He did the right thing with venturing outside of the rap industry. It's hard to profit and stay at a high level in the rap game. Trends change a lot as well so you can be hot today, but irrelevant tomorrow.
It's easier said in hindsight now but you're completely right. There is no money in this shyt anymore and present day it's clear to see. If you didn't use Hip Hop as a stepping stone to venture out into other areas you're a tool. (Unless you're just truly an artsy artist)
Jay Z barely does features and won't even make appearances in music videos
Nas takes longer breaks between albums, barely tours and is back with Steve Stoute. They've managed to create multiple start ups.
Snoop is a rap icon who clearly doesn't care about his original persona. His last three or four albums felt and sounded like cash grabs. He crossed over into movies, tv shows, celebrity DJing.. Can't tell if he still cares about the music.
50 learned fast and used his success as a stepping stone to create multiple ventures. You can tell his passion isn't music anymore. Even his g unit reunion felt like a quick cash grab to pay debts
Kanye (like Nas) has taken longer and longer between albums. He's clearly gone the route of touring to get show money and give people great live shows but you don't get new Kanye Music the way you did in 05-09.
It is what it is..
The forefathers had tunnel vision. It was rap and only rap. When you see 80% of them now they're doing nostalgia shows. Unless you're KRS-One (KRS, Cube, Dre,) being the clear exceptions
When I saw Kane at Made in America looking flabby my heart was broken
When I saw Rakim at A3C in ATL looking lost and out of place I was heartbroken
Like Nas said "where are they now"
@ the Afrocentric stuff.
Cube play a Pig
