TheAnointedOne
Superstar
Tinashe
Name an artist who had "it" in terms of star power but never took full advantage
- Thread starter Buckeye Fever
- Start date
Y’all be naming any and everyone. 
Things TI said you can hear
People assume that if a person is not on center stage anymore, then they "fell off".
IsThatBrothaMouzone?
Veteran
There's levels to this shyt.
Method Man: big time star but isn't on Snoop's level in terms of being instantly recognizable anywhere. Some of that is just physical traits. Both guys are 6'3" or 6'4" but Snoop has the hair and a distinctive look that has always made him standout. MM looks like a normal breh, maybe even a retired athlete or some shyt. Plus, no Martha Stewart stimulus package.
Chris Brown: Rihanna is flirting with billionaire status. Feel like without the abuse stuff, she'd be a couple of notches lower in popularity and he'd be about 5 notches higher. It changed the trajectory of both their lives.
Larenz Tate: I agree with this one. He can play good guy or bad guy equally well. Seemed like after the Why Do Fools Fall In Love movie, he slowed down and then came back with the Girls Trip movie before jumping into Power. My hunch is that opportunities were there...but he didn't want to compromise himself.
Morris Chestnut: I think he's got talent but tends to play the same role...Alpha male, successful Black man. We need that kind of representation so kudos to breh. Felt like he needed a breakout role with layers..some kind of biopic...like Otis Redding or something.
Chadwick Boseman: sorta like Tupac where he got cut down too early. RIP to breh.
Tevin Campbell: think he's gay or bi but that didn't stop Luther from being big time. TC had everyone's cosign and could sing his head off. He didn't need sexual appeal. Wonder if the timing hurt him...remember there was some scandal about him picking up a male escort or some shyt like that.
A lot of Black female actresses: once you get past the Viola Davis tier...it seems like there are sistas (Sanaa, Nia etc) that are sorta famous but missing "something." Like they have roles in a lot of rom-com movies but haven't done the dramatic/serious as much. Like white actresses...there's Meryl Streep and then that next tier of Anne Hathaway, maybe Charlize. We have our elite tier but that 2nd tier...not sure who's there. Maybe Lupita? Which sistas have gotten the chance to carry a movie solo, especially a movie that isn't about Black love? Taraji maybe?
Selena: died too soon. Had the talent and looks to go all the way. She would have been that crossover Latina superstar. RIP.
Jurnee Smollett: Lovecraft Country should have been her vehicle but got canceled...great show. She always seems to put good performances out there but needs a "hit" to take off. If Zendaya can do it...Jurnee is better looking with acting chops as good or better. Only issue she might have is that JS married a breh and seems to lean into her Blackness more while Z is cool with being Black but is OK being with white dudes onscreen. JS has more sex appeal but never crossed over like that.
Olsen Twins: based on what we've seen their sister do in the Marvel Universe as Wanda, I feel like the twins...rich as they are....have some acting chops that they just decided not to use. Being in Hollywood so early fukked them up, I think.
Method Man: big time star but isn't on Snoop's level in terms of being instantly recognizable anywhere. Some of that is just physical traits. Both guys are 6'3" or 6'4" but Snoop has the hair and a distinctive look that has always made him standout. MM looks like a normal breh, maybe even a retired athlete or some shyt. Plus, no Martha Stewart stimulus package.
Chris Brown: Rihanna is flirting with billionaire status. Feel like without the abuse stuff, she'd be a couple of notches lower in popularity and he'd be about 5 notches higher. It changed the trajectory of both their lives.
Larenz Tate: I agree with this one. He can play good guy or bad guy equally well. Seemed like after the Why Do Fools Fall In Love movie, he slowed down and then came back with the Girls Trip movie before jumping into Power. My hunch is that opportunities were there...but he didn't want to compromise himself.
Morris Chestnut: I think he's got talent but tends to play the same role...Alpha male, successful Black man. We need that kind of representation so kudos to breh. Felt like he needed a breakout role with layers..some kind of biopic...like Otis Redding or something.
Chadwick Boseman: sorta like Tupac where he got cut down too early. RIP to breh.
Tevin Campbell: think he's gay or bi but that didn't stop Luther from being big time. TC had everyone's cosign and could sing his head off. He didn't need sexual appeal. Wonder if the timing hurt him...remember there was some scandal about him picking up a male escort or some shyt like that.
A lot of Black female actresses: once you get past the Viola Davis tier...it seems like there are sistas (Sanaa, Nia etc) that are sorta famous but missing "something." Like they have roles in a lot of rom-com movies but haven't done the dramatic/serious as much. Like white actresses...there's Meryl Streep and then that next tier of Anne Hathaway, maybe Charlize. We have our elite tier but that 2nd tier...not sure who's there. Maybe Lupita? Which sistas have gotten the chance to carry a movie solo, especially a movie that isn't about Black love? Taraji maybe?
Selena: died too soon. Had the talent and looks to go all the way. She would have been that crossover Latina superstar. RIP.
Jurnee Smollett: Lovecraft Country should have been her vehicle but got canceled...great show. She always seems to put good performances out there but needs a "hit" to take off. If Zendaya can do it...Jurnee is better looking with acting chops as good or better. Only issue she might have is that JS married a breh and seems to lean into her Blackness more while Z is cool with being Black but is OK being with white dudes onscreen. JS has more sex appeal but never crossed over like that.
Olsen Twins: based on what we've seen their sister do in the Marvel Universe as Wanda, I feel like the twins...rich as they are....have some acting chops that they just decided not to use. Being in Hollywood so early fukked them up, I think.
I bought her debut album strictly because she was fine and I liked the first single. Ended up liking every single track. I think she was on Columbia and didn’t receive proper promotion. Also, she wasn’t being overly sexual. Plus Beyoncé took her sound. I think her not blowing up like she should have was beyond her control.
I know this person had success, but I would say Monica should be bigger than she is. She has the looks, the voice. She could be in that grown R&B music lane right now at age 41-42 (or however old she is). I remember reading she’s too hood tho.
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VoxSphere74
Banned
The Chris Brown hype for a time was off the scale ridiculous. They were hyping him to be the next MJ. Which is nuts because there is no next MJ. But people eventually realized that he's just a good dancer and an ok rapper/singer.
Jurnee: She's incredibly talented. Way more than Zendaya. But interestingly she's now in the Zazie, Zendaya, Nathalie, etc...lane. Light bright getting cast as the dash of blackness in all white movies with limited freedom because she's just there to be the romantic lead for the white guy. Like that movie Spiderhead recently. Black people though really do need their own independent financing to make stars of their own because otherwise this pattern will continue.
Olsen Twins: They never had it, they were just cast because of their looks and once they grew up people realized they weren't talented. And then Elizabeth Olsen benefited by being pushed aside by them because now she gets to shine on her own.
Method Man: Dude is talented but if we're honest Snoop is more popular because he's willing to joke around with whites and be the goofy Black dude who's always partying. Like Wiz and lil Jon. After all cacs like a Black man who isn't too serious and who seems like one they can control
Various Black actresses: A lot of that is just white hollywood freezing out Black actors unless they fill a specific niche (like being a bedwench) and Black people not having the financing to make stars of their own people in the same way. But with the recent wealth in the community it should be possible now.
A few people mentioned Tinashe: Now that's a mystery. Because she checks the usual boxes: Light bright, attractive, talented, etc..but she just can't break through. Maybe it's behind the scenes sabotage or she's trying the wrong sound that doesn't fit her. But's it's definitely odd that she can't succeed in a sustained way.
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IsThatBrothaMouzone?
Veteran
Agreed on Meth. He "looks" more intimidating. Snoop is the friendly neighborhood gangsta. Helps that he's skinny so people aren't afraid of him.The Chris Brown hype for a time was off the scale ridiculous. They were hyping him to be the next MJ. Which is nuts because there is no next MJ. But people eventually realized that he's just a good dancer and an ok rapper/singer.
Jurnee: She's incredibly talented. Way more than Zendaya. But interestingly she's now in the Zazie, Zendaya, Nathalie, etc...lane. Light bright getting cast as the dash of blackness in all white movies with limited freedom because she's just there to be the romantic lead for the white guy. Like that movie Spiderhead recently. Black people though really do need their own independent financing to make stars of their own because otherwise this pattern will continue.
Olsen Twins: They never had it, they were just cast because of their looks and once they grew up people realized they weren't talented. And then Elizabeth Olsen benefitted by being pushed aside by them because now she gets to shine on her own.
Method Man: Dude is talented but if we're honest Snoop is more popular because he's willing to joke around with whites and be the goofy Black dude who's always partying. Like Wiz and lil Jon. After all cacs like a Black man who isn't too serious and who seems like one they can control
Various Black actresses: A lot of that is just white hollywood freezing out Black actors unless they fill a specific niche (like being a bedwench) and Black people not having the financing to make stars of their own people in the same way. But with the recent wealth in the community it should be possible now.
A few people mentioned Tinashe: Now that's a mystery. Because she checks the usual boxes: Light bright, attractive, talented, etc..but she just can't break through. Maybe it's behind the scenes sabotage or she's trying the wrong sound that doesn't fit her. But's it's definitely odd that she can't succeed in a sustained way.
Tinashe....could be that she chose not to do some sexual shyt that other broads were willing to do. I bet there are a lot of talented women that couldn't reach the top because there was just one or two dudes that wanted sloppy top and the women just decided not to go that route.
Tribal Outkast
Veteran
People hopped on too late. She dropped her best music before she “blew up” That’s not her fault though. She fell victim to what most artists in her time did. That’s way too many artists that should’ve been stars that weren’t.
Some of these names are killing me lol. Andre 3000? Dude was a fukking megastar at one point. There’s a reason people separate the Outkast fans pre Stankonia and the Outkast fans from Stankonia and after. Getting the guest 3000 verse was a big deal. He got movie roles, a cartoon.. That Hendrix movie was super ass, but he did get a Hendrix role. The only thing he didn’t do was try to carve out a singles career like Big Boi did. He definitely took advantage of his status though.Y’all be naming any and everyone.
Absolutely agree with the chris brown Rihanna situation. You are absolutely correct.
Lootha VanDraws
'The Night I Fell in Love' is the GOAT R&B album
I thought Derek Luke would be a big star after Antwone Fisher, but his film appearances have been sparse. Last thing I remember seeing breh in was the first Captain America movie.
feelosofer
#ninergang
Terrence Trent Darby
IYKYK
I kid but I'm.
Dude was so far ahead of his time.
feelosofer
#ninergang
Peedi Crakk should have blown up. A lot of Philly rappers owe him and debt because they are all off shoots of his style.
Cassidy - Its extremely rare for a freestyle rapper to have songs that cross over and become big hits. Unfortunately his follow ups where kinfa weak and that was that.
Young Dro was one of the few rappers who had a personality to match the rhymes and he had some really great songs.
Rhymefest - Dude had almost a decade of Ghostwriting and was a skillef rapper in his own right. I think had be came out a few years later he would have had a more successful solo career. Man in the mirror mixtape is low key one of the best Michael Jackson tributes of all time.
For the older dudes who can remember.
Prince had a project group called the Family back in the mid 80s. Basically the Prince the Time Band members minus JJ and TL and Morris and St Paul this white dude who could sing. The music was dope but Prince abandoned it too soon imo.
Cassidy - Its extremely rare for a freestyle rapper to have songs that cross over and become big hits. Unfortunately his follow ups where kinfa weak and that was that.
Young Dro was one of the few rappers who had a personality to match the rhymes and he had some really great songs.
Rhymefest - Dude had almost a decade of Ghostwriting and was a skillef rapper in his own right. I think had be came out a few years later he would have had a more successful solo career. Man in the mirror mixtape is low key one of the best Michael Jackson tributes of all time.
For the older dudes who can remember.
Prince had a project group called the Family back in the mid 80s. Basically the Prince the Time Band members minus JJ and TL and Morris and St Paul this white dude who could sing. The music was dope but Prince abandoned it too soon imo.
