Tamara Palmer

“You can sell out if you want to, homie, but I’mma stay short and funky,” rapped Too $hort on his sixth album Short Dog’s in the House, repping Oakland to the fullest. Today’s history corner finds a host of artists who, like $hort, stayed true to their artistry and brought it to the world.

August 20 is a day of important births and — especially if you live anywhere near Atlanta — will henceforth be known as “Isaac Hayes Day.” The Clipse introduces us to Virginia, where there's nothing to do but cook, and Vanessa Williams takes us to The Comfort Zone.

Stars who have emerged from the city of Compton include Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar and today’s birthday boy Anthony Anderson, who still pays tribute to his hometown. Let’s start with his birth in 1970 and check out some more August 15 milestones.

The Tom Tom Club's 1981 hit "Genius of Love" has been one of the most popular samples in hip-hop and R&B. In this new series, we broke down the history of the song, and some classic '90s and '00s cuts that sampled the track.

August 7 has been a great day for album releases! Let’s revisit the soloists, duos and groups who have helped make today a fertile day in hip-hop history with debuts, comebacks and earthly farewells.

Rap’s breakthrough cable TV show, PM Dawn’s debut and the unlikeliest superhero that only Robert Townsend could dream of all were introduced to the world on this eventful day — and we’re just getting started with today's hip-hop history.

One of the most requested songs in hip-hop history was released on this day by classic duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, and the anthem endures. Learn about this vital song and more today in hip-hop history.

Today in hip-hop history is about births — of both artists and notable albums worth revisiting — and bittersweet finales.

Classic album releases, a crazy concert revival and the loss of one of the world’s pre-eminent hip-hop savvy torch singers defines our day in history.