Released by Columbia Records, Nas’ third album, I Am, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album sold 470,000 copies in its first week and was certified double platinum in the United States. The album was nominated in 2000 for Best Rap Album at the 43rd Grammy Awards.
Originally intended to be a double album titled I Am…The Autobiography, the album was arguably Nas’ most honest and poetic project at the time. Although the additional tracks were scrapped due to bootlegging of the original sessions, the intention for the theme and tone of the project can still be felt on the released single-disc LP.
Nas’ cover art has always been an iconic staple of his work. Usually consisting of his face superimposed over his native Queens, each cover has served as a visual representation of Nas as an artist. Famed portrait photographer Danny Hastings shot this particular cover. To create the image of Nas’ face in the Pharaoh mask in a pre-Photoshop world, Hastings made a clay mold for Nas’ face (which, in fact, almost killed him when clay got lodged in his nostrils, nearly suffocating him).
This album wasn’t only popular in the United States. I Am… made appearances on music charts in Australia, Canada, Norway, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The two official singles from this project claimed spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Nas Is Like..” peaked at #86, and “Hate Me Now” climbed a little higher to take the #62 spot.
After the release of this album, Nas released seven more solo albums and two collaborative projects. Nas continues to perform and is known as one of the most prolific rappers of his or any generation. Take some time today to listen to this album appreciate the career of a living legend.
On this day in 1973, the seemingly ageless producer, singer, rapper, author, designer, creative director, and label head Pharrell Williams was born 48 years ago. His music has touched the hearts and minds of literally billions of people, his humanitarian efforts have helped toward preserving the planet for the next generation to enjoy, and his actions to promote happiness and equality have helped move society in a positive direction.
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia to Pharaoh and Carolyn Williams. He is the eldest of three sons. His love for music and art started at a young age. He met the other half of the legendary production duo The Neptunes, Chad Hugo, at band camp in the seventh grade. Pharrell at the time played the piano and the drums and Hugo played the tenor saxophone. In the early 90s, Pharrell and Hugo formed the group The Neptunes and signed with Teddy Riley of Interscope Records upon graduating high school.
Success began to come in 1993 when Pharrell met fellow Virginia rappers Clipse. The rap duo signed to Artista Records under Pharrell’s Star Trak Entertainment. In 1994 Pharrell and Chad Hugo officially established themselves at The Neptunes and produced part of Blackstreet’s self-titled album. By the 2000s the Neptunes had a name for themselves and in 2001 got their first international #1 hit with Britney Spears’ “I’m a Slave 4 U.”
That same year Pharrell, Hugo, and Shae Haley released their first album as the group N*E*R*D titled In Search of… in Europe, where the first Kelis album, produced by The Neptunes, had its best reception. After realizing that the album sounded much like their other work, the group decided to reproduce the album with Spymob. In 2002 the re-release of the album came with amazing reception and Pharrell was named Producer of the Year by Billboard and The Source.
In 2003 The Neptunes released their only album The Neptunes Present…Clones which was a compilation of songs and remixes by Pharrell and Hugo. The album featured Busta Rhymes, Clipse, Ludacris, Jay-Z, Nelly, Snoop Dogg, Jadakiss, ODB, Kelis, and Nas and debuted #1 on the Billboard 200. It also claimed the #1 spot on the UK R&B Albums chart and the Dutch MegaChart.
The next year N*E*R*D released their second album Fly or Die which was more popular than the first. It had a very positive international reception. That same year Pharrell received two Grammy awards, one for Producer of the Year and a second for Best Pop Vocal Album for his work on Justin Timberlake’s Justified album. He also put out the hit single “Drop It Like It’s Hot” that year with Snoop Dogg, which was Pharrell’s first #1 single in the US.
In 2006, Pharrell released his first solo album. In My Mind was released on July 25 and debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart where it peaked. The album is full of hits with artists likeKanye West, Gwen Stefani, Nelly, Snoop Dogg, and more.
Over the next few years, Pharrell continued to produce hit songs as well as build his fashion empire with his brands Billionaire Boys Club and ICECREAM. His work with a designer and BAPE founder Nigo helped him to rise to prominence in the early 2000s as a streetwear designer. His popularity grew as a designer was almost simultaneous with his growth as an artist.
During the 2010’s Pharrell has continued to have a creative influence. His 2013 single “Happy” from his second album Girl has become the international anthem for happiness around the world and can be considered his most popular record. This decade he has also begun hisi am Other campaign which is a multimedia creative collective and record label that serves as the overarching brand over his many endeavors including: Billionaire Boys Club, ICECREAM, Bionic Yarn and the Youtube channel that launched as i Am Other’s founding platform. Most recently, Pharrell can be seen as a host of the popular TV show, The Voice. He has also just been named the creative director of the well established denim brand G-Star Raw.
Pharrell’s has become synonymous with Hip Hop and his brand is one that has inspired many in the generations under and above him. On behalf of everyone here at The Source we’d like to wish Pharrell Williams a happy born day, may he see many more years of success.
On this date in 2009, “Yeezy, Yeezy Yeezy just jumped over Jumpman.”
The above line comes from music and fashion mogul Kanye West’s “Facts” track from his The Life Of Pablo LP, which was actually released in 2016. West landed a new deal with Adidas for his Yeezy brand, but the original sneaker was released by Nike seven years prior.
Four years later, West switched brands, With his Yeezy sneaker gaining the lion’s share of its popularity under the Adidas umbrella. Despite the long-promised line of Kanye-Nike collaborative products like the Air Yeezy II Red Octobers, Kanye is severed ties with the company after producing just two shoes in five years.
“I said, ‘Well I need royalties.’ It’s not even like I have a joint venture. At least give me some royalties. Michael Jordan has 5 percent and that business is $2 billion. He makes a $100 million dollars a year off of 5 percent royalties,” West said. “Nike told me, ‘We can’t give you royalties because you’re not a professional athlete.’ I told them, ‘I go to the Garden and play one-on-no one. I’m a performance athlete.’”
Unable to come to a compromise, Yeezus jumped ship and headed over to a competitor, Adidas. “The old me, without a daughter, would have taken the Nike deal because I just love Nikes so much,” Kanye said in his Angie Martinez Hot97 interview. “But the new me, with a daughter, takes the Adidas deal because I have royalties and I have to provide for my family.”
On April 4, 2009, Run-D.M.C. became the second rap group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, after Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five who were inducted in 2007. This honor came well deserved after the illustrious career of the trio. Run-D.M.C. helped to build a musical cross culture as well as serve as the cornerstone artist of one Hip Hop most powerful empires, Def Jam Records. Run-D.M.C.’s brand is timeless and iconic and can be said to be one of the launching boards for Hip Hop culture as a whole.
From their music to their style, Run-D.M.C. has immortalized their image in music history. In honor of this crowning achievement, we have compiled a list of examples to prove as to why Run-D.M.C. is considered to be the icons that they are.
Style
It goes without saying that Adidas in and of itself is one of the most popular active wear brands around. Rivaled only by the titans Nike and Puma, Adidas has grown to become a household name in both fitness attire and style. In its early stages, Adidas’ popularity in the Hip Hop community can be largely attributed to Run-D.M.C. Everywhere Run-D.M.C. went they could be seen in head-to-toe Adidas with a gold rope chain and a black top hat. From the jewelry to the full sweat suits to the fat laced, shell-toe low tops, Run, D.M.C, and Jam Master Jay were undoubtedly fly. Their love for the Adidas brand mixed with their popularity in music soon brought them sponsorship dollars and eventually their own signature sneakers. Without their influence, it would have probably been a while before any sneaker brand became so popular in Hip Hop.
Cross Over Appeal
In the past, there have many icons in Hip Hop who have been able to stand the test of time and make it to legend status. Few artists however have been able to retain their respect as a rapper while being able to cross over genres and appeal to a broader audience. Run-D.M.C.’s ability to seamlessly transition between a rock and rap fan base is one of their greatest attributes. The hit single Walk This Way Featuring fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Aerosmith was one of the first of it’s kind. The genius concept to have two of the biggest stars in their respective genres led to a new sense of community in music. Like never before artists hailing from different genres began to collaborate and Hip Hop had finally broken completely into the mainstream. This single and style of rapping broke open the door for current rappers today to expand their support basis across genres.
Influence
The editor of Allmusic wrote that,
“More than any other Hip-Hop group, Run-D.M.C. are responsible for the sound and style of the music”.
It can and has been said that the group helped to move Hip Hop forward with the times. Their sound helped progress the genre out of that heavily funk and disco influenced sound and move toward a more hardcore style of rap. They helped the music transform from dance club-oriented songs like Kurtis Blow‘s “The Breaks” to more aggressive, hard-hitting tracks like their It’s Like That record. This transformation paved the way for the sounds the next generation of rappers such as Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, and Wu-Tang Clan. Outside of rap, artists like KoRN, Rage Against the Machine, and Linkin Park all have styles similar to the one popularized by Run-D.M.C.
The career of this prolific group is instrumental piece of music history as a whole. Their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame only proves that they are important to not only the genre that they concentrated in but were loved and admired by music lovers as a whole. Take some time out today to appreciate the career of one of the greatest music groups of all time.
On this day in 2000, the first posthumous L.P. to be released by the first “Latin to go platinum” entitled Yeeeah Baby was released on the Loud/Terror Squad imprint.
Christopher “Big Pun” Rios passed away just shy of two months before his sophomore L.P.’s release and anticipated success, which came on the heels of his debut album, Capital Punishment. With appearances from the entire Terror Squad and executive production by the T.S. general Fat Joe, the 16-track album showed Pun’s acute diversity in his lyricism and approach to song-making, which yielded some of the most memorable songs of his career. The album took longer to record because of Pun’s extreme obesity since his breathing problems couldn’t permit him to spit his custom, rapid-fire flow freely.
Some of the L.P.’s favorites are the Puerto Rican anthem “100%” with Terror Squad crooner Tony Sunshine on the hook, “New York Giants” featuring M.O.P., “Ms. Martin,” an ode to his protege Remy Ma and the touching single “It’s So Hard” featuring Donnell Jones.
Salute to Big Pun, Pun Jr., and the entire Terror Squad for this remarkable piece of Hip Hop History!
On this day in Hip Hop history, Atlanta based tag-team Kriss Kross released their ridiculously successful debut album, Totally Krossed Out.
The album was the follow up to the mega-hit single Jump released in February of the same year. Largely written and produced by Jermaine Dupri, it took two years to produce the album after the musical concept for the group was conceptualized.
Totally KrossedOut was as successful as anyone could ask their debut album to be. The album claimed the #1 spot on both the Billboard 200 chart and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop chart and sold over four million copies in the year of its release. Two of the four singles released from the album, “Jump” and “Warm It Up” were both #1 Hot Rap Singles.
“Jump” is one of the biggest singles of its era. It claimed the #1 spot on the Eurochart Hot 100 as well as the top music charts in Australia, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, and Switzerland. It was a Top 10 hit all over Europe. The single went double platinum in the United States and Silver in France (125,000 copies sold) all in 1992.
At the time of this release, Kris Kross members Mac Daddy and Daddy Mac were only 12 and 13 years old. Jump was the fasting selling single in fifteen years and the two rose instantly to be among the ranks of child stars in the entertainment industry.
The critical reception for the album was much better than one would expect for a rap album by two children. Publications praisedJermaine Dupri for his creation and Kriss Kross for their iconic swagger and style. They received high ratings from a plethora of magazines and media outlets with little negative feedback. The success of this album landed the duo a spot opening on Michael Jackson’s 1992 European Dangerous World Tour and a cameo in Michael Jackson’s “Jam” music video.
On March 30, 1993, cousins Fredro Starr and Sticky Fingaz and their partners Sonny Seeza and Big DS put out their debut album, Bacdafucup, on the newly created Rush Associated Labels.
Primarily produced by the group’s founder Jam Master Jay, other production credits include The Afros’ Kool Tee, Chryskillz, and a then young producer named Jeff Harris; Bacdafucup was by far Onyx’s best studio LP, becoming certified platinum by the RIAA in just a little over seven months after its debut.
The album’s sure shot singles include the riot-causing “Throw Ya Gunz,” the horn propelled “Shiftee,” and of course, the mainstream favorite of all, “Slam.”
Onyx made their claim to fame with their trademark “mad face,” bald heads, and all black everything. Many copycats came after these guys, but their mark on the game is definitely unparalleled. Salute to Fredro, Sticky, Seez, and a big RIP to DS.
On this day in Hip Hop history, the rapper turned actor Will Smith along with DJ Jazzy Jeff released their second LP, He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper. This was the first double album in Hip Hop in its original vinyl state and is certified platinum by the RIAA.
It can be said that without this album, Will Smith would not be where he is today. The success this album provided for Smith gave him the exposure to take his talents from music to the screen. This was also a breakthrough album for the career of DJ Jazzy Jeff. Critics and consumers alike cited Jeff as the more musically inclined of the duo, although Smith was the obvious crowd favorite and frontman. Jeff’s ability on the turntables and the boards allowed him to be the unsung hero of the album and gain a lot of respect in the Hip Hop community.
The album received positive reviews from critics of countless publications. The Source even selected this album as one of the 100 Best Rap Albums list in 1998. The album peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 chart and #5 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop chart. Overseas it peaked at #68 on the UK Album chart. The album’s most popular single, “Parents Just Don’t Understand” won the first-ever Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989.
Teyana Taylor is a jack of all trades and excels in every field she enters. In the new film, A THOUSAND AND ONE, the “Gonna Love Me” artist proudly steps into the lead role, playing a character named Inez, who is a Harlem, New York native just like herself.
And while most may view survival as a task in itself, having to take care of yourself and another human seems damn near impossible… especially in the inner city. A THOUSAND AND ONE sees Teyana (Inez) kidnapping her son (Terry) from his foster home, as they both attempt to navigate the hurdles of life, simultaneously having to adapt to the aftermath of gentrification.
The Source was invited to an exclusive, invite-only advanced screening of the film at WACO Theater Center in Los Angeles. Many emotions were felt during the two-hour film, from tears to laughter to everything in between.
Not only were Teyana’s acting skills impressively remarkable, but it was the storyline and messaging that viewers can resonate with most. Insert A.V. Rockwell, the indie filmmaker whose roots in New York directly inspired the film. Rockwell says seeing first-hand the impact of gentrification on the black neighborhoods in New York was the driving force, even stating she “felt like we were being erased as a city altogether.”
The end goal is to fight across generations for stability, creating a safe space, a safe home so you can work towards the American dream.” Serving as Rockwell’s major feature debut, the movie won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
The evening concluded with a super intimate Q&A between Rockwell and Beyonce’s mother, Ms. Knowles-Lawson. Read below as they discuss
Ms. Knowles: You did a great job on the film. How does it feel to share your film with the world?
It’s a really beautiful feeling of accomplishment. To create any movie is really such a feat. People have no idea what goes into it, people that don’t work in production or work on movies. Getting my first film made and getting to tell the story that I really wanted to tell, a story I really cared about and felt passionate about, is really a blessing. I feel so grateful and the way it’s been resonating with people means the most. It’s why I got up out of my bed every day for the years that I did spend on this in the first place, so this is a real triumph for me personally.
Ms. Knowles: This is your feature directorial debut. You’re also the writer, that’s amazing. Who did you draw inspiration on for the characters? Especially Inez and Lucky.
A.V. Rockwell: I pulled from all of my life experiences. With Inez, she was a composite of so many women that have been in my life. This was a very personal film for me. I also wrote her from a position of what do I want to see? I really want to see a woman like this empowered, I really want to see her strength celebrated. I wanted to see her fully in control of her own destiny, for better or worse. She really does, right until that last moment in the film when she’s making the decision of what’s going to happen next.
It was the same thing for Lucky, I was drawing on experiences on both sides. Experiences of men who I felt were great figures, great father figures. But through Lucky, you see somebody who’s a very great father, but not so much a great husband or great romantic partner. So much of this movie through Inez’ and Lucky’s relationship, you see dynamics between black men and women.
Again, really going back to the idea of we are not here to protest for you, we’re not here to fight for you or be a supporting character in your journey. We really are looking for people that are standing by us, holy completely. Loving us holy completely, and not just loving the parts of it that’s most convenient for me. Loving my skin color, my hair texture, love every part of what my experience is. Devote yourself to me the way I do for you, you see that very beautifully in their dynamic. I pulled so much of that for this real life.
Ms. Knowles: During the casting process, how did you know that you found your Inez in Teyana Taylor? She was amazing!
A.V. Rockwell: Teyana really did some outstanding work. I’m so proud of her and proud of our collaborative relationship, what we accomplished creatively. For me, it was important when I needed to make sure that I not only found an actress who had talent and depth to give to this performance and get to this character, but also had a truthfulness. Teyana could speak to this human being because she knows this woman, she’s been this woman at some point in her life. Those connected points were really important to me.
Obviously, she’s a homegirl herself and that’s a bonus. She’s a New York woman herself, but I felt like she was empathizing with Inez fully. Not looking down at her, because she’s so connected to this woman. That was really important to me. Because she’s not only
a woman who can relate to this character, but a mom. She put a lot of that even seeing what her dynamic was with the boys was really beautiful on set.
After seeing hundreds of women, actresses — some were established, some people unknown. By the time we got to Teyana’s tape, I really felt the difference. Our casting director, the same thing. “I looked at Teyana’s tape, and I was smitten by it.” We immediately knew that something was there.
Teyana had her own story to tell, her own pain that she could get out through this character. I always told her to embrace that, to embrace the parts of herself that people told her not to love. Because this character is on a self-love journey. I told Tiana to pull from the places that she has been told about herself to reject. No, you embrace all of that.
Ms. Knowles: What do you hope that audiences take away, more than anything after seeing A THOUSAND AND ONE?
A.V. Rockwell: There’s so much in this film. I wrote it from a very nuanced place, so there is so much to take away in terms of the themes. In some ways, I feel like the movie doesn’t belong to me anymore, it belongs to people. They’re gonna interpret it in so many ways, beyond what I even had in mind as I was writing it.
For me at minimum, if it is healing for mothers and sons, that’s a win for me. Because people have the opportunity to see their moms and how complicated they are, in a better way and hopefully it nurtures our relationship. Ro me, this story was about unrequited love in so many ways. Not only within people within communities. How people relate to the cities and neighborhoods that they live in. Harlem in particular, it’s the mecca for Black history and culture, and to see it potentially being erased by gentrification and all the policies that set the stage for gentrification is really devastating.
On this day in Hip-Hop history, Wu-Tang Clan’s Ol’ Dirty Bastard released his debut solo LP, Return of the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version. Released by Elektra Records, Return of the 36 Chambers was only the second solo LP by any Wu-Tang member. Largely produced by fellow Wu-Tang emcee RZA, the album had a mostly positive commercial reception.
Peaking at number seven on the Billboard 200 and number two on the Top R&B/Hip Hop chart, Return of the 36 Chambers sold 81,000 albums in its first week and was certified gold later that year. The album was also nominated for “Best Rap Album” at the 1996 Grammy Awards.
Coming off such a successful group debut, there were little critics could say to discount the record. The Source, Rolling Stone and Allmusic have all given the project four out of five stars. In 1998, The Source selected the album to be a part of its 100 Best Rap Albums list.
Following Return of the 36 chambers: The Dirty Version, ODB went on to release one more solo album, Nigga Please, before his untimely demise in 2004. Ol’ Dirty will forever be remembered as one of the most talented and unique emcees to ever grace the mic.
