J. Cole's "Cole World: The Sideline Story" debuts atop the Billboard 200

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

From the moment he was signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation, every move made by J. Cole was legendary. Representing North Carolina, J. Cole was hailing from an undeveloped rap scene. During the early 2000s, Petey Pablo had given buzz to North Carolina. But, following his movement, no mainstream artists came.

J. Cole was unlike the typical Southern rappers, as his drawl is barely heard on his records. Also, J. Cole has a lyrical ability unmated by most current rappers, regardless of genre. The overall style of J. Cole immediately made him one of the brightest new stars in the rap game. Mainstream hip hop fans did not have a chance to hear J. Cole until his verse on "A Star is Born."

Despite being signed to Roc Nation, and featured on The Blueprint 3, J. Cole still did not have a solid release date. Because of this, J. Cole flooded the mixtape scene. In 2010, his Friday Night Lights mixtape proved to be his final one. A little less than a year later, J. Cole has finally released his debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story. The album was projected to sell over 200,000 copies in its first week and has done so, debuting on the top of the Billboard Top 200 albums.

With this, J. Cole has had the highest debut for a North Carolina rapper.

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Lupe Fiasco tops Billboard Hot 200

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Throughout his career, Lupe Fiasco has been in the shadows for various reasons. Having the opportunity to sign with Roc-A-Fella, he decided to follow his own path. Lupe Fiasco has spent his entire career on Atlantic Records. Initially, the relationship was strong, but it is now in shambles.

Lupe Fiasco was hurt when Lasers, his latest album, was met with negative reviews. Quickly, he blamed this on Atlantic Records, who basically strong-armed him. The label wanted him to go pop, but he refused to do so. Because of this, Lupe Fiasco's album was delayed from 2008 until 2011.

Despite the album not being what Lupe Fiasco wanted, the fans have responded positively. The album sold over 200,000 copies in its first week. Lupe Fiasco has hit a new peak, in terms of popularity, despite being at his lowest. First, his "Show Goes On" single goes gold and now he is celebrating having the highest-selling album on Billboard for the first time in his career.

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