June 1988

Eddie Murphy's 'Coming to America,' directed by John Landis, opens to enormous box office success and eventually earns over $288 million worldwide. The film presents an unusually positive and regal portrayal of Africa and Black royalty for a mainstream Hollywood production.

Berry Gordy sells Motown Records, the most important Black-owned record label in American history, to MCA for $61 million. The sale ends nearly 30 years of Black ownership of a major label and prompts significant debate within the Black community about cultural institutions and capital.

Eddie Murphy's Coming to America grosses over $288 million worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing comedies in film history. Murphy plays multiple characters, and the film marks a rare mainstream Hollywood portrayal of Africa as dignified and wealthy.

Brooklyn rapper Big Daddy Kane releases Long Live the Kane, establishing him as one of the most technically gifted MCs of the decade. His rapid-fire delivery and showmanship influence subsequent generations of rappers including Jay-Z.

A politically explosive album that reshapes hip-hop's sound and ambition.