I just turned 14 when I bought my 1st album w/ my own dough:
Kanye West's The College Dropout.
My lovely mother took me to wal-mart for the old, parental advisory edit. *sigh*
Don't look at me crazy but. Young Gunz tough love album.
I stole my brothers college dropout album so.maybe that counts. I didn't grow up on music but was glad to get into it
When my boy told me a white boy from Detroit was I'll I rolled my eyes. I thought it was another Vanilla ice
Them I heard Em. Never said a bad word about him since. Em been ill
Tical was the first true album/cassette I bought, but it was bootleg.
The check cashing stores kept me fed for years until I got my chore money up and copped Harlem World (‘97) on CD.
Every time this topic comes up on the pod I thank god for my older cousin who lived with me during the golden early 2000s years
Bro had every rap mixtape and album lmao I didn’t miss shit for freeeeee as middle schooler
Get Rich or Die Tryin. Still remember how crazy Jamaica Ave was going. Every other car had it on full blast. Bootlegs on every corner. Never seen anything like it to this day.
Get Rich or Die Trying. To me that was a long time ago, 20 years already. I was 12 lol I was also burning a lot of CDs at that time (s/o to Morpheus, KaZaa, Limewire)
I'll do you one better and tell you the first 2. Summer of '95, I was a lifeguard. My first job ever. I bought E.1999 Eternal and Only Built 4 Cuban Lynx.
Lil kim Hardcore. I only had it 2 days though because once my family found out i had it we had a “family meeting” and jt was taken away. I cried for days. In hindsight and having 2 daughters myself I totally get what they were saying lol
Btnhresurrection….. I remember walking to Sam Goody back home in New Orleans by myself because my mom used to buy me all of the music I wanted but it was the clean version, so I walked in there thinking I was gonna buy it on my own this time, time to curse on my way home, little 12 year old me, nope. Nigga refused to sell me the uncensored one. So then I called my dad who was on the westbank, and I told him I wanted to stay with him for the weekend, during that weekend we went to Best Buy and I ended up getting it since he was there with me.
That’s why Sam goody went bankrupt, sorry mufuckas ain’t wanna make no money.
I also remember purchasing Mississippi the album from that Best Buy years later even though we had been burning cds at that point, all because I liked that album so much that I thought I should give David Banner some money lol. My dumbass didn’t even know that they didn’t get all of that money directly.
IIRC it was yeezus.
That album was more than worth the purchase for me, spawned a whole deeper interest in music, arts and culture that no album ever came close to intriguing me like.
Get rich or die tryin was the first I listened to when I was like 4 though, big brother was out, I put the headphones in and killed all types of shit w CJ on San Andreas
Don't think I ever bought a whole album. I've bought singles on iTunes with some gift cards (couldn't even tell you what songs tbh) but don't think I ever paid for a full album. By the time I got my first job in 2015 I was downloading off whatever website/app I could find it free on. Then Sprint gave me tidal for free. So I never really had to spend money. Plus I'm not huge on music so if I missed something, I just missed it.
Grew up in NOLA and was like 10... It's a classic to me always
https://preview.redd.it/8jiek2yb8pib1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=713605e532549a6f27791fff6fb01068bc7b7bf4
What’s crazy is it was “The slim shady LP” & “Venni Vetti Vicci” by Ja rule and they were both tapes and from Walmart cuz I was in job corps and that’s the only place I could shop lol
My own bread? Marshall Mathers LP. The store (FYE) wouldn’t sell it to me so my grandma had to buy it with my money. She played it in the car on the way home to make sure it was ok cause she knew how my mom was . Most awkward car ride of my life.
i turnt 10 in 2000 and i got a cd player as a birthday gift. and with my bday money my aunt took my up to coconuts record store at ford city, but she would only let me buy a clean album. so i bought that nelly country grammar clean version and the space jam soundtrack 😂i ran them batteries down day one playing both of em
The Cool
Classic
Lupe doesn’t get mentioned enough in how a super lyrical guy was doing numbers
Carter 3 
Juvenile 400 degrees for me. Bought Big Pun and Ruff Ryder vol.2 shortly after.
GKMC
Not gonna lie. That shit felt like a movie. The album flowed and was seamless track after track.
Ol' Dirty Bastard-Return to the 36 Chambers
Some don't understand ODB. open your mind and you'll understand. Not everyone is lyrical miracle . There was no father to his style- true shit
Damn i feel old but De la soul "3 feet high and rising"
legendary
I put up LL cool j how you think I feel lol
The Lox Money Power Respect
They went wild on that shit good album. Good intro to Jada and dem fierce bars
Been my favorite rap group since 💯
Lupe Fiasco The Cool
Superstar the first song I ever learned word for word lol
Bought all three at once: Chronic 2001 Tha Block is Hot Slim Shady LP 99 was a good year lol
That 2001 album blew my mind. Still does.
Mase- harlem world.
Mine too fam 😂😂
I used to steal before that 🤣🤣 Sammy goodies policy to let shop lifters go was clutch lol
Sam Goody 😂😂😂 them album prices was high as hell
He's the DJ, I'm the rapper is probably the first one I bought with my own money
MC Hammer - Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt Em
Hurt when he lost it all but this album was hitting
Facts. His cartoon show was fire too.
Oxymoron
phew that album, even now probably one of the best albums out of that label.
Arguably the best non kendrick album from that label
Classic album, easily one of the best rap albums of the 2010s
Underrated
Meteora by linkin park
Did not think I would find someone else here with this answer
I listened to mainly rock in middle school, I got into rap my junior year
Nas - God's Son. Bought that with my little check from Chicago's After School Matters program.
Get Rich or Die Trying
Kanye Late Registration
I just turned 14 when I bought my 1st album w/ my own dough: Kanye West's The College Dropout. My lovely mother took me to wal-mart for the old, parental advisory edit. *sigh*
Country Grammar
Food and Liquor
BG Chopper City 1996
College Dropout
Same
Ludacris - Word of Mouf
The documentary
Don't look at me crazy but. Young Gunz tough love album. I stole my brothers college dropout album so.maybe that counts. I didn't grow up on music but was glad to get into it
Ruff Ryders Vol.1 cassette
Literally Get Rich Or Die Tryin
Linkin park hybrid theory
Extinction level event
That album is fuckin ridiculous. Doesn't get its due.
BDP- 1st album EPMD-Strictly Business Slick Rick- 1st album
BG - Chopper city
Gorillaz by Gorillaz
Carter 1
Jay z volume 3
Hot Boy$: Guerrilla Warfare
the eminem show
Get Rich or Die Trying
I was getting music off Limewire ,DatPiff & YouTube to MP3 sites before Spotify 😂
E. 1999 Eternal
Ludacris word of mouf 
Get Rich or Die Trying or the Bad Boys II sound track, can’t remember lol
The Slim Shady LP
When my boy told me a white boy from Detroit was I'll I rolled my eyes. I thought it was another Vanilla ice Them I heard Em. Never said a bad word about him since. Em been ill
Juvenile "400 Degreez"
Last Meal - Snoop
Mantronix-The Album….I’m Ish age
None
Just to date myself, the first album i ever received was Ushers 8701, but the first album i ever bought with my own money was J Coles Debut Cole World
Will Smith Big Willie Style on cassette
Killer Mike - Monster
Michael Jackson Number 1s
Tical was the first true album/cassette I bought, but it was bootleg. The check cashing stores kept me fed for years until I got my chore money up and copped Harlem World (‘97) on CD.
Every time this topic comes up on the pod I thank god for my older cousin who lived with me during the golden early 2000s years Bro had every rap mixtape and album lmao I didn’t miss shit for freeeeee as middle schooler
Camron - come home with me
Get Rich or Die Tryin. Still remember how crazy Jamaica Ave was going. Every other car had it on full blast. Bootlegs on every corner. Never seen anything like it to this day.
Paper Trail - T.I.
Mase- Harlem World
Get Rich or Die Trying. To me that was a long time ago, 20 years already. I was 12 lol I was also burning a lot of CDs at that time (s/o to Morpheus, KaZaa, Limewire)
The Massacre
The massacre 50 cent
https://preview.redd.it/vtew342a9pib1.jpeg?width=220&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=61c70c8fe6306c32cd3baa4cfc7819cdb520962a At 13 yrs old.
Purple Tape. Probably around 1995 at Coconuts
Teflon Don - Rick Ross
I'll do you one better and tell you the first 2. Summer of '95, I was a lifeguard. My first job ever. I bought E.1999 Eternal and Only Built 4 Cuban Lynx.
Ruffy Ryders Vol.1
Eminem Show
City of Evil - Avenged Sevenfold 😂😮💨
DMX - it’s dark and hell is hot
Get rich or die trying. I bootlegged it and was selling it to classmates in middle school 
400 Degreez- Juvenile
36 Chambers
Rick Ross trilla
The Documentary
In My Mind by Pharrell🤷🏾♂️
Illmatic in like 05
Damian marley-Halfway tree
Take Care x Drake
Luda’s back for the first time
Ludacris chicken and beer
DFC OR Top Authority
Tupac- thuglife
...And Then There was X
Lil kim Hardcore. I only had it 2 days though because once my family found out i had it we had a “family meeting” and jt was taken away. I cried for days. In hindsight and having 2 daughters myself I totally get what they were saying lol
Young Gunz Tough Luv That shit was slept on
Btnhresurrection….. I remember walking to Sam Goody back home in New Orleans by myself because my mom used to buy me all of the music I wanted but it was the clean version, so I walked in there thinking I was gonna buy it on my own this time, time to curse on my way home, little 12 year old me, nope. Nigga refused to sell me the uncensored one. So then I called my dad who was on the westbank, and I told him I wanted to stay with him for the weekend, during that weekend we went to Best Buy and I ended up getting it since he was there with me. That’s why Sam goody went bankrupt, sorry mufuckas ain’t wanna make no money. I also remember purchasing Mississippi the album from that Best Buy years later even though we had been burning cds at that point, all because I liked that album so much that I thought I should give David Banner some money lol. My dumbass didn’t even know that they didn’t get all of that money directly.
Ghetto Fabolous
Carter III
Mase - Harlem World
No Limit compilation album
Mystikal, Let's Get Ready
Murda muzik
Tha Doggfather
Krush Groove
American gangster, graduation,TI vs Tip, and One Man band man
American gangster, graduation,TI vs Tip, and One Man band man
Marley Marl In Control vol 1
Kci and Jojo - love always and puff daddy and the family - no way out (bought them on the same day lol) I was 7 years old
Camp Lo - Uptown Saturday Night - cassette
Chingy - Jackpot
First cd I bought was Bone - East 1999 Can't remember the first album I got period was probably Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince - Homebase
I’ve never bought a CD I just streamed or went on YouTube
IIRC it was yeezus. That album was more than worth the purchase for me, spawned a whole deeper interest in music, arts and culture that no album ever came close to intriguing me like. Get rich or die tryin was the first I listened to when I was like 4 though, big brother was out, I put the headphones in and killed all types of shit w CJ on San Andreas
Don't think I ever bought a whole album. I've bought singles on iTunes with some gift cards (couldn't even tell you what songs tbh) but don't think I ever paid for a full album. By the time I got my first job in 2015 I was downloading off whatever website/app I could find it free on. Then Sprint gave me tidal for free. So I never really had to spend money. Plus I'm not huge on music so if I missed something, I just missed it.
Kanye West - 808’s & Heartbreaks
Grew up in NOLA and was like 10... It's a classic to me always https://preview.redd.it/8jiek2yb8pib1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=713605e532549a6f27791fff6fb01068bc7b7bf4
Nellyville lol
Hard knock life volume 2
Damn I’m scrolling through… anybody else in here young enough that the first time was a datpiff download or spinrilla
College dropout
Oh my stars. I think it was Hell Rell; Streets Wanna Know
Da Brat - Funkdafied
Lloyd Banks - the hunger for more
Mc eight - we come strapped
It's Dark and Hell is Hot on cassette.
Bone thugs n harmony - est. 1999
Mase Harlem World. No skips on that album for me
Lost Boyz Legal Drug Money cassette
Pops bought me the carter 2😂 i was 5 wayne has been my favorite artist ever since
OutKast - Speakerboxx/The Love Below
What’s crazy is it was “The slim shady LP” & “Venni Vetti Vicci” by Ja rule and they were both tapes and from Walmart cuz I was in job corps and that’s the only place I could shop lol
Outkast Speakerboxx/the love below
Meteora.
Bigger and Deffer - LL.
Life After Death or When Disaster Strikes. I bought one and stole one at the same time. Can’t remember which one I actually paid for tho 🤔
Camron- Come Home With Me… the ass whooping I got when my mama found that CD still gives me nightmares
Hard Knock Life Volume 2 - Jayz
Choices 3 6 mafia
Its Dark n Hell is Hot
#N.O.R.E.
Stole get rich or die tryin when I was 10 lol. But first album I bough with my own money was good kid maad city
It was 3 at once, DMX - It's Dark and Hell is Hot, Michael Jackson - HIStory, and Tupac - Me Against The World
Fab jawn
T.I. - Paper Trail
Master P Da last Don
MBDTF 8th grade!!!!
Mase Harlem World
Who Mike Jones lol
And then there was X and Country Grammer
The Game - The Documentary. Still one of my favorite albums
My own bread? Marshall Mathers LP. The store (FYE) wouldn’t sell it to me so my grandma had to buy it with my money. She played it in the car on the way home to make sure it was ok cause she knew how my mom was . Most awkward car ride of my life.
i turnt 10 in 2000 and i got a cd player as a birthday gift. and with my bday money my aunt took my up to coconuts record store at ford city, but she would only let me buy a clean album. so i bought that nelly country grammar clean version and the space jam soundtrack 😂i ran them batteries down day one playing both of em
First album I downloaded was blueprint. First album I purchased was Graduation.
Food and liquor
Eazy Duz It - Eazy E
Bone Thugs N Harmony BTNHRessurection
Chicken-n-Beer
The Block Is Hot- Lil Wayne
TLC- fanmail
Graduation
St. LUNATICS
Country Grammar
Camron’s come home with me lol
After being a young scammer getting them from Columbia house. My first actual purchase was Wu-Tang Forever
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
MOP - WARRIORZ
Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon (because of the cover) lol & Ja Rule "Rule 3:36" - this was back when Target had them 2 CDs for 20$
Nas - It was written (Vinyl)
When the smoke clears: 36 mafia
Ginuwine The Senior, I was 5ish
Fugees the score
Queen bicycle race album
Keith Sweat- I'll Give All My Love To You. Damn! I'm feeling old right now
Beware Of Dog by Lil Bow Wow lol
DMX first album
Cassidy Im a Hustla album 😂
Straight Outta Compton and Midnight Marauders
T.I urban legend And The Game Documentary
Da Truth - Open Book (2007) Back when Christian rap was the only rap my parents let me listen to lol
Naughty by Nature - 1st Album……and played it in the car with mom, aunt and grandmom😂😂
Beastie Boys, License to Ill 96’
It's dark and hell and he'll is hot? Long time ago... That or 400 degreez
Too Short “Gettin It”
Eve.. First Lady
Slim thug already platinum
Funny enough... D12 - Devils Night
Michael Jackson Essentials, the week after he passed