A great debut is no small task, especially in a genre as vibrant and progressive as rap. Trends come and go, with today’s hitmakers becoming tomorrow’s gossip fodder. Nowadays, most major labels are too shook to let a new rapper drop an album without proving him or herself with multiple singles and mixtapes.
Still, the proper full-length studio rap album remains the standard by which all rappers are judged. That conservative carryover has everything to do with the caliber of classics that hip-hop has produced in its more than four-decade history. Plenty of rappers have eventually released a good or great album, but it’s even rarer for one to do so out the gate. That’s what this list celebrates, 25 selections spanning generations.
In making this list, we took a hard look at the canon, at the so-called unimpeachable records, and artists that so frequently make and even top these roundups. We adjusted to include pivotal and underrated debuts that are often missed by other publications. The inclusiveness of this list and its rankings may cause some to bristle. Still, when it comes to rap music, there’s never an incentive to play it safe — so instead, we kept it real.
–Gary Suarez
Contributing Writer
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25. M.I.A. – Arular (2005)
Though she wouldn’t gain global fame until “Paper Planes” arrived on time in 2007 complete with children’s chorus and shooting gallery, 2005’s Arular introduced Maya Arulpragasam aka M.I.A. as an MC to be reckoned with. The British visual artist of Sri Lankan background brought a fiery flow, irresistible dance beats, and an uncompromising penchant for spitting truth to power on bangers like “Sunshowers” and “Galang”, no matter how much controversy she stirred in the process. –Matt Melis
Standout Track:
Definitive Lyric: “Sleng teng, that’s that M.I.A. thang/ I got the bombs to make you blow/ I got the beats to make you bang” — from “Pull Up the People”
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24. Gucci Mane – Trap House (2005)
Plain and simple, Gucci Mane is the father of the Atlanta trap music sound that has allowed the likes of Migos, Future, Young Thug, and more to flourish in the national spotlight during the past couple of years. Perhaps the Zone 6 Berry Gordy knew what was coming when he bragged about little kids wanting to be like him when they grow up on his debut single, “Icy”. Whatever the case, Trap House was 10 years ahead of the curve as Gucci demonstrated his ear by helping Zaytoven and Shawty Redd get their start as architects of the sound while showing off deceptively uncomplicated lyrics that allowed his charismatic personality and surprising wit to shine through. –Eddie Fu
Standout Track:
Definitive Lyric: “I’m icy, so motherfucking snowed up/ Little kids wanna be like Gucci when they grow up” — from “Icy”
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23. Earl Sweatshirt – Doris (2013)
Earl Sweatshirt emerged from forced exile and the “Free Earl” chants floated by Odd Future to release his debut album, Doris, in 2013. Besting his self-titled 2010 mixtape, the project propelled by “Chum” and “Whoa” was an introspective, lo-fi-adjacent snapshot of the angst and genius fueling the prankster rap collective co-founded by Tyler, The Creator. Making good on the hype, Earl’s partially self-produced return ditched hooks and traditional song structure to litter the tape with florid imagery and sharp, nuanced statements on daily life that elevated the troubled kid with good weed and perpetual detention to the role of prophet. –Karas Lamb
Standout Track:
Definitive Lyric: “Pen? Naw, probably written with some used syringes/ From out the rubbish bin at your local loony clinic/ Watching movies in a room full of goons he rented. On the hunt for clues, more food, and some floozy women/ Bruising gimmicks with the broom he usually use for Quidditch/ Gooey writtens, scoot ’em to a ditch, chewed and booty scented/ Too pretentious, do pretend like he could lose with spitting/ Steaming tubes of poop and twisted doobies full of euphemism” — from “Whoa”
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22. MF Doom – Operation: Doomsday (1999)
Daniel Dumile’s transformation from KMD rhymer Zev Love X to the villainous wordsmith MF Doom took roughly a decade. Yet even those who appreciate the rapper’s younger self on 1991’s Mr. Hood recognize the progression of mic skills evident on his first solo venture. Almost entirely self-produced, the game-changing indie record rebooted Dumile’s career with overflowing, verbose bars spat over elite crate-digger beats. Doom’s voice was deeper than Zev’s, gnarled by tragedy to an extent that his adoption of a comic book baddie’s persona seemed credible. Operation: Doomsday showcased an abominable mic master, an indomitable emcee to tremble before. –Gary Suarez
Standout Track:
Definitive Lyric: “Classical slapstick rappers need Chapstick/ A lot of ’em sound like they in a talent show/ So I give ’em something to remember like the Alamo/ Tally-ho! A high Joker like a Spades game/ Came back from five years laying and stayed the same” — from “Rhymes like Dimes”
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21. Nicki Minaj – Pink Friday (2010)
Pink Friday was deemed “too pop” by many critics, but there was tremendous pressure for Nicki Minaj to deliver a commercial hit or risk dooming her career from the start — as well as those of future female MCs. As a result, the Young Money signee had the delicate task of showing she could hang with Eminem on “Roman’s Revenge” while also delivering hit singles like “Moment 4 Life” alongside her labelmate Drake. After making history by becoming the first solo artist to simultaneously have seven songs on the Billboard Hot 100, it’s clear she made the right decision and cleared the path for Cardi B to find her own success several years later. –Eddie Fu
Standout Track:
Definitive Lyric: “Put it on everything, that I will retire with the ring/ And I will retire with the crown, Yes!” — from “Moment 4 Life”
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