Music Stars Who Blew Up After Turning 25

Today, as he turns 38, Rick Ross is one of the biggest rappers in the game. He didn’t get there overnight, though. Not only did it take Rozay a few albums to jockey his way into the upper echelon of artists, but also, he was already a grown man when he dropped his debut, Port of Miami, at age 30. But the Bawse isn’t the only one to blow up after the age of 25. Artists like Eminem and Macy Gray found their spotlight in their mid-20s. Read on to see who else.

Rick Ross

Rick Ross's immense popularity is a bit of a surprise for a number of reasons. Not only did it take multiple albums for the Bawse to earn the critical acclaim and fanbase that he now boasts, but he also was 30 years old when he dropped his debut, Port of Miami.

Jay Z

There are many reasons that Jay Z's debut album, Reasonable Doubt, is viewed as a classic. Included among them is the fact that Hov had a wealth life experience to draw from, since he dropped the disc at the age of 26.

Kanye West

Kanye West isn't hesitant to tell you that the odds were against him to make it as a rapper. As he was coming up, making his mark as a producer, it was hard for him to get taken seriously by peers and execs. When he finally did get a chance to leave his mark as a rapper — dropping his debut album, The College Dropout, at 26 — what we got was the first of numerous classics.

50 Cent

After a false start earlier in his career following a signing to Columbia Records in 1999, 50 Cent came back with a vengeance in 2003. With the backing of Shady/Aftermath/Interscope, Fif dropped his seminal debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin', at the age of 27.

                                                  Nicki Minaj

Like many MCs before her, Nicki Minaj earned her stripes by releasing mixtapes early in her career. When Lil Wayne took notice of the up-and-comer he signed her to Young Money, her career took off and she dropped her debut album, Pink Friday, just weeks shy of her 28th birthday.

Jeezy

After spending his early years trapping, Jeezy aligned with Def Jam to bring his street sound to the masses. At 27, he dropped his debut album, Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101.

Macklemore

Despite building a bit of a fanbase in Seattle and online in his early- and mid-20s, Macklemore and his career slowed down as he became addicted to lean. After returning with an EP and some touring, he dropped his debut album, The Heist, (along with producer Ryan Lewis) at the age of 30.

Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu took the musical world by storm with her 1997 debut, Baduizm. She was just weeks shy of her 26th birthday when she dropped the project, which would go on to win Best R&B Album at the Grammys. 

Macy Gray

Though she was signed to Atlantic Records earlier in the decade, Macy Gray didn’t release her debut album until 1999, when she was newly aligned with Epic Records. The album, On How Life Is, which spawned hits like "I Try," came out just a few months shy of her 30th birthday.

Eminem

Years spent earning his stripes in the Detroit battle rap circuit paid off for Eminem when, after signing with Dr. Dre's Aftermath imprint, the 26-year-old released his debut album, The Slim Shady LP. The release would later earn the Grammy for Best Rap Album.

Babyface

While Babyface did earn credits as a songwriter and musician in his earlier years, it wouldn't be until 1986, at the age of 27, when he released his debut album, Lovers. The debut sold moderately, but his next three releases went multi-platinum.

Big Pun

He appeared on Fat Joe's 1995 sophomore disc, Jealous One's Envy, but Big Pun didn’t drop his debut album,Capital Punishment, until three years later, at the age of 26. It scored a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album, and would be the only Pun CD released before his untimely death.  

Childish Gambino

There's a pretty understandable reason that Childish Gambino didn’t drop his debut, Camp, until he was 28. The Georgia native, born Donald Glover, spent much of his 20s working on his comedy, writing and acting. That's not to say he wasn't focused on his rapping, too. It's just that it took a bit longer for that to catch on.

Jill Scott

Jill Scott was 28 when she released her celebrated debut, Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1. The album earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album in 2001.

                                            French Montana

In some ways it felt like French Montana had been around forever when he finally dropped his debut, Excuse My French, in 2013 at the age of 28. That's probably because, starting a decade prior to the album's release, French launched his street DVD series and began releasing slews of mixtapes.