The debate about whether the quality of music an artist produces is “better” via mixtape or studio album has continuously been discussed. Artists such as Drake, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj and recently Wiz Khalifa have left the world of mixtapes, signed to major record labels and are now producing studio albums.

Once an artist leaves the realm of mixtapes, is he or she is considered a sellout, or are these artists able to excel and still produce the same great music on their albums? These rappers once known as “mixtape artists” are continuing their craft but instead of free online music for download, fans now have to pay up to $1.29 per song on iTunes.

Unlike most of these artists’ mixtapes, the music they produce via major release has become more commercially accepted. Instead of the controversial topics about sex, smoking weed, and even racier topics like rape and murder, lyrics are now replaced with verses about partying and hanging with friends. With a banging beat and catchy chorus, the rap lyrics in a song seem to no longer be as important.

Nicki Minaj, female rapper, as she puts it, “made a million off a mixtape,” on Drake’s single “Up All Night” off of his first studio album “Thank Me Later,” has now come out with her own studio album “Pink Friday.” Both of these artists have become the standouts of Lil Wayne and Birdman’s growing hip-hop empire Young Money Entertainment and released their first albums in 2010. Minaj and Drake’s albums have received a lot of radio play and popularity and support from fans. Nicki Minaj put out three mixtapes prior to releasing “Pink Friday,” which reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart in its eleventh week. The album features numerous songs where she not only showcases her rapping, but her ability to sing on choruses as well.

Like Nicki Minaj, rapper Drake put out three mixtapes before releasing his debut album “Thank Me Later” in 2010. His album sold 447,000 units in its first week, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with the help of many greats in the hip-hop world such as Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Swizz Beatz. Album sales have proven that Drake has successfully merged from the life of mixtapes to the life of a commercial megastar, who anticipates his sophomore album “Take Care” to be released September 13, 2011.

Arguably the biggest star on the mixtape circuit, Wiz Khalifa released his studio album entitled “Rolling Papers.” Although this is not his first major release, it is unlike what most of Khalifa’s cult-like following are used to. His album features catchy singles such as the unofficial anthem of the Pittsburgh Steelers “Black and Yellow,” the poppy love song attempt “Roll Up,” and an ode to partying “No Sleep.”

Each of these songs features an easy to sing-along chorus, but none have the standout lyrical content and witty flow that Khalifa is known for on his mixtapes. “Rolling Papers” gets lyrical help from New Orleans’ own Curren$y and veteran rapper Too Short (known for his racy lyrics), but most of the songs have clearly been produced with radio spins in mind. True and faithful Wiz Khalifa fans will undoubtedly support his attempt at mainstream success, proven by his No. 2 debut on the Billboard 200 chart, but will also be disappointed that the product pales in comparison to previous mixtapes, “Burn After Rolling,” and “Kush and Orange Juice.”

There has been hype around new up and comers Mac Miller and Tyler, the Creator leader of the group that is arguably our generation’s Wu-Tang, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA). Both Miller and Tyler, the Creator have built a substantial fan-base via their mixtapes. Tyler, the Creator is set to debut his first studio album “Goblin” sometime in April. He has been known to produce music for his own tastes and pleasure filled with shocking lyrics, and it is expected that his debut album will contain much of the same music that his fans are used to.

Mac Miller who calls Pittsburgh home like Wiz Khalifa, released several mixtapes before getting a lot of buzz and attention however it was his mixtape, “K.I.D.S.,” that made fans start to take notice. On “K.I.D.S.,” Miller pulls in his audience by giving his mixtape a theme-inspired, based on the movie of the same name by featuring sound clips from poignant scenes.

During a Q&A with Billboard.com, Nicki Minaj explains the biggest difference between a mixtape and an album, “The mixtape is saying I can rap and the album is saying I can make a song. There’s a big difference.” This one sentence sums up the whole problem when an artist stops making mixtapes and starts producing an album: it’s no longer about the lyrics that an artist can create but instead the ability to produce a song a general audience will listen to and ultimately purchase. When an artist decides to put out an album instead of mixtapes the album has to sell. It has to be a record that will be worth the money, time and effort put into producing it.