Today in Rap History

December 18

DMX was born December 18, 1970

Earl Simmons (born December 18, 1970), better known by his stage name DMX, is an American rapper and songwriter. He began rapping in the early 1990s, and released his debut album It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot in 1998, to both critical acclaim and commercial success, selling 251,000 copies within its first week of release. He released his best-selling album, … And Then There Was X, in 1999, which included the hit single “Party Up (Up in Here)”.

Since his debut, DMX has released seven studio albums.

He has been featured in films such as Belly, Romeo Must Die, Exit Wounds, Cradle 2 the Grave and Last Hour. In 2006, he starred in the reality television series DMX: Soul of a Man, which was primarily aired on the BET cable television network. In 2003, DMX published a book of his memoirs entitled, E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX.

Lupe Fiasco released his second album The Cool December, 18th 2007

Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco (/ˈluːpeɪ/ LOO-pay), is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and activist. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his debut album, Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor. He also performs as the frontman of rock band Japanese Cartoon under his real name. As an entrepreneur, Fiasco was the chief executive officer of 1st and 15th Entertainment.

Raised in Chicago, Jaco developed an interest in hip hop after initially disliking the genre for its use of vulgarity and misogyny. After adopting the name Lupe Fiasco and recording songs in his father’s basement, 19-year-old Fiasco joined a group called Da Pak. The group disbanded shortly after its inception, and Fiasco soon met rapper Jay-Z who helped him sign a record deal with Atlantic Records. In September 2006, Fiasco released his debut album Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor on the label, which received three Grammy nominations. He released his second album, Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool, in December 2007. The lead single “Superstar” became his first top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. After a two-year delay, Lasers was released in March 2011 to mixed reviews; however, it became his first album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200. His latest album, Drogas Wave, was released in September 2018.

December 16

Charles Hicks better known as Charizma died December 16, 1993 R.I.P.

Charles Edward Hicks Jr. (July 6, 1973 – December 16, 1993), also known by his stage name Charizma, was an MC from Milpitas, California. He is best known for his work with Peanut Butter Wolf; the two artists formed a duo after meeting in 1990. Their musical partnership was cut short following Charizma’s murder in 1993.

Charizma was 13 when he started rapping at high school talent shows. He was 16 when he met 19-year-old Chris Manak, also known as Peanut Butter Wolf, in 1990. They became best friends, recording several demos and performing live in the San Jose area. After hearing Charizma on San Jose State’s KSJS 90.5 FM, Matt Brown approached Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf, offering to become their manager. Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf agreed and began looking for a record label. After entertaining offers from some major record labels, including Columbia Records, they signed with the Disney-owned record label Hollywood Basic, now Hollywood Records.