History rarely reveals itself in tight clusters of change, but for close watchers of hip-hop hierarchies, the end of 2011 must have been a confusing time. J. Cole’s debut album “Cole World: The Sideline Story” made its debut atop the Billboard album chart and was certified gold. A few weeks later, Wale’s “Ambition” (his second album) had its debut at No. 2, and not long after that, Mac Miller’s first album, “Blue Slide Park,” made its at No. 1.

These were not the old rap stars, but rather a new generation that represented a coming of age of the hip-hop Internet. All three had rabid fan bases, largely acquired online, where the mixtape circuit had migrated. And even though two of them, Mr. Cole and Wale, were signed to major labels, none of them made music that had much to do with the rest of major-label hip-hop.

And yet for a couple of months, new metrics like online penetration and ubiquity lined up neatly with old metrics like chart performance, reflecting the potency of those fan bases when given, in effect, an underdog to root for.

All three rappers returned with new albums this month facing a different crossroads. In 2011, they were trying to prove that the process of making hip-hop stars was changing. Now they’re hoping to demonstrate that they can remain stars. In this, Mr. Cole and Wale have chosen one path, and Mr. Miller another.