10 Underachieving Rappers (Complex)

[Big Mel]

1. Nas
2. Method Man (solo artist)
3. Casual
4. Dres
5. Slick Rick
6. Royal Flush
7. Rockness Monstah
8. Threat
9. G Dep
10. Ras Kass
11. Jadakiss

 

[Ziggiy]

A lot of those rappers really weren't underachievers. Cassidy did what he could with what he was given. Dude is a punch line/battle rapper and had the most success out of all the generic punch line/battle rappers of that particular era.


Now Cannibus I agree with. People forget that at one time he was THAT dude on the mic. And it's not like super lyrical rappers can't make it in the mainstream. Nas, Big Pun, Biggie, Ghostface Killah can all be considered super lyrical and made it in the mainstream. Cannibus could've been on that level, even Nas once admitted that there was a short point in time where he was scared Cannibus was coming for his spot. At the LEAST he could've been on an AZ level of respect and continued relevance but dude went so far off the deep end and that first album was so terrible he recovered.

 

[Big Mel]

^^^yo. you are a terrible poster. i can't ever recall even one remotely profound or insightful post from you.

 

[NV-ME]

take out roth and replace him w/ lil b. I think he's wack, but with the cult following he has, he hasn't come near cashing in on this shyt. he could at the very least be tech9 status, but he'd rather release half hearted shytty songs and tweet #girltime than really get on his grind. them dumb girls gonna grow up in the next couple years and his shyt gonna dry up like the dipshyts.

and if we're going back to peedi fukkin crakk, then replace him with ali vegas. him and electronica are the two most unfulfilled career rappers, still breathing, imo.

 

[Wacky D]

I agree but I also think Meek Millz placement is what helps, in the era of skinny jeans, trance hop and regular n1gga rap, the street rapper stands out more, especially if you have Ross's production teams. State Property was more of a street movement and it was no longer Rocafellas strong point by 2001-2002. Also unlike Dipset, they didn't really know how to market themselves to the masses and really this list indicates that even if you are nice on the mic, if you can't promote yourself the right way or if your timing is bad, you don't blow up.

oh yea definitely. I fully understand meek's popularity & importance. I was just using him as an example since hes the current "it" philly rapper.

your dipset comment furthers my point actually. peedi had that dipset appeal. he should've been neck-n-neck with juelz, if not bigger.

Slim Thug is the main oddity.
Dude been a heavyweight in Houston since the early 2000's.

I think theyre saying that the could've been bigger than just Houston.

look at how big lil flip was. and slim thug was supposed to be lil flip on steroids and backed by the neptunes/star trak while still keeping those Houston ties. instead, he ends up getting his boss title swiped by rick ross and ends up back as a local rapper.

in slim thug's defense, I think he prefers the indie route, and I remember him being pissed at the way pharrell handling that album. that was definitely one of the worst pushbacks of that era. it should've dropped when "im a boss" and "3 kings" was poppin.

 

[feelosofer]

Canibus had "it". he had legit hype. Something just went really wrong.

The hip-hop magazines were to some extent bank rolled and got a lot of their publicity through Def Jam, plus LL got a lot of invisible hands in the industry. Most publications slammed Canibus's first album and back then reviews still held a lot of weight. Yea was the production great, no, but lyrically it was one of the best albums of 98. Furthermore he put out this god-awful video for N1gganometry, which got played on BET maybe twice and then never again. If you flop on your debut it's tough to recover. Then he put out 2000 BC which was much better but again it got no promotion and by then it was too late.

 

[GoldenGlove]

I still mess with him but this guy should be listed...



He was on pace to being one of the GOATs

 

[Ziggiy]

^^^yo. you are a terrible poster. i can't ever recall even one remotely profound or insightful post from you.

 

[JYoung24]

What more could cassidy do?

He's a fukking Punchline rapper who can't make songs. If any thing he overachieved.

Wrong that I'm a hustla album was a good ass album and better than anything meek millzs did

 

[nieman]

Wrong that I'm a hustla album was a good ass album and better than anything meek millzs did

But it was marketd wrong. They really didn't know what to do with Cassidy

 

[DEAD7]

Blu and Danny! are absent from this list

 

[kp404]

How about Crooked Eye, Yung Joc, Lil Scrappy, Pastor Troy, Petey Pablo, Drag-On, Bubba Sparxxx, Eve, LOX?????...

In fact, that whole Ruff Ryders Vol. 3 album was filled with underwhelming rappers

 

[feelosofer]

How about Crooked Eye, Yung Joc, Lil Scrappy, Pastor Troy, Petey Pablo, Drag-On, Bubba Sparxxx, Eve, LOX?????...

In fact, that whole Ruff Ryders Vol. 3 album was filled with underwhelming rappers

With the exception of Crooked-I all those rappers overachieved.

 

[kp404]

With the exception of Crooked-I all those rappers overachieved.

The Lox overachieved with 2 mediocre albums but signed to two powerful labels? Yung Joc with the #1 song in the nation but dropped a frisbee that no one bought? Your expectations are kinda low bruh

 

[Still Benefited]

How about Crooked Eye, Yung Joc, Lil Scrappy, Pastor Troy, Petey Pablo, Drag-On, Bubba Sparxxx, Eve, LOX?????...

In fact, that whole Ruff Ryders Vol. 3 album was filled with underwhelming rappers

Maybe I'm bias...but I don't like Crooked I on there....I feel like he definitly put in work and tried,but was signed to Deathrow which made it hard for him in the industry...and as things wuz lookin up for em the feds came in and shut down that Murder. Inc/Row alliance they had been buildin up...dude wuznt lazy at all and kept grindin...for a rapper of his lyricism I think he's had a nice career and has probaly best lyricist of the past decade by my estimations

And whoever said Ali Vegas he might actually take the top spot...dude wuz hyped to be the next Nas,then later managed to draw Jay comparisons,wuz cool wit 50cent,cousin Lamar Odom so funding can't be the problem....yeah he got the top spot on this I gotta say