This Week in Music History
We take a look at the unforgettable moments that happened during the second week of February.
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This Week in Music History - Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” was recorded on the same day, Feb.14. We take a look at other unforgettable moments that happened during the second week of February.
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Thriller 25 - To celebrate its 25th Anniversary, Michael Jackson’s <em>Thriller</em>— the highest selling album of all time, was reissued February 8, 2008.
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Victory - On February 8, 2004, Outkast’s <em>Speakerboxxx/The Love Below</em> became the first rap album to win a Grammy for Album of the Year. Beyonce also won five awards that night— tying a record previously set by Lauren Hill and Alicia Keys.
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Chrihanna - Rihanna mysteriously cancelled her Grammy Awards performance on February 8, 2009. Reports later surfaced that her then boyfriend Chris Brown had allegedly assaulted her the night before. TMZ soon published photos of the singer visibly battered and bruised. Though they briefly reconciled, the young couple eventually split up. Brown plead guilty to felony assault on June 22, 2009 and was sentenced to five year of probation.
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Hip-hop Takes Center Stage - And to think the rap categories used were once left off the air. On February 8, 2009, T.I., Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z and a very pregnant M.I.A took over the stage at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards for a rendition of Tip’s “Swagger Like Us.” That night Wayne took home four awards, T.I. and Kanye won two.
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Not Guilty - A day after being charged for involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson, Dr. Conrad Murray plead not guilty on February 9, 2010. He was ordered to stand trial in January of 2011.
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Kanye's Coming Out Party - Kanye West released his debut album, <em> The College Dropout</em> on February 10, 2004. The CD moved 441,000 units in its first week and has sold 3.1 million copies to date domestically.
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J Dilla Dies - Only three days after turning 32 years old James "J Dilla" Yancey died of a TTP, a rare blood disease, on February 10, 2006.
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Pay Up - Dr. Dre filed a lawsuit against his former label, Death Row Records, on February 12, 2010. According to Dre, he stopped received payments from Death Row when he left the label in ’96.
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Eminem Returns - On February 2, 2009, Eminem released "Crack a Bottle" his first single in four years, featuring 50 Cent and Dr. Dre. On February 12, 2009, the song shot to no.1 with 418,000 downloads-- breaking a record previously held by T.I.'s "Live Your Life." The song also won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group in 2010.
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We Are the World 25 for Haiti - Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones assembled a roster of superstars to record "We Are the World 25 for Haiti," a revamped version of the original blockbuster single released 25 years earlier. The new version was released on February 12, 2010 and raised money to help bring relief following Haiti’s devastating 7.1 earthquake a few weeks prior. Janet Jackson, Lil Wayne, Wyclef Jean, Usher, T-Pain, Snoop Dogg and Jennifer Hudson, among many others, were featured on the song.
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Real Estate - On February 13, 1988, Michael Jackson bought his Neverland ranch in Santa Barbara County in California. MJ stopped living there in 2005, stating that he no longer considered it his home after a swarm of police officers searched in connection to his child molestation trial.
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Double Up - Less than a year after being released from jail, Tupac Shakur released All Eyez on Me, the first double album in rap music history, on February 13, 1996. The album sold 9 times platinum domestically and ushered a wave of double albums in hip-hop. The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z and Nas, among others, all released double albums. The offering would become the last album Pac released while he was alive.
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The Fugees Settle the Score - The Fugees released their classic sophomore album, <em>The Score,</em> on February 13, 1996. The LP went on to sell 17 million units worldwide and served as a platform for Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill to launch successful solo careers.
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So Far Gone - Drizzy Drake changed the game when his So Far Gone mixtape was released on February 13, 2009. More album than mixtape, the project sparked the Toronto MC's deafening buzz, made him the most sought after guest rapper since his mentor Lil Wayne, produced two hits, "Best I Ever Had" and "Successful" and earned him two Grammy nominations. The then free agent also
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