Today marks the anniversary of several random events that shaped hip-hop, pop, and R&B history.

1. January 3, 1983: Michael Jackson Released “Billie Jean”

I know this isn’t hip-hop, but there are plenty of things hip-hop fans can love about “Billie Jean.” First and foremost, what would the music video world even look like without Michael Jackson walking across those light-up floors? That s**t was ice cold. Then there’s the storyline — Michael calling out a woman who claimed he was the father of her child… which, let’s be honest, is a situation countless rappers have found themselves in. And beyond all that, the song itself is just cold as hell and probably inspired more melodic rappers than people even realize.

2. January 1, 2025: Lil Baby Dropped “WHAM”

WHAM was a very important album for Lil Baby. Before it dropped, he was fighting off “fall-off” allegations with everything he had. While I don’t think WHAM lived up to the expectations creatively — I haven’t really gone back to any of its tracks (Calling a track “DUM, DUM & DUMMER” just pissed me off) — it undeniably performed well commercially, debuting at #1 with over 145,000 copies sold.

Later in the year, he followed it up with The Leaks, a project I personally enjoyed a bit more. Still, when you zoom out and look at the bigger picture (Do like what I did here?), WHAM did what it needed to do. Even if it didn’t fully connect artistically, it proved that Lil Baby’s commercial pull was still very much intact, which, in that moment, made the album a success.

3. January 3, 2025: Drake Released A Mysterious Freestyle Produced By Conductor Williams

Fresh off — let’s be real — a pretty thorough ass-whipping from Kendrick Lamar, video footage of Drake freestyling over a Conductor Williams beat started circulating on social media. Naturally, everyone (including us) was thirsty for new Drake content, so the clip immediately sparked speculation about what his next album might sound like.

In the freestyle, Drake appeared to address the backstabbing and fallout he experienced during the Kendrick beef, giving fans plenty to dissect and overanalyze. While it ultimately led to absolutely nothing, it was still fun as hell to speculate in the moment.

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.