Throwback: Happy 59th Birthday, GZA!

This year has been a brutal, soul-sucking slog. And we have at least 3 more brutal and soul-sucking years left of this administration to go — if they don’t kill us all, first. So let’s get to it. 

• MTV was launched 44 years ago on August 1
• Coolio was born 62 years ago on August 1
• Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott celebrated his 66th birthday on August 1
• Public Enemy‘s Chuck D. celebrated his 64th birthday on August 1
• Butch Vig celebrated his 70th — yes, y’all 70th! — birthday on August 2
• Echo and the Bunnymen‘s first dummer Pete de Freitas was born 64 years ago on August 2.
• Collective Soul‘s frontman Ed Roland celebrated his 62nd birthday on August 3
• Metallica‘s James Hetfield celebrated his 62nd birthday on August 3
• The iconic Louis Armstrong was born 124 years ago on August 4
• Beastie Boys‘ Adam Yauch, a.k.a. MCA was born 60 years ago on August 5 
• U2′s The Edge celebrated his 64th birthday on August 8
• The incomparable, ebullient and legendary Whitney Houston was born 62 years ago on August 9
• The pioneering Kurtis Blow celebrated his 66th birthday on August 9
• Interpol’s Sam Fogarino celebrated his 57th birthday on August 9
• Ronnie Spector was born 82 years ago on August 10
• Hip-hop was born at a house party at 1520 Sedgewick Avenue DJ’ed by the pioneering Kool Herc 52 years ago on August 11
• Dire Straits frontman and creative mastermind Mark Knopfler celebrated his 76th birthday on August 12
• The complicated but legendary David Crosby was born 84 years ago on August 14
• Oscar Peterson, one of the greatest pianists ever was born 100 years ago on August 15
• The legendary and iconic Madonna celebrated her 66th birthday on August 16
• De La Soul‘s Kelvin Mercer, A.K.A. Posdnous, a.k.a. Plug One celebrated his 56th birthday on August 17
• Acclaimed JOVM mainstay Genesis Owusu celebrated his 27th birthday on August 17
• The Isley Brothers‘ Marvin Isley was born 72 years ago on August 18
• The legendary and complicated Ginger Baker was born 86 years ago on August 19
• Nate Dogg, the undisputed king of hip-hop hooks was born 56 years ago on August 19
• Arguably one of the greatest rock vocalists ever, and one of the most recognizable and influential vocalists ever, Robert Plant celebrated his 77th birthday on August 20
• Thin Lizzy frontman and overall pioneer, Phil Lynott was born 76 years ago on August 20
• The legendary Isaac Hayes was born 83 years ago on August 20
• The legendary Kenny Rogers was born on this day 89 years ago on August 21
• Punk icon and frontman of The Clash, Joe Strummer was born 73 years ago on August 21
• The legendary composer, band leader and jazz pianist Count Basie was 121 years ago on August 21

GZA celebrates his 59th birthday today. Whether as a solo artist or as a member of the Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is one of hip-hop’s most intellectual artists.

Happy birthday, brother!