The highly-sought after Billboard number one album is a funny thing in hip hop. Some rappers come out hot straight through the gate, while others take their time building up to the top spot.
There’s artists like Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent who leveraged enormous street buzz and radio hype into record-breaking first week debuts. Then there are artists like Jay-Z, 2Pac and UGK who spent years grinding away before they finally hit the top of the charts.
From Ice Cube to The Notorious B.I.G., Nas to Tyler, the Creator, we take a look at 50 rappers and their first ever number one album, in chronological order.
Ice Cube
Album: The Predator
Released: November 17, 1992
Label: Lench Mob, Priority
Singles: “Wicked”, “It Was a Good Day”, “Check Yo Self”
First week album sales: 193,000
Cypress Hill
Album: Black Sunday
Released: July 20, 1993
Label: Ruffhouse, Columbia
Singles: “Insane in the Brain”, “When the Shit Goes Down”, “I Ain’t Goin’ Out Like That”, “Lick a Shot”
First week album sales: 261,000
Snoop Dogg
Album: Doggystyle
Released: November 23, 1993
Label: Death Row, Interscope
Singles: “Who Am I? (What’s My Name?)”, “Gin & Juice”, “Doggy Dogg World”
First week album sales: 806,858
2Pac
Album: Me Against The World
Released: March 14, 1995
Label: Interscope, Jive
Singles: “Dear Mama”, “So Many Tears”, “Temptations”
First week album sales: 210,500
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Album: E. Eternal 1999
Released: July 25, 1995
Label: Ruthless, Relativity
Singles: “1st of tha Month”,”East 1999″, “Tha Crossroads”
First week album sales: 307,000
Nas
Album: It Was Written
Released: July 2, 1996
Label: Columbia
Singles: “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)”, “Street Dreams”, “The Message”
First week album sales: 270,000
A Tribe Called Quest
Album: Beats, Rhymes & Life
Released: July 30, 1996
Label: Jive
Singles: “1nce Again”, “Stressed Out”
First week album sales: 135,000
Scarface
Album: The Untouchable
Released: March 11, 1997
Label: Rap-A-Lot, Noo Trybe
Singles: “Smile”, “Mary Jane”, “Game Over”
First week album sales: N/A
The Notorious B.I.G.
Album: Life After Death
Released: March 25, 1997
Label: Bad Boy, Arista
Singles: “Hypnotize”, “Mo Money Mo Problems”, “Sky’s the Limit”
First week album sales: 690,000
Wu-Tang Clan
Album: Wu-Tang Forever
Released: June 3, 1997
Label: Loud, RCA
Singles: “Triumph”, “It’s Yourz”, “Reunited”
First week album sales: 612,000
Master P
Album: Ghetto D
Released: September 2, 1997
Label: No Limit, Priority
Singles: “I Miss My Homies”, “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!”
First week album sales: 260,000
DMX
Album: It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot
Released: May 19, 1998
Label: Ruff Ryders, Def Jam
Singles: “Get at Me Dog”, “Stop Being Greedy”, “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem”, “How’s It Goin’ Down”
First week album sales: 251,000
Jay-Z
Album: Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life
Released: September 29, 1998
Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
Singles: “Can I Get A…”, “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)”, “Money, Cash, Hoes”, “Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99)”
First week album sales: 350,000
Eminem
Album: The Marshall Mathers LP
Released: May 23, 2000
Label: Aftermath, Interscope
Singles: “The Real Slim Shady”, “The Way I Am”, “Stan”, “I’m Back”, “Bitch Please II”
First week album sales: 1,760,000
Nelly
Album: Country Grammar
Released: June 27, 2000
Label: Universal, Fo’ Reel
Singles: “Country Grammar (Hot Shit)”, “E.I.”, “Ride wit Me”, “Batter Up”
First week album sales: 235,000
LL Cool J
Album: G.O.A.T.
Released: September 12, 2000
Label: Def Jam, Universal
Singles: “Imagine That”, “You and Me”
First week album sales: 208,000
Ja Rule
Album: Rule 3:36
Released: October 10, 2000
Label: Murder Inc., Def Jam
Singles: “Between Me and You”, “Put It on Me”, “6 Feet Underground”, “I Cry”
First week album sales: 276,000
50 Cent
Album: Get Rich Or Die Tryin’
Released: February 6, 2003
Label: Aftermath, Shady, Interscope
Singles: “In da Club”, “21 Questions”, “Many Men (Wish Death)”, “P.I.M.P.”, “If I Can’t”
First week album sales: 872,000
OutKast
Album: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Released: September 23, 2003
Label: Arista
Singles: “Hey Ya!”, “The Way You Move”, “Roses”, “Ghetto Musick / Prototype”
First week album sales: 510,000
Ludacris
Album: Chicken-N-Beer
Released: October 7, 2003
Label: Disturbing tha Peace, Def Jam South
Singles: “P-Poppin”, “Stand Up”, “Blow It Out”, “Splash Waterfalls”, “Diamond in the Back”
First week album sales: 429,000
Jadakiss
Album: Kiss of Death
Released: June 22, 2004
Label: Ruff Ryders, Interscope
Singles: “Time’s Up”, “Why?”, “U Make Me Wanna”
First week album sales: 246,000
Lloyd Banks
Album: The Hunger for More
Released: June 29, 2004
Label: G-Unit, Interscope
Singles: “On Fire”, “I’m So Fly”, “Karma”
First week album sales: 433,000
The Game
Album: The Documentary
Released: January 18, 2005
Label: Aftermath, G-Unit, Black Wall Street, Interscope
Singles: “Westside Story”, “How We Do”, “Hate It or Love It”, “Higher”, “Dreams”, “Put You on the Game”
First week album sales: 586,000
Kanye West
Album: Late Registration
Released: August 30, 2005
Label: Def Jam, Roc-A-Fella
Singles: “Diamonds from Sierra Leone”, “Gold Digger”, “Heard ‘Em Say”, “Touch the Sky”, “Drive Slow”
First week album sales: 860,000
T.I.
Album: King
Released: March 28, 2006
Label: Grand Hustle, Atlantic
Singles: “What You Know”, “Why You Wanna”, “Live in the Sky”, “Top Back (Remix)”
First week album sales: 522,000
Busta Rhymes
Album: The Big Bang
Released: June 13, 2006
Label: Aftermath, Flipmode, Interscope
Singles: “Touch It”, “I Love My Bitch”, “New York Shit”, “In the Ghetto”
First week album sales: 209,000
Rick Ross
Album: Port of Miami
Released: August 8, 2006
Label: Slip-n-Slide, Def Jam, Poe Boy
Singles: “Hustlin’”, “Push It”
First week album sales: 187,000
Young Jeezy
Album: Thug Motivation 102: The Inspiration
Released: December 12, 2006
Label: CTE, Def Jam
Singles: “I Luv It”, “Go Getta”, “Dreamin’”
First week album sales: 352,000
Common
Album: Finding Forever
Released: July 31, 2007
Label: GOOD, Geffen
Singles: “The Game”, “The People”, “Drivin’ Me Wild”, “I Want You”
First week album sales: 155,000
UGK
Album: Underground Kingz
Released: August 7, 2007
Label: Jive
Singles: “The Game Belongs to Me”, “Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You)”
First week album sales: 156,000
Lil Wayne
Album: Tha Carter III
Released: June 10, 2008
Label: Cash Money, Universal Motown, Young Money
Singles: “Lollipop”, “A Milli”, “Got Money”, “Mr. Carter”, “Mrs. Officer”
First week album sales: 1,086,000
Fabolous
Album: Loso’s Way
Released: July 28, 2009
Label: Desert Storm, Street Family, Def Jam
Singles: “Throw It in the Bag”, “My Time”, “Everything, Everyday, Everywhere”, “Money Goes, Honey Stay (When the Money Goes Remix)”
First week album sales: 99,000
Drake
Album: Thank Me Later
Released: June 15, 2010
Label: Young Money, Cash Money, Universal Motown
Singles: “Over”, “Find Your Love”, “Miss Me”, “Fancy”
First week album sales: 447,000
Nicki Minaj
Album: Pink Friday
Released: November 22, 2010
Label: Young Money, Cash Money, Universal Motown
Singles: “Your Love”, “Check It Out”, “Right Thru Me”, “Moment 4 Life”, “Super Bass”, “Did It On’em”, “Girls Fall Like Dominoes”, “Fly”
First week album sales: 375,000
Lupe Fiasco
Album: Lasers
Released: March 7, 2011
Label: 1st & 15th, Atlantic
Singles: “The Show Goes On”, “Words I Never Said”, “Out of My Head”, “I Don’t Wanna Care Right Now”
First week album sales: 204,000
J. Cole
Album: Cole World: The Sideline Story
Released: September 27, 2011
Label: Roc Nation, Columbia, Sony
Singles: “Work Out”, “Can’t Get Enough”, “Mr. Nice Watch”, “Nobody’s Perfect”
First week album sales: 217,000
Mac Miller
Album: Blue Slide Park
Released: November 8, 2011
Label: Rostrum
Singles: “Frick Park Market”, “Party on Fifth Ave.”, “Up All Night”
First week album sales: 144,000
2 Chainz
Album: Based On A T.R.U. Story
Released: August 14, 2012
Label: Def Jam
Singles: “No Lie”, “Birthday Song”, “I’m Different”
First week album sales: 147,000
A$AP Rocky
Album: LONG.LIVE.A$AP
Released: January 15, 2013
Label: ASAP Worldwide, Polo Grounds, RCA
Singles: “Goldie”, “Fuckin’ Problems”, “Wild for the Night”, “Fashion Killa”
First week album sales: 139,000
Wale
Album: The Gifted
Released: June 25, 2013
Label: Maybach Music, Allido, Atlantic
Singles: “Bad”, “LoveHate Thing”, “Bad (Remix)”, “Clappers”
First week album sales: 158,000
ScHoolboy Q
Album: Oxymoron
Released: February 25, 2014
Label: TDE, Interscope
Singles: “Collard Greens”, “Man of the Year”, “Studio”, “Hell of a Night”
First week album sales: 139,000
Big Sean
Album: Dark Sky Paradise
Released: February 24, 2015
Label: GOOD, Def Jam
Singles: “I Don’t Fuck with You”, “Paradise”, “Blessings”, “One Man Can Change the World”, “Play No Games”
First week album sales: 173,000
Kendrick Lamar
Album: To Pimp A Butterfly
Released: March 15, 2015
Label: TDE, Aftermath, Interscope
Singles: “i”, “The Blacker the Berry”, “King Kunta”, “Alright”, “These Walls”
First week album sales: 363,000
Meek Mill
Album: Dreams Worth More Than Money
Released: June 29, 2015
Label: Maybach, Atlantic
Singles: “Check”, “All Eyes on You”, “R.I.C.O.”
First week album sales: 245,000
Future
Album: DS2
Released: July 17, 2015
Label: A1, Freebandz, Epic
Singles: “Fuck Up Some Commas”, “Where Ya At”, “Stick Talk”
First week album sales: 151,000
Travis Scott
Album: Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight
Released: September 2, 2016
Label: Grand Hustle, Epic
Singles: “Wonderful”, “Pick Up the Phone”, “Goosebumps”
First week album sales: 88,000
Migos
Album: Culture
Released: January 27, 2017
Label: Quality Control, YRN, 300
Singles: “Bad and Boujee”, “T-Shirt”, “Slippery”
First week album sales: 131,000
21 Savage
Album: I Am > I Was
Released: December 21, 2018
Label: Slaughter Gang, Epic
Singles: “A Lot”, “Monster”
First week album sales: 131,000
Tyler, the Creator
Album: IGOR
Released: May 17, 2019
Label: Columbia
Singles: “Earfquake”
First week album sales: 165,000
Young Thug
Album: So Much Fun
Released: August 16, 2019
Label: YSL, 300, Atlantic
Singles: “The London”, “Hot”
First week album sales: 131,000
