Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be 50 fantastic first solo albums recorded by artists who departed—or simply took a temporary hiatus from—their respective groups, representing a varied cross-section of genres, styles and time periods. Click “Next Album” below to explore each album or view the full album index here.
SISQO | Unleash the Dragon
Def Soul (1999)
Selected by Daryl McIntosh
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With the group Dru Hill amassing a steady stream of hits with their first two albums, it almost seemed natural that their lead singer SisQó would follow R&B tradition with a solo LP. The inaugural single “Got to Get It” served as Unleash the Dragon’s perfect appetizer for “Thong Song,” which would dominate radio and music television into the summer of 2000. “Incomplete” charted at number one on Billboard and SisQó was catapulted as the poster boy for R&B heading into the new millennium.
SisQó’s solo run did not see him completely separate from Dru Hill, as the group collaborated on the song “Enchantment Passing Through” along with group member Tamir ”Nokia” Ruffin, who lent his production talent to the LP as well. SisQó’s soaring vocals, colorful hair with matching wardrobe, and fresh sound made Y2K the year of the dragon as the Baltimore, MD native set fire to charts worldwide.
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