A History of Rap Album Sequels

Image via Complex Original

Original album: The Chronic (1992)

Why the sequel was made: Dr. Dre wanted to prove himself to his critics by creating another classic album. "For the last couple years, there's been a lot of talk out on the streets about whether or not I can still hold my own, whether or not I'm still good at producing," he revealed. "That was the ultimate motivation for me. Magazines, word of mouth, and rap tabloids were saying I didn't have it anymore. What more do I need to do? How many platinum records have I made? OK, here's the album-now what do you have to say?"

Was it as good as the original? Yes. On 2001, Dr. Dre didn't just prove that he was still every bit as great as he was back on 1992's The Chronic; he also shattered everyone's expectations and cemented his legacy as one of the best hip-hop producers of all time. Why else do you think people are still waiting for him to drop his third album, Detox?

Original album: Tical (1994)

Why the sequel was made: Meth's sophomore album used the year 2000 and the possibility of an apocalypse at the turn of the century as inspiration. So it was only right that he turn his second solo effort into a "sequel" by slapping 2000 after Tical.

Was it as good as the original? No. Late last year, we told you about how we think Tical 2000 is unfairly hated on. But let's be honest: It was not anywhere as good as Tical. It had a few solid joints on it, but there were so many skits and throwaway tracks on it that it's a hard album to sit and listen to without skipping around constantly.

Original album: Illmatic (1994)

Why the sequel was made: After releasing several albums that were aimed at getting radio spins—most notably his two 1999 albums, I Am... and Nastradamus—Stillmatic was Nas' "I am still the guy who made Illmatic!" moment.

Was it as good as the original? Of course not. Stillmatic had its moments. From the Jay Z diss, "Ether" to the powerful "One Mic," Nas had some A-material on his fifth solo album. But Illmatic is one of the best hip-hop albums ever, so there was absolutely no way he was going to top it with a sequel.

Original album: Jealous One's Envy (1995)

Why the sequel was made: Fat Joe's first album, 1993's Represent (when he still went by Fat Joe Da Gangsta), had its moments but it wasn't enough to make him a star. After stepping his game up lyrically, he proved he was worth the weight on his second album, Jealous One's Envy. A few albums later, we're guessing Joe was hungry for chart hits on Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) like the way he was hungry for rap respect on his second album so he revisited the title.

Was it as good as the original? Yes. Armed with songs like "What's Luv?" and "We Thugging," Fat Joe scored the first two Top 40 hits of his career. The album also went on to earn Fat Joe his first platinum plaque. Maybe album wasn't as gritty as it's predecessor, but we're sure when the royalty checks started rolling in Joey didn't mind. 

Original album: The Blueprint (2001)

Why the sequel was made: Young Guru (and others) talked Jay Z into it. At the time, he said he knew how difficult it would be to follow-up the classic Blueprint. But those around him at the time pressured him into doing it. "I didn't want to do it," he said. "These guys talked me into it. I know it was gonna be difficult to follow The Blueprint. [Then] I started recording a lot of songs, and the songs were coming out so good."

Was it as good as the original? No. The first Blueprint literally sounded like the blueprint for putting together a classic album. From the Just Blaze and Kanye West productions to the very personal subject matter—not to mention the best diss track ever, "Takeover," and the incredible Eminem collaboration, "Renegade"—Blueprint was incredible. Blueprint 2, on the other hand, was a long-winded double album that featured too many different producers, too many different sounds, and too many filler tracks. Jay himself seemed to admit that in early 2004 when he re-released Blueprint 2 as Blueprint 2.1, a single album with a significantly reduced tracklisting which somehow still failed get pick the best material from the inflated double disk. He later completed the trilogy with The Blueprint 3 in 2009.

Original album: Bacdafucup (1993)

Why the sequel was made: Ever since they released 1998's Shut 'Em Down through Def Jam, Onyx has been releasing one-off albums with smaller labels. Bacdafucup Part II was one of these albums and used the name of their debut to generate publicity.

Was it as good as the original? No. There's a reason why guys like Waka Flocka Flame and A$AP Ferg list Bacdafucup when they name their 25 favorite albums of all time. It was a gritty, raw, unfiltered album that was filled with more energy than almost any rap album we've ever heard. Bacdafucup Part II came a decade later, and the passion and energy behind it wasn't nearly as believeable as it was back in the early 1990s.

Original album: Tha Carter (2004)

Why the sequel was made: After the success of the original album in 2004—which was named after the crack house in the movie, New Jack City—Wayne decided to keep his momentum going by creating a sequel.

Was it as good as the original? Yes. While Tha Carter was Wayne's first big commercial album, Tha Carter II established him as a larger-than-life presence in hip-hop. He was no longer just the young kid repping Cash Money Records. He was also the guy calling himself the "Best Rapper Alive" and making a real run at the title. Tha Carter II represented a turning point in Wayne's career and helped him transform into the superstar that he is today. Wayne would go on to do Tha Carter III and Tha Carter IV and we're hoping that one day we'll see Tha Carter V too.

Original album: Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 (2005)

Why the sequel was made: Jeezy's goal since the beginning of his career has been to provide "thug motivation" for his fans, so it was no surprise that he chose to keep it as his theme for his second album. "My whole goal in life was to be a fixture of the ghetto," he said, "of the slums, of the hood that people can look and say, 'Damn, Jeezy is the Snowman, Mr. 17.5, he is what we are.' I always wanted to be the spokesperson and the mascot for the have-nots."

Was it as good as the original? No. The movement that accompanied Thug Motivation 101 was incredible. So once Jeezy's first album came and went, it was nearly impossible for him to get that buzz back again. But Thug Motivation 102 did have some strong songs on it like "Still on It" and "Bury Me a G" and was a solid sophomore effort overall.

Original album: Trap House (2005)

Why the sequel was made: After releasing the original Trap House independently through Big Cat Records, Back to the Trap House was Gucci's major label debut. And while we can't say this for sure, the title of the album seemed to indicate that, while he was running with the majors now, he hadn't forgotten about where he came from.

Was it as good as the original? Yes. Gucci proved that he was a very distinct artist on Back to the Trap House. He struck commercial gold with "Freaky Gurl," incorporated a deadly disease into a club banger on "Bird Flu," and even rapped alongside livestock on "I Move Chickens." It's not Gucci's best work to date and it had a decidedly polished, commercial feel to it. But Back to the Trap House proved Gucci was more than just your average trap rapper.

Original album: Adrenaline Rush (1997)

Why the sequel was made: When he was finished recording Adrenaline Rush 2007, Twista believed that it sounded just like a lot of the music he had recorded for the original Adrenaline Rush. "I had to come with Adrenaline Rush 2007 with the same style of music that I came with on the last Adrenaline Rush," he said. "For me particularly, I think it's going to be better, because the album got a more street-edge and you can move to the music better."

Was it as good as the original? No. The original Adrenaline Rush wasn't a huge hit outside of the Midwest. But it did showcase how skilled and proficient Twista could be on the mic. Adrenaline Rush 2007 attempted to showcase that again. But with Twista trying to cater to radio as well, it didn't work out quite as well the second time around.

Original album: Trill (2005)

Why the sequel was made: Bun B's debut solo album was both a commercial and a critical success. So he decided to make his second album a sequel and used a clever play on words—II Trill instead of Trill II—to create the title.

Was it as good as the original? Yes. Released less than six months after the death of his UGK partner Pimp C, II Trill was, in a lot of ways, a continuation of Bun's debut album. It featured a ton of guest verses, just like the first one did, quality production efforts from the likes of Clinton Sparks and Mouse, and a back-to-business mindset that let us know Bun B wasn't going to let the reign of UGK disappear simply because Pimp C had passed away. He finished the series in 2010 with the wonderfully apt title, Trill OG.

Original album: Madvillainy (2004)

Why the sequel was made: Originally, MF DOOM and Madlib were going to get together and record a proper sequel for Madvillainy. But DOOM kept delaying the process, so Madlib took the original album, remixed it, and put it out as a part two of the album.

Was it as good as the original? No. We appreciate the fact that Madlib was so determined to release Madvillainy 2 that he went ahead and did it even though DOOM was dragging his feet. But it feels a little bit weird even calling it Madvillainy 2 since DOOM didn't actually play any part in it, doesn't it?

Original album: H.N.I.C. (2000)

Why the sequel was made: When he released his first solo album in 2000, Prodigy chose the title, H.N.I.C., because that was a phrase that his grandmother used often when she talked about the fact that she owned her own business. So Prodigy wanted to honor that by making it the title of all his solo albums. "I'm calling the new album H.N.I.C. 2," he said, "letting people know that it's in that same tradition [as the first one]."

Was it as good as the original? Yes. Like the first H.N.I.C. album, the sequel featured a handful of tracks produced by The Alchemist, Prodigy's gritty street tales, and a decidedly dark approach. So despite the long delay between the two albums—which was brought about because of several Mobb Deep releases and some legal issues—Prodigy still delivered a solid sequel. However, it still felt rushed due to P's impending jail sentence for gun possession. 

Original album: Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) (2001)

Why the sequel was made: While recording songs for what eventually became J.O.S.E. 2, Joe said that it felt a lot like when he recorded the original J.O.S.E. "Jealous Ones Still Envy was my biggest album," he said, "and I haven't did no album to this day that I felt I made music as big as that. So I just went hit mania on this one right here. It feels great."

Was it as good as the original? No. J.O.S.E. featured several of Joe's most commercially successful songs to date, including "What's Luv?" J.O.S.E. 2 featured a lot of songs that sounded like they could become hits-"One," featuring Akon, "Aloha," featuring Pleasure P and Rico Love," etc.-but, in the end, none of them were as strong as Joe's previous singles. As a result, J.O.S.E. was easily one of Joe's weakest solo efforts.

Original album: Philadelphia Freeway (2003)

Why the sequel was made: Freeway never really explained the reasoning behind calling this album, Philadelphia Freeway 2. But based on the label that the album was released on—Real Talk Entertainment, a California-based label that frequently releases indie albums by rappers who have sold a lot of records in the past—we imagine the album was titled Philadelphia Freeway 2 to generate interest in it and not because it was meant to be a true sequel.

Was it as good as the original? No. The first Philadelphia Freeway featured beats from Just Blaze, Kanye West, and Bink! It included guest spots from Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel, and Snoop Dogg. It had Freeway sounding like the future of rap. The sequel didn't have any of those things. So it really didn't ever stand a chance.

Original album: Blackout! (1999)

Why the sequel was made: In the early to mid-2000s, Meth and Red both spent a lot of time doing things other than rapping. So it took them a decade to release the follow-up to their collaborative album. "We was out venturing," Redman said. "Starting other careers. We can't depend on the rap game. We did a movie, TV show-venturing out. Now we back. We ain't left. We're coming at the right time."

Was it as good as the original? No. To be fair to Meth and Red, Blackout! 2 was way stronger than we expected it to be. Even though we knew they had producers like Pete Rock, Havoc, Erick Sermon, Buckwild, and Bink! behind the boards, we weren't really expecting much from it, and Meth and Red proved that they still had great chemistry in the studio when they came together for it. But the palpable buzz that their first project had—which was due in large part to the fact that they were both at the top of their games back in the late-1990s—really helped their first collaborative effort soar higher than their second one did.

Original album: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (1995)

Why the sequel was made: After getting a negative response to his efforts on 1999's Immobilarity and 2003's The Lex Diamond Story, Raekwon decided to return to his roots when he started recording OB4CLII in 2005. "I'm in a business where I have to move with the times," he said. "At the end of the day, this album is gonna be the album dudes want...The Purple Tape Part 2, this is serious to me."

Was it as good as the original? Yes. Rae was right when he said that he was going to give the fans what they wanted with the second coming of the "purple tape." Even though only two tracks were produced by RZA on the sequel—every track on the original was produced by RZA—and even though Rae delayed the album for about four years while he tinkered with it, the final product was every bit as amazing as we hoped it would be. It was well worth the wait.

Original album: Warning Shots (2004)

Why the sequel was made: With his major label debut The Greatest Story Never Told stuck on the shelf, Saigon released the independent record, Warning Shots 2, to try and recapture the buzz he had at the beginning of the early 2000s.

Was it as good as the original? No. If you've never heard Saigon's Warning Shots, do yourself a favor and go listen to it. With tracks like the soulful "Stocking Cap" and the creative "Pop Quiz," Saigon was in the zone in 2004. But unfortunately, label politics killed his drive and, by 2009, he was a shell of his former self. That hurt Warning Shots 2, which featured Saigon firing off a bunch of blanks.

Original album: The War Report (1997)

Why the sequel was made: N.O.R.E. explained that, when he sat down and started talking with Capone about releasing a new album in 2010, he wanted it to be like their debut together. So he spent a lot of time listening to The War Report and eventually got back into that mindset and decided to try and record another version of it. "I felt like I got my swag back," he said.

Was it as good as the original? No. The War Report 2 was decidedly better than Channel 10, an album that CNN released in 2009. It was also better than anything that N.O.R.E. or Capone have released separately in recent times and featured really solid production efforts from The Alchemist, Scram Jones, and Buckwild. But War Report 2 was a good example of how hard it can be to recapture the magic of a classic album. It's not that it wasn't good. It's just that CNN set the bar so high on the original War Report that it was pretty much impossible for them to reach it on their sequel.

Original album: Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009)

Why the sequel was made: Originally, Cudi was going to call his second album, Cudder: The Revolution of Evolution. But after recording some stuff for it, he thought twice and decided to go the sequel route. "Man on the Moon II is dark by nature," he said. "And instead of bringing you into my dreams like my first album, I'm bringing you into my reality, good and bad. It will explain more of who I am as well as pushing the envelope musically."

Was it as good as the original? Yes. There's a reason why we included the Man on the Moon sequel on our "25 Rap Albums From the Past Decade That Deserve Classic Status" list. It was a dark, cohesive album that focused on Cudi's struggles with fame and touched on things like depression and drug abuse. It wasn't for everyone, as it got panned by some critics, but we think Cudi really opened up on Man on the Moon II more than he did on his first album. And that made it even better than the original.

Original album: The Hunger For More (2004)

Why the sequel was made: Prior to releasing it, Banks said that H.F.M. 2 would include all of the life experiences that he wasn't able to fit onto the original The Hunger For More. "When I wrote [Hunger For More], I took my whole life and tried to squeeze all those experiences into one album," he said. "And you can't get it all out in 14 songs." So H.F.M. 2 was supposed to be a continuation of the original.

Was it as good as the original? No. H.F.M. 2 was definitely an upgrade over Banks' disappointing sophomore effort, Rotten Apple. It featured several hit singles, including "Beamer, Benz, or Bentley" and "Start It Up." But the hunger that he exhibited on the original Hunger For More was missing. And it didn't help that, by the time he got around to releasing the sequel, G-Unit wasn't running rap anymore.

Original album: Food & Liquor (2006)

Why the sequel was made: Back in 2009, Lupe and his label Atlantic Records weren't on the same page when it came to the release of his album, Lasers. So Lupe announced that he would begin putting together a new album that would be a sequel to Food & Liquor as well as the first part of The Great American Rap Album.

Was it as good as the original? No. Although Food & Liquor II is not as easily digestible as the original Food & Liquor was (the title of the album itself should serve as a strong indicator of that), Lupe's lyricism on both projects were very strong. We'd argue that the first Food & Liquor is a bit more accessible than the second one, but Lupe really pushed himself on the sequel to create more than just the average, run-of-the-mill rap album.

Original album: Pink Friday (2010)

Why the sequel was made: On her second album, Nicki wanted to keep the Pink Friday brand alive but do so differently. So she decided to focus on her alter ego Roman Zolanski a little more and leave her personal tales off the project. "Sometimes I felt the first album was a little too revealing," she said. "On the second album I was more concerned about just having fun."

Was it as good as the original? No. Nicki made a huge push to have a bigger impact on the radio with her second album and she succeeded. But her first album was no slouch in that department, either, and actually sent more songs up the Billboard charts than her second album. The personal touches on it ("Dear Old Nicki," "Moment 4 Life," etc.) also made it a stronger effort overall on Nicki's part.

Original album: I Am Not a Human Being (2010)

Why the sequel was made: Because the original I Am Not a Human Being was released when Wayne was in jail, he didn't really get to fine-tune it the way he wanted to. He admitted that it was a "rushed" effort. So he wanted to release I Am Not a Human Being II to make amends for that. "What he created with this I Am Not a Human Being II is a perfect work of art," Baby said prior to the album's release, "and he's just being Tunechi."

Was it as good as the original? Yes. The original I Am Not a Human Being was basically slapped together using stuff that had been recorded prior to Wayne serving time in prison. So, as expected, it feel well short of expectations and didn't sound cohesive at all. The sequel wasn't a classic by any stretch of the imagination-in fact, it featured a ton of ridiculous lines—but, at the very least, Wayne played a big part in putting it all together. So it was better by comparison.

Original album: Based on a T.R.U. Story (2012)

Why the sequel was made: During the recording process, 2 Chainz revealed that he wanted to create a sequel to his debut album in order to show the growth he had experienced between his first two projects. "It's supposed to be better than the last time," he said. "A new way of life. I wanted to show progression on this album."

Was it as good as the original? Yes. 2 Chainz had a distinct advantage over just about every other sequel on this list when he put out B.O.A.T.S. II recently. Most rappers have waited years, even decades, between an original album and a sequel. But 2 Chainz dropped his sequel just a year after the original. So all he needed to do on the sequel was up the ante and provide stronger production efforts, better singles, and plenty of his patented quotables in order to make it a success. And he did all of those things and really showed how he was able to grow as an artist in the year between his first and second album.