Aug. 9 has had a marked influence on hip-hop and R&B. American rapper Kurtis Blow was born on this date in 1959. He signed a recording deal with Mercury Records in 1979 when he was just 20 years old, becoming the first rapper to achieve the feat. He shares his birthday with Whitney Houston, who was born on Aug. 9, 1963. Widely considered one of the greatest female singers of all time, she has sold more than 200 million records worldwide.