The Most Unexpectedly Fire Debut Albums

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When Waka Flocka Flame broke out of Gucci Mane’s 1017 Brick Squad camp with his first hit single, “O Let’s Do It,” there was no reason to believe he’d go much further than that. Gucci Mane wasn’t yet known as Atlanta hip-hop’s most astute talent scout and his previous best-known protégé, OJ da Juiceman, never amounted to much. But over the course of 2010, Waka kept making hits and his star status kept rising until the mixtape he was working on, Flockaveli, was repurposed as his major label debut for Warner Bros. Records. With mostly lesser-known guests on the album and production that was handled by a teenager with the moniker Lex Luger, the album became a perfect snapshot of the energetic new sound of Atlanta.

Terius “The-Dream” Nash put in work as a songwriter for years before he scored his first blockbuster with Rihanna’s “Umbrella” in 2007. Almost immediately after that song raised his profile, he signed with Def Jam as an artist and released his first single, “Shawty Is a 10,” which demonstrated a more offbeat voice and sensibility than the songs he wrote for superstar divas. It was a hit, and the album he released later that year, Love Hate, demonstrated his unpredictable creativity and versatility. The album kept spinning off singles and eventually went gold, establishing The-Dream as a unique presence in R&B.

On the eve of the release of her debut album, Born to Die, Lana Del Rey became one of the most divisive musical guests in Saturday Night Live history. Many of the critics who’d helped make her single “Video Games” an Internet phenomenon helped lead the backlash, while viewers seeing her for the first time were confused by her awkward performances. But as the think pieces and authenticity debates died down, Born to Die went on to become a worldwide blockbuster, selling millions around the world and going platinum in the U.S., spinning off a top 10 hit with a remix of “Summertime Sadness.” For all the fretting about Del Rey's unusual voice and retro sensibility, Born To Die resonated with a huge audience.

As the capo of Diplomat Records, Jim Jones was more of a sidekick and hype man to Cam’ron and Juelz Santana than a rap star in his own right when Dipset first rose up from New York. But as he signed to the indie giant Koch Records and began releasing his own music, Jim Jones became an unlikely star. On My Way to Church was a surprisingly assured debut from a rapper with modest skills. Over the next few years, Jones continued releasing back-to-back albums and eventually scored a huge solo hit with “We Fly High.” 

It’s easy to forget now that Justin Timberlake’s transition to solo stardom was not a foregone conclusion at the time. In the fall of 2002, Timberlake’s success wasn’t so crystal clear. His debut solo performance at the MTV Video Music Awards drew mixed reviews and his single “Like I Love You” missed the top 10. Justified debuted at No. 2 on the charts with respectable first-week numbers, but it was less than a quarter of what N Sync’s final album, Celebrity, had sold in its first week a year earlier. But then “Cry Me a River” was released, the album stayed on the charts for a year, and the rest was history.

In 2009, K.Michelle signed with Jive Records and released singles assisted by R. Kelly and Missy Elliott that lurked in the lower reaches of the Billboard charts. It wasn’t until she began appearing on VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta years later that she found greater fame. Her reality show antics allowed her to put the spotlight back on her music and, in 2013, K.Michelle signed with Atlantic Records and finally released an album, Rebellious Soul, displaying the same larger-than-life personality that she demonstrated on TV. It was also a genuinely good album that established her as a major presence on R&B radio.

In the 2000s, St. Louis was the unlikely pop-rap epicenter of the world with Nelly opening the floodgates for rappers like Chingy, Jibbs, and Huey to take over the airwaves with danceable hit singles. One of those rappers was J-Kwon, the teenager whose ode to alcohol, “Tipsy,” became one of the more controversial club hits of 2004. Perhaps the grimiest teenager to get a major label deal before Chief Keef, J-Kwon released an album, Hood Hop, which was unapologetically aggressive and didn’t cater to the fans that he reached with “Tipsy.” But thanks to the offbeat production of the St. Louis duo Trackboyz, the album was a surprise success, and the title track remains a minor classic of street rap.

Although T.I. recently helped guide B.o.B and Iggy Azalea to pop radio glory, he spent the first few years of his career with a different vision for Grand Hustle Records. He signed members of his Atlanta crew, P$C, and longtime heroes like 8Ball & MJG to the label’s roster and scored few commercial triumphs outside of T.I.’s own albums. One exception was Young Dro, who scored a massive hit with the Tip-assisted top 10 single “Shoulder Lean.” The album that followed, Best Thang Smokin’, was a moderate success, but it proved to be a critical favorite, with Dro establishing himself as one of the most creative wordsmiths in Atlanta.

When Mos Def and Talib Kweli teamed up as a duo for Black Star’s classic 1998 album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, Mos was clearly the star. Later, Mos Def released a solo album, Black on Both Sides, but there was less feverish anticipation for his partner’s solo career, with many criticizing Kweli’s flow. Kweli eventually paired with producer Hi-Tek to create the duo Reflection Eternal, leading to an even stronger album that paved the way for Kweli to become a star in his own right. Kweli’s 2002 solo debut, Quality, featured more mainstream producers, including an ambitious, young Roc-A-Fella beatmaker named Kanye West. A track from that collab, “Get By,” became a surprise hit that put Kweli in a whole new light outside of Mos Def’s shadow.

When Kurt Cobain’s suicide led to Nirvana’s tragic end, the world knew that nobody would ever fill his shoes. Even though the band’s dynamite rhythm section was a key ingredient of Nirvana’s success, nobody really expected either Dave Grohl or Krist Novoselic to forge much of a creative legacy on their own. But Grohl, previously known only for writing and singing the gentle Nirvana B-side “Marigold,” had been quietly recording his own songs for years. Despite Grohl’s attempts to avoid too much publicity for the 1995 debut of his new project—Foo Fighters—all eyes were on him. The songs on the band’s self-titled album were simply too anthemic and memorable not to become radio hits, kicking off Grohl’s long and successful second chapter as a front man.