Quote:
Originally Posted by Certain
If we take out groups and solo debuts by rappers who were in groups, I'd have it as the best non-New York debut album, probably, maybe.
These are my top 10 debut albums that fit into that category (solo rapper who wasn't previously in a group that released an album):
1. Nas, Illmatic
2. Notorious B.I.G., Ready to Die
3. Jay-Z, Reasonable Doubt
4. O.C., Word ... Life
5. Slick Rick, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
6. Big Pun, Capital Punishment
7. Snoop Doggy Dogg, DoggyStyle
8. Aceyalone, All Balls Don't Bounce
9. Young Jeezy, Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101
10. Redman, Whut? Thee Album
(Note: I counted Infinite as Eminem's debut and Section.80 as Kendrick Lamar's debut.)
Obviously, my taste swings toward the East Coast. I don't have a problem with someone having DoggyStyle at or nearer to the top of that list. But I will say that putting DoggyStyle above The Chronic seems like a stretch.
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man, I still haven't been able to get a hold of All Balls Don't Bounce. Couldn't find it on torrents like a year or so ago when you mentioned it.
but yeah, I'd put it behind Nas and Biggie for sure, personally I like it better than Reasonable Doubt since Hov was riding off the established NY classicism of Illmatic and Ready to Die (not to say RD was derivative, just not groundbreaking). You could say that about Doggystyle vis a vis The Chronic, but I'd disagree. The Chronic established the west coast stylistically, but Doggystyle perfected it - I think it's aged a lot better than The Chronic tbh.