This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip-hop for the year 2023.
Events
January
- On January 1, Gangsta Boo died of a drug overdose at the age of 43 in Memphis, Tennessee.
- On January 5, there was a shootout outside DJ Khaled's The Licking Restaurant in Miami, Florida, while filming a French Montana music video.
- On January 7, YoungBoy Never Broke Again married his girlfriend, Jazlyn Mychelle.
- On January 13, Kanye West married designer Bianca Censori.
- On January 16, Lil Tjay was arrested for gun possession in New York.
- On January 27, Drake's home was burglarized in Los Angeles.
February
- On February 5, Kendrick Lamar won both Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for "The Heart Part 5" at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. Lamar also won the Best Rap Album for Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, and Future won Best Melodic Rap Performance for "Wait for U", featuring Drake and Tems.
- On February 10, South African rapper AKA was fatally gunned down in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
- On February 12, Trugoy the Dove of De La Soul, died at the age of 54, with the cause of his death remaining undisclosed.
- On February 22, Eric Holder Jr. was sentenced to 60 years to life in prison for the murder of Nipsey Hussle in March 2019.
- On February 23, R. Kelly was sentenced in Chicago federal court to 20 years in prison for child pornography and other sexual crimes involving minors, with 19 years being concurrent to his previous 30-year term handed down in New York. Kelly will now serve 31 years in prison.
March
- On March 2, Lil Mosey was found not guilty of second-degree rape.
- On March 3, De La Soul's full discography became available on streaming services for the first time.
- On March 5, a stampede occurred at a GloRilla and Finesse2tymes concert in Rochester, New York, leaving three people dead and 7 people injured.
- On March 10, Jay Park won Artist of the Year at the Korean Hip-hop Awards.
- On March 11, South African rapper Costa Titch collapsed on stage while performing. He later died at the age of 27.
- On March 20, Michael Boatwright, Dedrick Williams, and Trayvon Newsome were convicted on all counts for the armed robbery and murder of XXXTentacion in June 2018.
April
- On April 6, Michael Boatwright, Dedrick Williams, and Trayvon Newsome were all formally sentenced to life in prison for the first-degree murder of XXXTentacion. On the same day, Coolio's cause of death was revealed as an overdose of fentanyl.
- On April 26, Pras, of the Fugees, was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the US, witness tampering and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government, for his role in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal (1MDB).
- On April 27, Kendrick Lamar's The Big Steppers Tour became the highest-grossing tour by a rapper as a headlining act in history, with $110.9 million from 929,000 tickets sold in 73 shows.
May
- On May 3, Missy Elliott, Rage Against the Machine, DJ Kool Herc, and Don Cornelius were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On the same day, Boosie Badazz announced he was cancer free via Instagram.
- On May 4, Mozzy was released from prison.
- On May 5, Chris Brown got into an altercation with Usher at his birthday party in Las Vegas after an argument over Teyana Taylor.
- On May 17, Robert Allen was sentenced to 2 years in prison for the murder of XXXTentacion. On the same day, Sheff G, Sleepy Hallow, and 30 other alleged members of the 8 Trey Crips and 9 Ways gangs were indicted on charges of criminal conspiracy, murder, assault, kidnapping, reckless endangerment, and gun possession.
- On May 24, Fetty Wap was sentenced to 6 years in prison for drug trafficking.
- On May 25, Patrick Xavier Clarke was charged for the murder of Takeoff.
- On May 30, DaniLeigh was arrested for a DUI in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
June
- On June 7, Tupac Shakur was honored with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star. On the same day, Blueface was arrested in Las Vegas on robbery charges.
- On June 9, Jamarcus Johnson pleaded guilty and was charged for the murder of Young Dolph.
- On June 12, the trial for YNW Melly on charges of first-degree murder began.
- On June 16, Quando Rondo was arrested in Chatham County, Georgia, for drug conspiracy and gang activity.
- On June 18, Big Pokey collapsed and later died from cardiac arrest while performing at a bar in Beaumont, Texas.
- On June 21, XXL released their 2023 Freshman Class, including Finesse2tymes, Lola Brooke, Rob49, Fridayy, GloRilla, 2Rare, SleazyWorld Go, Central Cee, Real Boston Richey, Luh Tyler, TiaCorine, and DC the Don.
- On June 23, Jacquees was arrested for battery in Gwinnett County, Georgia.
- On June 26, Melle Mel, of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, was arrested for domestic violence.
- On June 27, Casanova was sentenced to 15 years in prison. On the same day, Drake was awarded the key to Shelby County in Memphis.
July
- On July 2, a shooting at a nightclub in Wichita, Kansas, where Mozzy was performing at left 7 injured and 1 dead. Mozzy was briefly detained and released later that night.
- On July 5, MF DOOM's cause of death was revealed as angioedema.
- On July 20, SpotemGottem was arrested for gun possession, burglary and fleeing a police officer. On the same day, G Herbo pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and making a false statement to a federal official.
- On July 22, the double murder trial for YNW Melly concluded. The trial ended with a hung jury, and the judge declared a mistrial.
- On July 24, Quavo was aboard a yacht in Miami, Florida when it was robbed by an armed crew.
August
- On August 2, Lizzo was sued for allegedly creating a hostile work environment by sexually harassing and weight shaming her dancers.
- On August 7, DJ Casper died of kidney and liver cancer at the age of 58.
- On August 8, Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting Megan Thee Stallion.
- On August 10, 6ix9ine was arrested in Miami, Florida for failing to appear in court.
- August 11 represents the 50th anniversary of hip hop music and culture, and a concert honoring this milestone took place at Yankee Stadium. Run-DMC was the headline act, and a group of hip hop founders performed including Cindy Campbell and her brother DJ Kool Herc.
- On August 13, it was reported that Magoo had died at the age of 50.
- On August 15, it was reported that Young Capone had died at the age of 35 after he went missing in Chicago, Illinois.
- On August 19, Gunplay was arrested in Miami, Florida for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, and child abuse.
- On August 20, Blac Youngsta's brother was killed at a gas station in Memphis, Tennessee. On the same day, felony murder charges against Lul Tim for involvement in King Von's killing were dropped.
- On August 23, Blueface was stabbed at a gym in Los Angeles, California. On the same day, Polo G, alongside his brother Trench Baby, was arrested following a police raid at his house in Los Angeles, California.
- On August 24, Burmese artist Byu Har was sentenced to 20 years in prison for criticizing the military-controlled government's inability to provide electricity to Yangon - a harsher sentence than other celebrities found guilty of criticism.
- On August 29, August 08 died at the age of 31.
September
- On September 3, Chrisean Rock gave birth to her first child.
- On September 5, B.G. was released from prison in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- On September 9, the intersection of Ludlow Street and Rivington Street in New York City, featured on the cover of Paul's Boutique, was renamed to Beastie Boys Square.
- On September 15, Diddy received the key to New York City.
- On September 22, Krayzie Bone was hospitalized after coughing up blood in his sleep due to sarcoidosis.
- On September 29, Duane Davis was arrested in connection with the murder of Tupac Shakur in September 1996, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
October
November
- On November 3, a section of MacArthur Boulevard in Oakland, California, where Tupac Shakur had previously lived, was renamed to Tupac Shakur Way.
- On November 7, C-Knight of The Dove Shack died of a stroke at the age of 52.
- On November 8, Ralo was released from prison.
- On November 17, Diddy's former partner Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit against him accusing him of rape, sex trafficking, and physical abuse.
- On November 23, Towne Center Drive in Compton, California was renamed to Eazy Street in honor of Eazy-E.
- On November 27, the trial for Young Thug on RICO charges began.
December
Released albums
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Highest-charting songs
United States
United Kingdom
Highest first-week consumption
All critically reviewed albums ranked
Metacritic
AnyDecentMusic?
See also
References