” and Ludacris “Stand Up”. He’s started careers for artist such as John Legend, Big Sean and so many others. There’s no better song to show Kanye’s love for his city other than “Homecoming”.    

Runner-Up: Common -- Although Common already had a gold album, once he joined Kanye and G.O.O.D Music, West produced two back to back gold albums for Common. Both albums are known as accolades for in the hip hop community.

**Honorable Mention: Twista -- Twista may hold the title for being the fastest rapper in the world, but even this Chi-town choppa style rapper has to credit Kanye for producing his only platinum selling album, “Kamikaze”.

To be continued…….

[lifehitsharder]

[simplykeera-blog]

Music Monday 😌😌😌 #AmyWinehouse #NinaSimone #Frank #BacktoBlack #Lioness #HiddenTreasures #TheCollection #TheCompleteRCAAlbumCollection

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Music is my drug of choice 😈💉🎧 #musicjunkie #musicfein @markbattles317 #shelterfood @denzelcurryph #nostalgic64 #BlackfacexSeanwyze #ancientscientist #heyocean #is #ciara #jackie #theweeknd #andtimestoodstill @onlyfuturistic #chasingdownadream #travelinglocal @joeybadass #b4daa$$

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Purple Haze 💨 #JimiHendrix #AllIsByMySide #greatmovie

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@kendricklamar 🙌🙌🙌 #goodafternoon

[simplykeera-blog]

On this day in Black History 1956: The Platters’ “The Great Pretender” begins a two-week run at the top of Billboard’s Top 100 1965: Andre Romelle Young aka Dr. dre (rapper/ member of NWA/ founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment/ former co-owner of Death Row Records) was born in Compton, California 1993: Elektra Records releases Silk’s “Freak Me” as the second single from Silk's album “Lose Control”. The song would become Silk’s first and only number one single on Billboard’s Hot 100. #HappyBlackHistoryMonth

[simplykeera-blog]

On this day in Black History 1927: Bobby Lewis the singer known for his hit "Tossin' and Turnin'" is born in Hodgerville, Kentucky 1962: Gene Chandler scores a number one hit on Billboard's Hot 100 with his signature song "Duke of Earl" 1966: Percy Sledge’s "When a Man Loves a Woman" is recorded in Sheffield, Alabama and would reach #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 1973: “The World Is a Ghetto”, the album released by Latin-Funk band War, reaches the top spot on Billboard’s Hot 200 Album chart. 1982: Thelonious Monk, one of the founders of the bebop style and one of only five jazz musicians to appear on the cover of Time magazine, dies of a stroke at the age of 64 1996: Eazy-E's posthumous album Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton debuts at number three on the Billboard 200 chart and number one on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart #HappyBlackHistoryMonth

[simplykeera-blog]

On this day in Black History 1965: Jr. Walker & the All Stars' Shotgun enters the pop and R&B charts 1966: Frederick Brandon Williams aka Freedom Williams (hip hop, dance music performer and lead vocalist of C+C Music Factory) was born in Brooklyn, New York 1969 : Sly and the Family Stone's Everyday People is certified gold 1975: Columbia Records releases Earth, Wind & Fire’s "Shining Star", the group's first major hit. The song would rise to number one on Billboard's Hot 100 1983: Marvin Gaye sang a soulful, drum machine-accompanied version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before The 33rd National Basketball Association All-Star Game 1989: "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", the first single from Whitney Houston's second studio album "Whitney" becomes Houston's first single to be certified platinum with shipment of over one million units 1996 : Tupac's All Eyez on Me was released. The first rap double-album on a major label, it will sell over 10 million copies in the United States. 1999: Monica’s “Angel of Mine” becomes the third number one single from Monica’s “The Boy is Mine” album 2011: Mavis Staples won her first Grammy award in the category for Best Americana Album for You Are Not Alone. #HappyBlackHistoryMonth

[simplykeera-blog]

On this day in Black History 1903: Todd Duncan (baritone opera singer) the first performer of the role of Porgy in Porgy and Bess, was born in Danville, Kentucky. Duncan would be the first African American to sing with a major opera company, the first artist to record Unchained Melody, and the first black person to sing in an opera with an otherwise white cast, when he performed the role of Tonio in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci with the New York City Opera. 1959: Omar Hakim (Jazz, Jazz fusion and Pop music drummer, producer, arranger and composer) was born in New York City, New York 1972: Al Green’s "Let' Stay Together" a song from his 1972 album of the same name reaches number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart 1990: Capitol Records releases MC Hammer’s “Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em” album. The album would spend 21 non-consecutive weeks at the top of Billboard’s album chart. 1991: Janet Jackson’s “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” is certified gold with sales of over 500,000 units. #HappyBlackHistoryMonth

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On this day in Black History 1942: Leon Haywood (funk and soul singer, songwriter and record producer) was born in Houston, Texas 1942: Otis Clay (R&B, soul and gospel music) was born in Waxhaw, Mississippi 1974: Michael Eugene Archer aka "D'Angelo" was born in Richmond, Virginia 1979: Brandy (singer/actress) was born in McComb, Mississippi 1981: Kelly Rowland (singer/member of Destiny's Child) was born in Atlanta, Georgia 1989 : Eazy-E's solo song "We Want Eazy" becomes his first hit to enter the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it debuted at #43. 2012: Whitney Houston (singer, actress, producer, and model) died due to drowning at the age of 49 #HappyBlackHistoryMonth

[simplykeera-blog]

On this day in Black History 1927: Mary Violet Leontyne Price (American soprano) the first African-American to become a leading "prima donna assoluta" at the Metropolitan Opera, is born in Laurel, Mississippi 1937: Roberta Flack (singer) is born in Black Mountain, North Carolina 2006: James Dewitt Yancey "J.Dilla" (rapper/producer) died due to cardiac arrest at the age of 32 #HappyBlackHistoryMonth

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On this day in Black History 1947: Major Harris (singer) was born in Richmond, Virginia 1970: Sly and the Family Stone "Thank You" was certified platinum 1991: Reverend James Cleveland (gospel singer) died at age 59 to congestive heart failure 1995: Benny Carter (Jazz multi-instrumentalist) receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 2005: Tyrone Davis (singer) dies at age 66 due to a stroke #HappyBlackHistoryMonth

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On this day in Black History 1960: Edward Kennedy aka 'Duke Ellington' (composer, pianist and bandleader of jazz orchestras) receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 1960: Al Hibbler, considered the best of the vocalists to sing with Duke Ellington’s orchestra receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 1960: Eartha Mae Keith aka 'Eartha Kitt' (actress, singer, cabaret star, dancer, stand-up comedienne, activist and voice artist) receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 1960: Antoine 'Fats' Domino Jr. (pianist and singer-songwriter) receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 1960: Eddie Heywood (jazz pianist) receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 1960: Ella Fitzgerald (jazz singer) receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 1960: Harry Belafonte receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 1975: The Ohio Players' "Fire" hits #1 #HappyBlackHistoryMonth

[simplykeera-blog]

On this day in Black History 1934: King Curtis (saxophone player, musician, bandleader, producer) was born in Forth Worth, Texas as Curtis Ousley 1934: Earl King (musician, singer, songwriter, record producer) was born in New Orleans, Louisiana as Earl Silas Johnson VI 1974: Barry White's "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up" and his album 'Stone Gon' are certified platinum 1981: Kool & The Gang’s "Celebration" would spend two weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, and would be the group's only number one single 1984: Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album is inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's best-selling album 2000: Big Pun (rapper) dies of a heart attack at the age of 28 #HappyBlackHistoryMonth