More so than other types of music, hip-hop is a genre of debuts: At its best, the music moves quickly, and fans are constantly awaiting the next game-changer, the latest and greatest emcee or producer to create (and erase) history. We've compiled our picks for the 20 best hip-hop debuts. A quick ground rule: the debuts listed served as the artists' introduction to a larger public audience, so we're not listing albums by emcees who were members of popular hip-hop groups. Other than that, have fun with this and don't get too cross-eyed about it. Feel free to leave your comments and let us know what we missed.
20. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, Road To The Riches - If you want a lesson on how to flip a funk sample, listen to Marley Marl's production, which smoothly traverses different rhythms and offers a history course for novices: "It's a Demo" alone deftly samples Bobby Byrd, James Brown and the Commodores. The art would disappear soon following new sampling laws, so this stands among the pinnacles of the form. Check out the title track, the fast rap workout "Men at Work" or "Trilogy of Terror." This album is a classic.
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19. Black Star, Black Star - Released in 1998, Black Star's self-titled debut was immediately heralded as a hip-hop classic, full of insightful, intelligent wordplay and deliciously mellow production. While Mos Def and Talib Kweli have both released solo LPs since, this group effort remains a favorite of critics and fans alike. If only they’d get around to releasing that sophomore disk.
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18. Goodie Mob, Soul Food - Every bit as quirky as frequent collaborators Outkast -- thanks to vocalist Cee Lo Green's tremendous contributions -- Goodie Mob always had a more political edge. Songs such as "Cell Therapy" and "Fighting" not only chronicle the struggle, but also try to illuminate the forces responsible for it. The title track, meanwhile, is a folksy and warm slice-of-Southern-life.
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17. Lupe Fiasco, Food & Liquor - Food and Liquor wraps its tales of estrangement and isolation in gorgeously addictive pop packages. "Daydreamin'" offers a bed of breathtaking, panoramic soul, and the Chi-Town rapper responds with a meditation on morality and hip-hop that is more impressionistic than pedantic. This trick is repeated again on the lonely and sublime "Hurt Me Soul." Lupe is the rare pop artist who is humanistic and honest, and Food and Liquor was the introduction of a serious new talent.
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16. Missy Elliott, Supa Dupa Fly - Missy's 1997 debut introduced the world to her unique, multi-dimensional style. Already an established producer and songwriter, on Supa Dupa Fly she shows that she can also shine as a solo artist. Features lots of Timbaland beats, numerous A-list cameos (Aaliyah, Busta, Lil' Kim), and the single "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)."
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15. LL Cool J, Radio - With his classic debut album, (and the first full-length released by Def Jam), hip-hop pioneer LL Cool J became a full-blown rap superstar. Backed by chunky '80s beats courtesy of ultra-producer Rick Rubin, Uncle L comes through with timeless mega-hits such as "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and "Rock The Bells."
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14. Ultramagnetic MC's, Critical Beatdown - This is a crucial early underground record and the first dispatch from rap's favorite extraterrestrial satirist, Kool Keith. The interplay between Keith and Ced Gee is incredible, with Keith's high-pitched squeal anchored by Ced Gee's bass. Not yet the perv he would become, Keith comes across as a spastic teenager with an active imagination. It all coalesces over Gee's production, which is a mixture of Eric B's James Brown fetishism and Prince Paul's quirky sampledelia. Nearly every song is hot, but standouts include "Funky," the title track and "Ego Trippin'."
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13. De La Soul, 3 Feet High and Rising - An inevitable development in the class history of rap, they're new wave to Public Enemy's punk, and also "pop" rather than pop, as self-consciously cute and intricate as Shoes or Let's Active. Their music is maddeningly disjunct, and a few of the 24-cuts-in-67-minutes (too long for vinyl) are self-indulgent, arch. But their music is also radically unlike any rap you or anybody else has ever heard--inspirations include the Jarmels and a learn-it-yourself French record. And for all their kiddie consciousness, junk-culture arcana, and suburban in-jokes, they're in the new tradition--you can dance to them, which counts for plenty when disjunction is your problem.
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12. Kanye West, College Dropout - Loaded with quotable verses and exceptional beats, College Dropout is one of the most anticipated debuts of 2004. Chicago emcee and Roc-A-Fella super-producer Kanye West comes through with his signature soul sampling tracks, while Jay-Z and Ludacris show up for quality cameos. Believe the hype.
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11. A Tribe Called Quest, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm - People’s Instinctive Travels Tribe's excellent debut LP from 1990 introduced the world to one of hip-hop's most beloved crews. Smart and clever rhymes abound here, backed by production that's both mellow and undeniably catchy. Features several classic jams, such as "Bonita Applebaum" and "Footprints."
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10. Big L, Lifestyles of Da Poor & Dangerous - The debut album from Harlem's illest emcee. Big L goes all out on every track, dazzling heads with high-flying lyricism that is simultaneously brutal, hilarious, and just plain awesome. Banging beats from Lord Finesse and Diamond D seal the deal. A slept-on classic, this record is truly outstanding.
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9. Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle - After stealing the show on The Chronic, Snoop Dogg became a major superstar on the strength of this classic 1993 debut. Produced entirely by Dr. Dre, Doggystyle is one of the dopest, most influential, and just plain funkiest hip-hop albums ever made. Packed with hits, it includes "Gin and Juice," "Who Am I" and "Ain't No Fun."
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8. Eric B and Rakim, Paid In Full - When this album hit the scene in 1987, rap music would be forever changed. Rakim Allah single-handedly raised the bar for all emcees, helping hip-hop lyricism progress from simple shouted rhymes to complex, intricate street poetry. The production is equally hype, with thumping breakbeats and slick cuts galore. An undeniable masterpiece.
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7. Jay-Z, Reasonable Doubt - Upon release, Jay-Z's debut was considered solid if not revelatory. Raekwon had (re)invented gangsta rap, while Nas had redrawn the parameters of hip-hop lyricism. Jigga split the difference and threw in a something for the ladies. Scarface fantasies ("Brooklyn's Finest") are tempered by booty calls ("Ain't No N*gg*"), while coffee shop displays of technical acumen ("22 Twos") and drug land morality tales ("Can I Live") are cut with paeans to materialism ("Cashmere Dreams"). This is a well-balanced and consistent album, and though it didn't reinvent the wheel, it made it a lot smoother.
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6. Outkast, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik - Outkast's 1994 debut introduced the world to the groundbreaking, ever-evolving duo of Big Boi and Andre. Produced by Organized Noize, the disc's original soundscapes and high-level rhymes set the songs apart from the usual southern fare of booty raps and gangsta cliches. Features their first big single, "Players Ball."
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5. Wu-Tang Clan, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) - Revolutionary '93 debut from Shaolin warriors known as the Wu. This release introduced the world to kung-fu samples, multiple aliases, and RZA's twisted genius production -- not to mention nine furiously skilled emcees. Includes "C.R.E.A.M.," "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin Ta F Wit," "Tearz," and "Protect Ya Neck." You need this record.
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4. Notorious B.I.G., Ready To Die - Ready to Die was a line in the sand for hip-hop. Afterwards, everything was different: simply killing enemies was no longer enough, you had to blast caps while wearing Armani suits. On "Things Done Change" Biggie pours blood over those with rose-colored glasses: "Back in the day our parents used to take care of us/ Look at 'em now/ they even f*cking scared of us." He dedicates "Juicy" to those who called the cops on him. Elsewhere, we get sex raps from a 300-pound "chronic smoking, Oreo cookie eating, pickle juice drinking, chicken gristle eating" rap legend It's made palatable by Biggie's wit and endless charisma.
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3. Run-D.M.C., Run-D.M.C. - One of the most important and influential hip-hop LPs ever recorded, Run-D.M.C.'s classic 1984 debut helped spread rap music around the globe and inspired a whole new generation of artists. The reissue includes a pair of live cuts ("Sucker M.C.s," "Here We Go"), an alternate mix of "Rock Box," and "Russell and Larry Running at the Mouth."
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2. N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A.'s gangsta alpha revealed the underbelly of Reagan's 1980s daydream. Ice Cube's hyper-violent, gonzo street reportage was immediate, visceral and as political as anything Chuck D ever committed to wax, while Dr. Dre's tightly wound breaks provided the template for an entire generation of G-Funk trunk rattlers. Every line on this album is classic, and is arguably the most important release in hip-hop history.
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1. Nas, Illmatic - Nas captures post-crack N.Y.C. in all its ruinous glory on his landmark 1994 debut. Realizing that drugs were both empowering and destructive, his lyrics alternately embrace and reject the idea of ghetto glamour. "Life's a Bitch" is possibly the saddest hip-hop song ever recorded, while "The World Is Yours" finds optimism in the darkest urban crevices.
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