These are the defining hip-hop events that made history today.

1. Drake Dropped “FOR ALL THE DOGS: Scary Edition” (November 17, 2023)

Out of all the Drake projects I’ve heard over the years, this is the one that doesn’t fully resonate with me.

Most of the songs never really stuck—aside from “You Broke My Heart,” which I heard way too many times. What did make this project stand out, though, is how it answered a common critique: a lot of us felt Drake leaned a little too heavily into singing on the original version. Here, he shows up rapping with intent, snapping early and often.

So, for that, thank you, Joe Budden.

2. Young Dolph Passed Away (November 17, 2021)

Young Dolph’s death sent shockwaves through the hip-hop community. The rapper was tragically killed in his hometown, gunned down while simply stopping by Makeda’s Butter Cookies.

Known for hard-hitting tracks like “100 Shots” and “1 Scale,” Dolph had already built an impressive catalog—and it’s clear he had plenty more classics left to give.

3. Ice Cube Dropped “The Predator” (November 17, 1992)

Walahi, The Predator is easily one of my favorite hip-hop albums ever. Most people immediately think of “It Was a Good Day,” but the project also delivered the funky original version of “Check Yo Self,” plus hard-hitting cuts like “When Will They Shoot?” and “We Had to Tear This Muthafucka Up.” On this album, Cube was rapping with the fire and ferocity people often associate with early Eminem—going after politicians, calling out injustices, and dropping the kind of rhetoric Candace Owens would probably cheer for today.

Quincy

Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.