10 Rap Legends Whose Debut Albums Weren't Classic

Hip-hop stars who started off on the wrong foot.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Last week, we did a list of The 50 Greatest Debut Albums in Hip-Hop History which showcased artists who were able to come correct on their first album and drop a classic LP. In hip-hop, debut albums mean more than in any other genre. Mostly because many of the hip-hop's greatest artists—Nas, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Biggie, Eminem, etc.—knocked it out of the park with their first swing at bat.

But not every rapper who became legendary nailed it on their first try. In fact, there are a handful of incredible solo artists and groups whose first album did not catapult them directly into superstar status. Some albums showed flashes of greatness, others were dope but overlooked until subsequent releases with smash records and/or more cohesive bodies of work hit the masses. And a couple were, well, pretty wack. In most cases the potential was there, but their talents weren’t fully ripe yet. Check out our list of 10 Rap Legends Whose Debut Albums Weren't Classic (presented in alphabetical order).

Written by Daniel Isenberg (@stanipcus)

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2Pac, 2Pacalypse Now (1991)

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Label: Interscope

2Pac had some excellent LPs in his short but legendary life, but his debut album isn't widely considered the gem in his catalog. Most fans point to later works when naming his best album, whether it's his double disc All Eyez On Me or Makaveli.

But one thing's for certain, Pac got America's attention with his socially conscious first single, "Brenda's Got A Baby," and the other social and political content on the album. It's an underground effort, and has been praised by rappers such as Nas and Eminem, but it would take his next album Strictly For My N.I.G.G.A.Z.to drop, with the crossover hits "Keep Ya Head Up" and "I Get Around," for Pac to become a household name.

Overall, this album showed only a fraction of Pac's greatness, and lacked in the hit records department. By the mid-90's, he found his groove, and was making albums jam packed with mega-songs, while still appealing to his hardcore underground and gangster following.

Cam'ron, Confessions On Fire (1998)

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Common, Can I Borrow A Dollar? (1992)

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Label: Relativity Records

Common's first album, back when he was known as Common Sense, went largely unnoticed to the rap masses. It got some love nationally, and helped put Chicago on the rap map with three Top 10 rap singles, "Take It EZ," "Breaker 1/9," and "Soul By The Pound." But Com was young, and spitting a Das EFX type style, rapping about regular guy shit like drinking 40s and bagging shorties. He hadn't found his inner voice yet. The jazzy production on Can I Borrow A Dollar? felt current with the times, but Com had yet to display maturity on the mic and show that lyrically, he was on some next shit.

Underground heads took notice of Can I Borrow A Dollar?, but the first single off his opus Resurrection, "I Used To Love H.E.R.," was the first song of his to make real waves coast to coast. That was our real taste of what Common had to offer on his second album, which was so impressive that it almost instantly put him in the "best lyricists in the game" conversation, even with New York faithfuls. Not to say that Can I Borrow A Dollar? is a wack album, but Resurrection was clearly the body of work that set him apart from the pack. And No I.D., who had produced on his first album also and handled almost all of Resurrection, stepped up his production, too.

Gang Starr, No More Mr. Nice Guy (1989)

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Label: Wild Pitch, EMI Records

There's no disputing that Gang Starr will forever be heralded as one of the greatest rap groups of all-time. Guru's slick vocals matched with DJ Premier's timeless production is the perfect pairing. But No More Mr. Nice Guy can't compete with the rest of their classic LPs. It's fair to argue which is better, Moment of Truth or Daily Operation, Hard to Earn or Step in the Arena, but all four of those are easily blowing NMMNG out the box.

It was too early, and though No More Mr. Nice Guy showcased Gang Starr's jazz influence, Guru's smooth lyrics, and Primo's sharp scratches and knack for finding catchy samples, they had yet to perfect the elements that would ultimately give them the chemistry they are now worshipped for having. "Manifest" was memorable, and still might get some burn in a throwback Gang Starr DJ set, but they didn't find their true connection as a duo until their follow-up efforts.

Geto Boys, Making Trouble (1988)

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Label: Rap-A-Lot

The Geto Boys' first album received very little attention on a national scale. At the time, Scarface and Willie D were not even in the group. Rap-A-Lot Records brought them in after Making Trouble's release, subbing them in for Sire Jukebox and Johnny C. It's an album that is forgotten about in the Geto Boys and Rap-A-Lot catalog, and rightfully so.

Once Scarface and Willie D were on board, the Geto Boys became one of the most beloved southern rap groups in history, and their We Can't Be Stopped LP hit platinum status off the success of their undeniable smash "Mind Playing Tricks on Me." And of course, Scarface would go on to have a legendary solo career too, becoming arguably the most well-respected MC the South has ever produced.

GZA, Words From The Genius (1991)

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Mobb Deep, Juvenile Hell (1993)

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Label: 4th & B'way, Island, PolyGram Records

Havoc and Prodigy were just a couple of wild teenagers running wreckless through NYC when Juvenile Hell was released. Havoc had yet to hit his stride as a producer, and as nice as they were on the mic, they were still in their developmental stage.

Though their first single "Peer Pressure" was produced by Large Professor and remixed by DJ Premier, and they showed promise behind the boards with their own production on the album, it wasn't until they followed up with The Infamous and dropped "Shook Ones Pt. II" that the rap world began to take major notice. After that, everyone in Queens and beyond was swerving in their hoopties (wishing it was a Saab) cranking the Mobb.

RZA, Ooh I Love You Rakeem (1991)

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T.I., I'm Serious (2001)

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Label: Arista

T.I. was introduced to the game on I'm Serious, backed by hot producers of the time, including the Neptunes, Jazzy Phae, and an Atlanta-based beatmaker on the rise named DJ Toomp. He gave us a taste of his introspective side and his ability to tell stories, and also the hustler persona that would become more prevalent in later work.

The album showed he had star potential and the ability to attract fans, but it did not crown him the "King of the South." It did not sell well (about 270,000 copies to date which clocks in as his lowest selling album), and his label at the time, Arista Records, ended up dropping him. It would take Trap Muzik, his second LP which some have called the South's Illmatic, for him to ultimately begin to wear the title well.

The Roots, Organix (1993)

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Label: Self-released

To be fair, Organix was really a demo of sorts, recorded so the Roots had something to sell as merch at shows overseas, and create a buzz with major labels. It's sparse in production, in that the beats, as dope as they are, mostly sound as if someone pressed record during their live rehearsals. But it did show how tight they were musically, and how insanely skilled Black Thought was as their vocal leader on the mic, while Questlove held it all together on the drums. And their attention to detail could be seen too, like when the Inspector Gadget theme song drops in for a couple bars to match up with one of Black Thought's rhymes on "The Anti-Circle."

For many Roots fans, Organix was a gem that they went back and found after their major label debut Do You Want More??!?!? was released. And as satisfying as it was to listen to, with notable tracks like the lyrically inclined "Pass the Popcorn," the sexually charged posse cut "Grits," and the spacey joint "I'm Out Deah," it was really just a funky introduction to how nice they were, and Do You Want More?!?!? was the proper unveiling of what would become the most innovative and successful band in the history of hip-hop music.

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