Little Brother would have had more successful if they weren't so unlikeable

Slim Charles

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The Listening and Minstrel Show were two of my most played albums in high school. Main issue to me was they just didn't have a hit to be bigger. There's nothing more complicated to it. Whether they were nice guys or not doesn't matter.

Their label certainly didn't know how best to use them and yeh if they came out 10 years later they probably become bigger (and of course they helped pave the way). But fundamentally where was the song that was going to see them blow up.

Kanye was a similar bracket of artist compared to the stuff that was huge back then and Kanye blew up a year before Minstrel Show. Obviously helped he had co signs but Kanye came through with Through the Wire, Jesus Walks and All Falls Down. Not saying LB could do that level of a hit but to go from underground to mainstream and you're putting out music in the catchy ringtone BS era then the music gotta hit. Problem was Lovin It was a nice little single if you're in the underground but if you're coming out on a major label then it's got to be better to me (it's a great song though just not a hit). They needed something I wouldn't call gimmicky but something that grabs your attention and have people pivot to you.

Secondly, doing a loose concept album for your second album seemed like a bad decision. Or if you do it go all in for the attention. BET and that will stop caring if it makes money for them. But instead you call an album the Minstrel Show and then the lead single is Lovin It. The Minstrel Show title gave them noise. So if you're going to do that go all in. Not saying copy it, but an example that could have hit back then is like The Roots What They Do vid. Instead the label cooked up some half assed video with fairly usual undeground music bars.

Cheatin perhaps not best as it's not them rapping but an example of a song of theirs of the Minstrel Show that would have got attention because of how funny it was.
 

TheDarceKnight

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The Listening and Minstrel Show were two of my most played albums in high school. Main issue to me was they just didn't have a hit to be bigger. There's nothing more complicated to it. Whether they were nice guys or not doesn't matter.

Their label certainly didn't know how best to use them and yeh if they came out 10 years later they probably become bigger (and of course they helped pave the way). But fundamentally where was the song that was going to see them blow up.

Kanye was a similar bracket of artist compared to the stuff that was huge back then and Kanye blew up a year before Minstrel Show. Obviously helped he had co signs but Kanye came through with Through the Wire, Jesus Walks and All Falls Down. Not saying LB could do that level of a hit but to go from underground to mainstream and you're putting out music in the catchy ringtone BS era then the music gotta hit. Problem was Lovin It was a nice little single if you're in the underground but if you're coming out on a major label then it's got to be better to me (it's a great song though just not a hit). They needed something I wouldn't call gimmicky but something that grabs your attention and have people pivot to you.

Secondly, doing a loose concept album for your second album seemed like a bad decision. Or if you do it go all in for the attention. BET and that will stop caring if it makes money for them. But instead you call an album the Minstrel Show and then the lead single is Lovin It. The Minstrel Show title gave them noise. So if you're going to do that go all in. Not saying copy it, but an example that could have hit back then is like The Roots What They Do vid. Instead the label cooked up some half assed video with fairly usual undeground music bars.

Cheatin perhaps not best as it's not them rapping but an example of a song of theirs of the Minstrel Show that would have got attention because of how funny it was.
Those are al great examples. I was there and can confirm that for the big Atlantic debut Minstrel Show, they didn't even pick the single. They just handed in the album to Atlantic and said you guys pick whatever you think it should be, and they chose Lovin It. They never made the song intending it to be the single, and Scudda always said if he;d known he would've cursed a lot less on it.

I do think it's crazy in hindsight that they did a concept album as their big debut, and props to Atlantic for not altering anything and letting them drop it exactly as they wanted to.
 

Bryan Danielson

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#We Are The Flash #DOOMSET #LukeCageSet #NEWLWO
He literally just said because he was an actor and can act his way to likeability… did u not that part?


Wtf lol


.

Ummm…. I don’t think you understood what I said.

That still don’t really say much… there are many actors that are still unlikeable and they try to act there way to likability but it falls flat

Either way, it’s redundant. let’s not sit here and pretend Drake this Oscar award winning actor

Honestly, I think Donald Glover can do and does everything Drake can do or wishes to do better
 

MisterMajesty

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That’s straight up not true bro. Source wanted to give listening 5 mics. One of the source writers almost resigned over it. XXL wanted to give minstrel show a xxl rating. For political reasons they weren’t allowed to. Scratch gave minstrel show a perfect rating. These 3 were all still the main publications of the genre in the mid 00’s

Of course you’re allowed to not like them but the idea that no one besides lb fans would call their stuff classic is just incorrect history.

LB are way before my time (i started school in 05....to give an idea) what this about?
 

AnonymityX1000

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That’s straight up not true bro. Source wanted to give listening 5 mics. One of the source writers almost resigned over it. XXL wanted to give minstrel show a xxl rating. For political reasons they weren’t allowed to. Scratch gave minstrel show a perfect rating. These 3 were all still the main publications of the genre in the mid 00’s

Of course you’re allowed to not like them but the idea that no one besides lb fans would call their stuff classic is just incorrect history.
I'm glad cooler heads prevailed in those 3 instances.
Only LB fans will call their stuff classic. I flatly disagree.
 

Slim Charles

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Those are al great examples. I was there and can confirm that for the big Atlantic debut Minstrel Show, they didn't even pick the single. They just handed in the album to Atlantic and said you guys pick whatever you think it should be, and they chose Lovin It. They never made the song intending it to be the single, and Scudda always said if he;d known he would've cursed a lot less on it.

I do think it's crazy in hindsight that they did a concept album as their big debut, and props to Atlantic for not altering anything and letting them drop it exactly as they wanted to.

That’s interesting label chose Lovin It. Totally shows Atlantic never really fully invested in pushing LB to me (I’m sure some at Atlantic were). If they really wanted LB to be a bigger success they surely should have pushed them/ supported them to make a hit even if not a super popular one . I definitely think LB could have had one without them ‘selling out’/ doing something they weren’t comfortable doing. They had the production and charisma to do it
 

Walt

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Those are al great examples. I was there and can confirm that for the big Atlantic debut Minstrel Show, they didn't even pick the single. They just handed in the album to Atlantic and said you guys pick whatever you think it should be, and they chose Lovin It. They never made the song intending it to be the single, and Scudda always said if he;d known he would've cursed a lot less on it.

I do think it's crazy in hindsight that they did a concept album as their big debut, and props to Atlantic for not altering anything and letting them drop it exactly as they wanted to.

It would've been a lot more helpful if he rapped a lot less on it.
 

Walt

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The Listening and Minstrel Show were two of my most played albums in high school. Main issue to me was they just didn't have a hit to be bigger. There's nothing more complicated to it. Whether they were nice guys or not doesn't matter.

Their label certainly didn't know how best to use them and yeh if they came out 10 years later they probably become bigger (and of course they helped pave the way). But fundamentally where was the song that was going to see them blow up.

Kanye was a similar bracket of artist compared to the stuff that was huge back then and Kanye blew up a year before Minstrel Show. Obviously helped he had co signs but Kanye came through with Through the Wire, Jesus Walks and All Falls Down. Not saying LB could do that level of a hit but to go from underground to mainstream and you're putting out music in the catchy ringtone BS era then the music gotta hit. Problem was Lovin It was a nice little single if you're in the underground but if you're coming out on a major label then it's got to be better to me (it's a great song though just not a hit). They needed something I wouldn't call gimmicky but something that grabs your attention and have people pivot to you.

Secondly, doing a loose concept album for your second album seemed like a bad decision. Or if you do it go all in for the attention. BET and that will stop caring if it makes money for them. But instead you call an album the Minstrel Show and then the lead single is Lovin It. The Minstrel Show title gave them noise. So if you're going to do that go all in. Not saying copy it, but an example that could have hit back then is like The Roots What They Do vid. Instead the label cooked up some half assed video with fairly usual undeground music bars.

Cheatin perhaps not best as it's not them rapping but an example of a song of theirs of the Minstrel Show that would have got attention because of how funny it was.

*nodding*
 

Walt

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What does them being fat have to do with… never mind it’s the coli. Anyways they were dope but came out in a time before you can use the internet to build a sustainable fan base to eat from. I mean 9th is still dropping dope beats with newer rappers, Phonte still out raps and sings most acts, and Pooh solo joint is solid.

But yall want in shape sexy flexy nikkas lol

I mean, I guess that's one way to interpret it... because it's the coli.

All entertainment industries are fatphobic. There's a reason the "Say Yes" video dropped and they wouldn't let the camera linger on Floetry for more than 2 seconds at a time. There's a reason Martha Wash sang all those classic 90s joints and another woman posed in the video as the lead singer. There's a reason BIG boasted "heartthrob never, black and ugly as ever." He was the rare dude who reached that level of popularity despite how much anti-blackness and fatphbia is baked into our society.

How that got turned into someone wanting to see ja or 50 or nelly or whatever mainstream rapper who was fond of being shirtless is beyond me. My point is there are myriad factors that go into their lack of popularity, but never heard they were unlikable (aside from 9th). I also think their stans - like every other group of stans - overstate how good and impactful the music was. It was always fine, with flashes of really fukkin good. Phonte is an exceptional talent but popularity is rarely about talent. Pooh could be any other random rapper. That's not a formula for any sort of mainstream success. They've built a nice little cult following and Phonte certainly has enjoyed his share of success and recognition. I don't view him as a guy who never made it. He etched his name in hip hop's story when it's told.
 
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