The “First Day Out” song has become a staple in rap. After returning home from incarceration, rappers use “First Day Out” songs to let it all out and announce their official return to rap music—something that both fans and artists have latched onto in recent years. Although he wasn’t the first one to record a song right after his release (Tupac’s “Ambitionz Az A Ridah” came in 1996), Gucci Mane is credited with pioneering the art of “First Day Out” songs, releasing two of them himself. Following Gucci’s 2009 song, there has been a decade of post-jail musical gems from artists like Kodak Black, Young Nudy, Tee Grizzley, and more. Here’s our ranking of the best “First Day Out” songs to date.
12. YungManny and Xanman, “First Day Out” (2019)
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In 2018, Xanman was arrested for reasons that still remain unknown, causing his already dedicated fans to obsessively post #FreeXanman until he was freed six months later. Upon his release, he called on YungManny for a new track. Xanman’s “First Day Out” is filled with off-beat punchlines that ride over a looping piano chord progression and staticky 808s. The song will spark your attention with oddities like Squidward ad-libs and unique flows, making for a worthwhile listen from a couple exciting new artists.
11. Quando Rondo, “First Day Out” (2017)
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Quando Rondo was first exposed to music in the church around the age of nine. But his past? Not so holy. Serving time in and out of juvenile detention centers for robbery and drug-related charges, Quando Rondo delicately crafted his melodic approach to rap, making a name for himself in the studio and on the internet. At the top of 2017, fresh from serving a sentence, he dropped his “First Day Out” song, which interestingly starts off with him saying, “Murder on my mind,” eliminating any questions about whether or not his street mentality was the real deal.
10. Skippa Da Flippa, “First Day Out” (2015)
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If Skippa Da Flippa never fell out with Quality Control, some believe he could have had songs as big as Migos. After they got arrested together as a unit in 2015 for drug and gun possession, Skippa got out of jail and used this song to both tell his story and call for the release of his friends. Even though he spent some time in solitary confinement, his arrest barely hindered his success. In “First Day Out,” he confidently raps that despite the cuffs, his wrists and neck were covered with material that’s worth way more once he got out.
9. JT, “JT First Day Out” (2019)
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The City Girls movement was inescapable in 2019. If you were at any brunch, club, or party, and heard “Act Up,” you know exactly what I’m talking about. The group was missing JT for a majority of the evolution, though. On the same day that Drake dropped “In My Feelings” featuring City Girls, JT was locked up and sentenced to a year-long bid for credit card fraud. Her “First Day Out” song begins with a recorded conversation between JT and Quality Control founder Pee, who expresses that he was ready for JT to come home. We all felt that, and seconds later, you can hear why. JT rips into the track immediately, and once the beat starts booming, her bars hit even harder. Yung Miami certainly found her groove, but many consider JT to be the better rapper. Well, she’s free now, and she didn’t miss a beat.
8. Chief Keef, “First Day Out” (2013)
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Nearly a year after Chief Keef’s “Don’t Like” broke the internet (and more than a few speakers), he was arrested in 2013 for violating his 18-month probation sentence for pointing a gun at a cop. His 60-day stint was short, but considering the career elevation that came the year before, his absence was noticeable. Sampling Gucci Mane’s original “First Day Out,” Chief Keef’s version is surely reflective of his artistry. While it didn’t end up making the same impact as other hits like “Love Sosa,” it’s a solid entry in Keef’s catalog.
7. Jimmy Wopo, “First Day Out” (2017)
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Jimmy Wopo showed a lot of promise in the late 2010s, becoming a World Star fan-favorite. As an 18-year-old at the time, he was arrested during a traffic stop and booked on charges of drug possession and underage drinking. He got out soon after, but was arrested again for a probation violation from the previous case. On the day of his release in 2017, he recorded this song to accompany a full-length project titled Back Against The Wall. The Stevie B-produced beat sounds like a Gameboy instrumental that you would hear while playing Pokémon. With a few drums, Jimmy Wopo turned the song into a memorable hit. His energy is infectious, as is the chorus, where he raps, “I'm startin’ out my day, with a chopper/Then pick up my daughter from my baby mama’s/Then I shrimp and steak, Benihana’s/Like my birthday, I want cake and a box of condoms.” Jimmy Wopo was unfortunately killed in a double shooting in 2018, but this is one of the many instances in which his music will live on.
6. Young Nudy, “First Day Out” (2016)
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Just as he was beginning to join the East Atlanta rap hierarchy, Young Nudy found himself serving back-to-back sentences for what he refers to in his “First Day Out” song as “pussy n****s snitchin.” Opening up the first verse, Nudy raps about posting bail and dodging a 12-year sentence over a throbbing Pi’erre Bourne beat. He flows for four minutes straight, admitting what possibly got him locked up in the first place: “Caught his ass down bad right on Gresham Road/Did his ass real bad right at the Texaco.”
5. Offset, “First Day Out” (2015)
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Following Quality Control’s group arrest at Georgia Southern University in 2015, Offset remained jailed from the incident. While he was locked up, Quavo and Takeoff held it down, going on a run that broke Migos into the mainstream. With the group’s new elevation, Offset didn’t have anything to prove, but right after his release, he dropped a Murda Beatz-produced statement that gave the world a vivid glimpse at Migos’ missing link. A few years down the line, in early 2019, he finally dropped the video. Some fans were confused as to why he was dropping a music video for a song he released four years prior, but looking back, he was clearly proud to highlight the legal battles he overcame. What a moment.
4. Kodak Black, “First Day Out” (2017)
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After serving a three month sentence for violating his probation, Kodak Black dropped one of the coldest “First Day Out” songs to date in 2017. The song’s celebratory lyrics highlight how Kodak prevailed past the restraints of the justice system for a twelfth time. This was far from his first bid, so he raps about smoking weed in his cell and knowing that once he was released, he had canary yellow diamonds waiting for him at home. The music video starts with what seems to be live footage of Kodak seeing his family for the first time after his release. As you could imagine, they’re ecstatic. His flow is on point, too. You can try all you want to stay still, but you’ll be hitting that Kodak bop by the end of the first verse.
3. Gucci Mane, “First Day Out” (2009)
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Gucci Mane is a pioneer of the “First Day Out” song, and the only rapper who has two of them under his belt. Back in 2009, he was jailed for only completing 25 out of 600 hours of community service, stemming from an aggravated assault case. This was certainly one of Gucci’s shorter bids, but it came at a time when he was becoming an indisputable Atlanta rap legend. In addition to starting a movement that rappers would continue to follow over the next decade, this song contained several influential moments, from Gucci’s slurred flow to long-time collaborator Zaytoven’s production. This is the OG “First Day Out” song.
2. Gucci Mane, “First Day Out Da Feds” (2016)
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Gucci Mane’s 2016 release from prison changed his career forever. In 2014, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm, landing him behind bars until 2016. Two years later, his flow was significantly polished and he lost so much weight that people theorized he had a clone. Gucci played with that narrative in the music video for “First Day Out Da Feds,” but once you hear him start rapping, it’s clear he didn’t lose any of the sauce that makes him so great. What was different this time around, though, was that Gucci looked and sounded like his head was in a better space. More focused. More motivated. Shirtless in retro Jordan 5’s and an ankle bracelet, he looks rejuvenated. “First Day Out Da Feds” is a master class from the man credited with creating the “First Day Out” tradition in the first place. As a seasoned vet, he renovated his 2009 version as a reminder of how it’s really done. In our minds, this is a tie with the original, but the music video slightly pushes it over the edge. —Kemet High
1. Tee Grizzley, “First Day Out” (2017)
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The impact of Tee Grizzley’s “First Day Out” is one of the biggest music success stories of 2017. After an attempted jewelry store robbery, Grizzley was sent to prison and obligated to serve additional time for robberies he was involved with at Michigan State. In “First Day Out,” he discusses all of this in depth, filling out the song with more words than a court document. It was here that many were introduced to Grizzley’s storytelling ability, as he dropped bars like, “Kilroy, ’member when I used to use your L’s/To hit the road, hit the O and make them big boy sales?/Moo, ’member when you had them green things mailed/With vacuum seals tryin’ not to have them green things smelled?” The song became a viral hit after LeBron James recorded himself getting fueled up to it during the NBA offseason. Right there, Tee Grizzley’s price went up. The track not only helped launch his career, it ended up becoming a “First Day Out” rap classic.
