Oct 22, 20264 min read

Today in Hip Hop: October 22

One date, five chapters. October 22 gave hip hop a Compton short film, a Native Tongues era classic, a West Coast statement, and more.

OMYGOTTI

Toronto hip-hop artist | 730K+ Facebook

2012

Kendrick Lamar Drops Good Kid M.A.A.D City

On October 22, 2012, Kendrick Lamar released Good Kid M.A.A.D City through Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath, and Interscope. Billed as a short film by Kendrick Lamar, his second studio album played like exactly that, one day in the life of a good kid surrounded by a mad city, with Compton pressing in from every side.

The run of records still reads like a masterclass in range. Backseat Freestyle is pure hunger, The Art of Peer Pressure turns a night out into a warning, Money Trees became a street anthem with a conscience, and Swimming Pools (Drank) hid sharp commentary about alcohol inside a radio hook. The 12 minute Sing About Me, I Am Dying of Thirst closed the story on mortality and faith, and it still stands as one of the most emotional records in modern rap.

My take: This is the album that proved a concept record could still run the mainstream. Kendrick did not chase the city, he documented it, and the city carried the album everywhere.

1991

Black Sheep Drop A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

On October 22, 1991, Dres and Mista Lawnge, known together as Black Sheep, released their debut album A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing. Coming out of the Native Tongues orbit, the duo built a record that was funny on the surface and sharp underneath, poking at the industry while the beats kept it moving.

The album gave the culture The Choice Is Yours, one of the most quoted records of its era, along with Flavor of the Month and Strobelite Honey. A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing was the only album Black Sheep released as a duo, which makes its footprint even more remarkable. One project, no filler era, and lines people still repeat more than three decades later.

My take: Black Sheep proved you could be the smartest person in the room and still have the most fun record in the room. That balance is harder than it looks.

1996

Westside Connection Bow Down

On October 22, 1996, Ice Cube, Mack 10, and WC released Bow Down, the debut album from Westside Connection. It arrived at a tense moment, with coastal beef running hot, and the trio answered the moment the West Coast way, unified, loud, and completely unbothered.

The title track Bow Down and Gangstas Make the World Go Round gave the project its spine, and the album put a flag in the ground for Los Angeles at a time when the spotlight kept trying to move. Bow Down was not a side project or a vanity grouping. It was three established names deciding the coast moved stronger together, and the record still sounds like a warning shot.

My take: When the West felt disrespected, it did not send statements, it sent an album. Bow Down is what regional pride sounds like with the volume up.

1991

Del The Funky Homosapien Arrives

Also on October 22, 1991, Del The Funky Homosapien released his debut album, I Wish My Brother George Was Here. Where a lot of rap in 1991 chased toughness, Del chased imagination, funk, wordplay, and humor, building a lane that felt like it came from a different planet in the best way.

The album carried Mistadobalina and Dr. Bombay, records that turned Del into a cult favorite almost immediately and set up one of the most original careers the West Coast ever produced. Same date as Black Sheep, same lesson from two different coasts of the culture. Originality was not a risk in 1991. Originality was the whole point.

My take: Del walked in sounding like nobody else and never corrected it. The underground he helped define is still living off the blueprint he drew here.

1996

Babyface Releases The Day

On October 22, 1996, Babyface released The Day, his fourth studio album, through Epic Records. It peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and No. 4 on the Top R&B and Hip-Hop Albums chart, was certified double platinum, and earned Grammy nominations for Album of the Year and Best R&B Album.

The singles tell the story of its reach. This Is for the Lover in You and Every Time I Close My Eyes both reached No. 6 on the Hot 100, and How Come, How Long, his duet with Stevie Wonder, was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Hip hop and R&B have always shared DNA, and Babyface is one of the writers who wired them together.

My take: Songwriters run this business, and Babyface is the proof. The Day shares a date with Bow Down, two completely different records, one shared foundation.