RapStation

November 13, 2004—This day in Hip-hop pays homage to the passing of the iconic Ol' Dirty Bastard.

Most fans recognize Russel Tyrone Jones (ODB) as an original member and co-founder of the legendary rap supergroup, the Wu-Tang Clan. True enough, Jones formed an underground rap trio, Force of the Imperial Master. Along with cousins Robert Diggs and Gary Grice (later known as RZA and GZA), the three eventually recruited three new members and the Wu-Tang Clan was formed, ushering a new era of Hip-hop with their groundbreaking debut album, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chamber).

Two years following the group's debut, ODB launched his first solo record, Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, which featured multiple hit-singles, such as

Following a long period of media hype and speculation, the pioneering Hip-hop group is back with their latest and last album We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service.

“This is an excellent high note to end on but this is only telling me that the gas in [A Tribe Called Quest's] tank is NOWHERE near empty,” reads a response post written on Questlove's Instagram page, “I mean it feels vintage in its musicality but is such a 2016 record. And it's timing could really really truly couldn't be like—better because it's topical.”

And The Roots drummer got it right to mention the word “topical”, because that's exactly what listeners can expect. A Tribe Called Quest's final album witnesses

Flip back to Hip-hop's glorious Golden Age with Gray and Pipitone's new book, No Half Steppin': An Oral and Pictorial History of New York City Club the Latin Quarter and the Birth of Hip-hop's Golden Era.

No Half Steppin' entails an extensive amount of historical accounts anchored upon the earliest years in Hip-hop. Accounting 212 pages and over 175 colored photographs and images, the text also includes personal narrations from a laundry list of iconic figures, including Special K and Teddy Tedd, KRS-One, MC Shan and Eric B, Daddy O, Fab 5 Freddy, Just-Ice, Positive K, DJ Clark Kent, Chuck D, Sadat X, Prince Paul, Kurtis Blow, Big Daddy Kane, Queen Latifah, Kool G Rap, and the list goes on.

As written on the text's titl

This day in Hip-hop acknowledges the following iconic albums making their debut on this day, several years back.

Live From The Styleetron (1991)

• Marking the memorable debut of Oakland-based hip-hop supergroup, Raw Fusion, the album showcased an unexpected dive into a more minimal, jazzy sound, as opposed to the previous P-funk sounds witnessed in earlier work. Raw Fusion represented the combined forces of Digital Underground's Money-B and DJ Fuze, ushering their distinct humor-induced lyricism onto the West Coast scene.

2Pacalypse Now (1991)

• Hip-hop legend, Tupac Shakur's debut album also released on this day under Interscope

This day in Hip-hop recognizes the late, great Henry Lee Jackson, better known as Big Bank Hank of the legendary rap group, The Sugarhill Gang.

Jackson's humble beginnings traces back to his days as music manager working at a certain Bronx nightclub under the employment of Hip-hop icon, Grandmaster Caz and his group The Mighty Force MC's. Years later, Jackson was currently managing for a local group, The Cold Crush Brothers, when he was approached by Sylvia Robinson, upon hearing Jackson rapping. After which, Jackson donned the title, “Big Bank Hank” and the iconic rap trio Sugarhill Gang was formed.

At age twenty-two, Jackson contributed greatly to the group's memorable self-titled album released February, 1980. The record featured the breako

Two iconic albums debuted on this day in Hip-hop, authored by two prominent figures arguably-considered innovators and revolutionaries with the distinct sounds they imparted. One ushering in grit and steel of West Coast gangsta rap, while the other parading through the dark streets of Horror-core Hip-hop.

Last Man Standing (1997)

• The third studio album from MC Eiht, released under Epic Street records showcased production from Dat Nigga Daz and DJ Muggs, and featured the West Coast rapper's hit-single, “Hit The Floor”, which featured Daz Dillinger who also produced the track. Similar to his previous two albums, MC Eiht ensures a large Compton's Most Wanted collaborative imprint on&n