The First-Week Sales for Major Label Rap Debuts From 2009-2014

A definitive list of major label debut rap releases over the last six years.

Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

2009 marked a changing of the guard in rap, so to speak, with acts like Drake, Kid Cudi, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Wale, and Wiz Khalifa emerging as the new school who would subsequently become the cream of the crop in hip-hop. As such, a number of high-profile album releases also took place during this time period, specifically debut projects that came out on a major label.

In turn, we have put together a definitive list of the first-week sales for major label rap debuts from 2009-2014. Over 40 albums are included, which means you'll be able to draw your own conclusions based on the results.

To clear the air before you dive into the numbers, realize this list follows a set of guidelines that distinguishes the type of projects included. So while Section.80 is technically Kendrick Lamar's debut studio album, it's not his major label debut. That goes to good kid, m.A.A.d city, which dropped on Interscope in 2012. A similar result with Wiz Khalifa: His debut album, Show and Prove, came out in 2006 through independent label Rostrum. In 2010, he signed a major label deal with Atlantic, and a year later dropped his major label debut, Rolling Papers.

There's also the tricky situation that is distribution. Often times, an independent artist will reach out to a major label for distribution, but never actually join their roster of talent. Macklemore made headlines in this regard with the release of his independent album, The Heist, which was distributed through ADA, a wing of Warner Bros. To be clear, distribution does not mean full label backing of a project.

Mac Miller's Watching Movies With the Sound Off was distributed through Universal Records, but only in countries outside of America. Like Wiz Khalifa before him, who later signed with Atlantic through which he released Rolling Papers, Mac's album was properly released on Rostrum, an independent label through and through. The same goes for Childish Gambino. Both of his albums were released through Glassnote (an independent label), and distributed through Universal. These types of albums are not on this list.

We are including artists who transitioned from groups to solo acts, such as Big Boi, 2 Chainz, and Pusha T. Finally, no compilation or one-off joint projects. Sorry, Young Money, G.O.O.D. Music, and the Throne. Scroll down below to find out who's really moving units out the gate in the modern rap era.

Asher Roth, Asleep in the Bread Aisle

Release Date: April 20, 2009

Label: School Boy/SRC/Universal Motown

First-Week Sales: 65,000

Maino, If Tomorrow Comes

Release Date: June 30, 2009

Label: Hustle Hard/Atlantic

First-Week Sales: 18,000

Kid Cudi, Man on the Moon: The End of Day

Release Date: Sept. 15, 2009

Label: Dream On/G.O.O.D. Music/Universal Motown

First-Week Sales: 104,000

Wale, Attention Deficit

Release Date: Nov. 10, 2009

Label: Allido/Intercope

First-Week Sales: 28,000

B.o.B, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray

Release Date: April 27, 2010

Label: Grand Hustle/Rebel Rock/Atlantic

First-Week Sales: 84,000

Travie McCoy, Lazarus

Release Date: June 8, 2010

Label: Nappy Boy/Atlantic/Decaydance/Fueled by Ramen

First-Week Sales: 15,000

Drake, Thank Me Later

Release Date: June 15, 2010

Label: Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Motown

First-Week Sales: 447,000

Big Boi, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty

Release Date: July 5, 2010

Label: Purple Ribbon/Def Jam

First-Week Sales: 62,000

Curren$y, Pilot Talk

Release Date: July 13, 2010

Label: DD172/BluRoc/Def Jam

First-Week Sales: 10,800

Waka Flocka Flame, Flockaveli

Release Date: Oct. 5, 2010

Label: 1017 Brick Squad/Asylum/Warner Bros.

First-Week Sales: 37,000

Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday

Release Date: Nov. 23, 2010

Label: Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Motown

First-Week Sales: 375,000

Wiz Khalifa, Rolling Papers

Release Date: March 29, 2011

Label: Rostrum/Atlantic

First-Week Sales: 197,000

Tinie Tempah, Disc-Overy

Release Date: May 17, 2011

Label: Disturbing London/Capitol

First-Week Sales: 16,400

Big Sean, Finally Famous

Release Date: June 28, 2011

Label: G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam

First-Week Sales: 87,000

Theophilus London, Timez Are Weird These Days

Release Date: July 15, 2011

Label: Reprise/Warner Bros.

First-Week Sales: 2,800

J. Cole, Cole World: The Sideline Story

Release Date: Sept. 27, 2011

Label: Roc Nation/Columbia

First-Week Sales: 218,000

Yelawolf, Radioactive

Release Date: Nov. 21, 2011

Label: Ghet-O-Vision/DGC/Interscope/Shady

First-Week Sales: 41,000

Yo Gotti, Live From the Kitchen

Release Date: Jan. 10, 2012

Label: Polo Grounds/RCA

First-Week Sales: 16,000

Chiddy Bang, Breakfast

Release Date: Feb. 21, 2012

Label: I.R.S./Virgin

First-Week Sales: 31,000

Tyga, Careless World: Rise of the Last King

Release Date: Feb. 21, 2012

Label: Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Republic

First-Week Sales: 61,000

Diggy Simmons, Unexpected Arrival

Release Date: March 20, 2012

Label: Violator/Atlantic

First-Week Sales: 21,000

Future, Pluto

Release Date: April 13, 2012

Label: A1/Freebandz/Epic

First-Week Sales: 41,000

Travis Porter, From Day 1

Release Date: May 29, 2012

Label: Porter House/RCA

First-Week Sales: 14,000

2 Chainz, Based on a T.R.U. Story

Release Date: Aug. 14, 2012

Label: Def Jam

First-Week Sales: 147,000

Slaughterhouse, Welcome to: Our House

Release Date: Aug. 28, 2012

Label: Shady/Interscope

First-Week Sales: 52,000

Machine Gun Kelly, Lace Up

Release Date: Oct. 9, 2012

Label: Bad Boy/Intercope

First-Week Sales: 57,000

Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d city

Release Date: Oct. 22, 2012

Label: Top Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope

First-Week Sales: 242,000

Meek Mill, Dreams and Nightmare

Release Date: Oct. 30, 2012

Label: MMG/Warner Bros.

First-Week Sales: 165,000

Chief Keef, Finally Rich

Release Date: Dec. 18, 2012

Label: GBE/Intercope

First-Week Sales: 50,000

A$AP Rocky, Long.Live.A$AP

Release Date: Jan. 15, 2013

Label: A$AP Worldwide/Polo Grounds/RCA

First-Week Sales: 139,000

French Montana, Excuse My French

Release Date: May 21, 2013

Label: Coke Boys/Bad Boy/MMG/Interscope

First-Week Sales: 56,000

A$AP Ferg, Trap Lord

Release Date: Aug. 20, 2013

Label: A$AP Worldwide/Polo Grounds/RCA

First-Week Sales: 32,000

Earl Sweatshirt, Doris

Release Date: Aug. 20, 2013

Label: Tan Cressida/Columbia

First-Week Sales: 49,000

Pusha T, My Name Is My Name

Release Date: Oct. 7, 2013

Label: G.O.O.D./Def Jam

First-Week Sales: 74,000

Angel Haze, Dirty Gold

Release Date: December 30, 2013

Label: Island/Republic

First-Week Sales: 1,000

Kid Ink, My Own Lane

Release Date: January 7, 2014

Label: Tha Alumni Music Group/88 Classic/RCA

First-Week Sales: 50,000

ScHoolboy Q, Oxymoron

Release Date: February 25, 2014

Label: Top Dawg/Interscope

First-Week Sales: 139,000

YG, My Krazy Life

Release Date: March 18, 2014

Label: Pu$haz Ink/CTE World/Def Jam

First-Week Sales: 61,000

Sage The Gemini, Remember Me

Release Date: March 25, 2014

Label: HBK Gang/Empire/Republic

First-Week Sales: 7,200

Iggy Azalea, The New Classic

Release Date: April 21, 2014

Label: Island