Where Hip Hop is Our Hustle
HIP HOP #1 DRAFT PICK FLOPS
I have constructed a list of my Top 5 Rookie Hip Hop artists who had the world in their hands, but just couldn't make the cut. Praised as the next huge stars, these artists could never live up to the hype:
1. Canibus; Drafted 1998 (With an awful debut album, and a wrong choice of beef (LL) this lyrical genius could never get enough momentum to reach super-stardom).
2. Memphis Bleek; Drafted 1999 (What can I say, the game was handed to him on a silver platter, and he dropped the ball).
3. Joe Budden; Drafted 2003 (Given the talent he has, due to label wars and lack of guidance, this very talented artist never measured up to what was expected of him).
4. Cassidy; Drafted 2004 (His hottest and most selling single featured a video with a very creepy looking R. Kelly. His first album he was labeled as a sell-out. Three albums, with no plaques to show for it, and a bid for involuntary manslaughter, makes this hip hop "hustla" another hype that bit the dust).
5. Mase; Drafted 1997 (Yeah, I said it! Sure one multi-platinum album, that's great. Everything after that was trash. Think about where his career should have gone. However, do to some sort of identity crisis, Murda, I mean Pastor, I mean M-A-$-E never lived up to his full potential. That potential was in the direction of being one of the greats, but now, he's just a joke in the industry).
** Drafted year is the date of first major album release.
Dishonorable Mention:
- Papoose; Drafted n/a (I never understood the hype, but apparently Papoose was the next big thing. Stunning lyrics, but the inability to make an actual song. He had a $1.5 Million Dollar deal with Jive that went no where. Nowadays, a few mixtape tracks here and there, but nothing more than that).
Possible Mention:
- Drake; Drafted n/a (Let's hope not, but after a lousy "Best I Ever Had" video, and an absolutely awful BET performance, Mr. Drake is headed in the direction of being one of the biggest Hip Hop #1 Draft Pick Flops of all-time. So far he has dropped the ball, but hopefully he can regain possession and go in for the slam-dunk).
1. Canibus; Drafted 1998 (With an awful debut album, and a wrong choice of beef (LL) this lyrical genius could never get enough momentum to reach super-stardom).
2. Memphis Bleek; Drafted 1999 (What can I say, the game was handed to him on a silver platter, and he dropped the ball).
3. Joe Budden; Drafted 2003 (Given the talent he has, due to label wars and lack of guidance, this very talented artist never measured up to what was expected of him).
4. Cassidy; Drafted 2004 (His hottest and most selling single featured a video with a very creepy looking R. Kelly. His first album he was labeled as a sell-out. Three albums, with no plaques to show for it, and a bid for involuntary manslaughter, makes this hip hop "hustla" another hype that bit the dust).
5. Mase; Drafted 1997 (Yeah, I said it! Sure one multi-platinum album, that's great. Everything after that was trash. Think about where his career should have gone. However, do to some sort of identity crisis, Murda, I mean Pastor, I mean M-A-$-E never lived up to his full potential. That potential was in the direction of being one of the greats, but now, he's just a joke in the industry).
** Drafted year is the date of first major album release.
Dishonorable Mention:
- Papoose; Drafted n/a (I never understood the hype, but apparently Papoose was the next big thing. Stunning lyrics, but the inability to make an actual song. He had a $1.5 Million Dollar deal with Jive that went no where. Nowadays, a few mixtape tracks here and there, but nothing more than that).
Possible Mention:
- Drake; Drafted n/a (Let's hope not, but after a lousy "Best I Ever Had" video, and an absolutely awful BET performance, Mr. Drake is headed in the direction of being one of the biggest Hip Hop #1 Draft Pick Flops of all-time. So far he has dropped the ball, but hopefully he can regain possession and go in for the slam-dunk).
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Destined Star on -
Dude how can u mention joe budden in this list of mediocrity. He is the only artist that u named that took their career in his own hands. U must not of heard the padded room, or any of the slaughter house tracks, flopped commerically hmmm, maybe but we all know he killed his budget with the pump it up video. But he is killing the underground, and the internet. Now I agree with the drake thing because in my eyes...... HE'S AN ASSHOLE, BECAUSE HE MADE HISTORY WITH HIS MIXTAPE BEING AN UNSIGNED ARTIST WITH MAJOR COMMERICAL AIRPLAY WITHOUT I REPEAT WITHOUT A LABEL OR DEAL. WHY WOULD U SIGN TO ANYONE. OR START UR OWN LABEL SINCE UR ALREADY MAKING MONEY, WHY SHARE IT.. AND COME ON BLEEKS FIRST ALBUM WAS A CLASSIC. THE REST WHERE...U KKNOW
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Permalink Reply by Night Train on -
Joe Budden is only still being mentioned cause his girl has a fat ass!
Lets add to the List:
The entire Ruff Ryders Roster!!! ( with the exception of dmx and eve)
they had the game locked! and blew it
Team Roc-la-famila
the leadership sucked because they didn't know who was in charge.
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Permalink Reply by Tyger on -
Okay two problems with this list First up is the one everyone's talking about Joe Budden who yes had been dropped from Def Jam but actually has done better because of it. His Padded Room album is the first "digital only" album to sell as well as it did and with the added CD sales looks to actually be considered as successful as Jadakiss' - The Last Kiss. That and his upcoming Slaughterhouse group album out tomorrow its hard to see anyone saying his "choice" to stay independent was a bad one. Which brings the final point, he's not signed only because he chooses not to be. I've actually seen multiple offers tossed his way from major labels. Truth is some artists really aren't better off or defined by who their signed to, just by the good music they make. All done without Tahiry, though it doesn't hurt having her on his arm I'm sure.
Next is Drake who really falls in the same category. The man has gone on tour with Wayne, had his video on all the major channels and has had cameos with the likes of Kanye, Little Brother and quite a few more. Even Jay-Z says this guy should stay independent because a label just can't provide him anything more than he's already been doing for himself.
The others have their various problems but I will say that Cassidy has moved to the independent scene and only time will tell how that plays out for him. He has the lyrical prowess to make a good battle rapper but I haven't seen much in the way of songs from him. Besides a few club two step joints and Swiss all in the background of his songs like Diddy, Cass didn't get much from being signed.
Good topic though. Just wish people would stop measuring success by what major label was behind the artists and instead do it by the quality of music they put out and how well it does in the arena its in.
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Permalink Reply by Mr Mogul on -
My question, before I reply to the critics, is, how do you measure success in the game of hip-hop?
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Permalink Reply by Night Train on
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Success? isn't sales but longevity and relivance to the culture. some of these fly by night niggaz are going be exposed. Hell money wise no one is seeing Vanilla Ice money or Mc hammer money. as for budden he could have been a pillar in hip hop but what has he done to advance the culture? what will be his legacy outside of jersey?
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Permalink Reply by Tyger on
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You're right night. I mean look at it this way. If we're talking record sales then you would have to call emcees like Common, Mos Def and Talib Kweli all failures compared to some of the garbage katz selling right now. Bow Wow sold more records than Common. Does that make one a success and the other a failure? I don't really think so. I think when you say success it should mean did they create real music, something that has longevity like Night says. Did emcees like Cassidy or Budden do that? I think its debatable, but I think we all have to at least be on the same argument first before we talk names in the success and failure department. I think personally Budden has because his success in the digital only independent market has sparked other emcees to go that route. This may also allow us to get music of a higher quality that's not under the foot of the same cookie cutter garbage the industry has been trying to feed us and most "REAL" hip hop fans have been complaining about. Just look at amalgamdigital.com they work with both independent only and signed artists and are expanding quickly to help talent get their music out. Wanna guess who their first big name was? Besides that even Jay-Z, a arguable hip hop great has mentioned this was part of the reason he thought starting Roc Nation could work.
By the way everybody's a critic. Its just my personal view but I think at least as an example this one individual can say he's been successful in making some change to the game.
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