As in no longer in the public conscious/part of youth culture. Legacy artists can and do sell out tours and have hit number one albums if they drop but they don't need to drop consistently and you don't see them in celebrity news, have 20-somethings debate and discuss about.
When did Jay Z become a legacy artist? And how did Beyonce escape legacy artdom?
- Thread starter JadeB
- Start date
Seems like the obvious answer but I'd say around The Black Album.
Rap careers on average had maybe a shelf life of 2-3 years if you were successful. I think that was the first time a rapper had the wherewithal to be like "What more can I say? Accomplish?
Even though he was pump faking, he could have very well retired right then for real and still be Jay-Z legacy wise. Everything after that is icing on the cake.
Rap careers on average had maybe a shelf life of 2-3 years if you were successful. I think that was the first time a rapper had the wherewithal to be like "What more can I say? Accomplish?
Even though he was pump faking, he could have very well retired right then for real and still be Jay-Z legacy wise. Everything after that is icing on the cake.
After the black album jay z has had 6 multiplat albums
tons of plat and gold singles
so what kind of legacy artist do that lol
Piff Perkins
Veteran
Different genres. Beyonce is on that Michael Jackson/Madonna/Janet Jackson/etc level where her albums remain noteworthy events/moments long into her career. At some point that will end but not yet. Cowboy Carter did what, 400k first week? Even super star artists who still sell records aren't doing that. Gaga's album this year did about 220k first week, for reference.
I'd argue Jay didn't become a legacy artist until some point after 4:44. That album sold very well and had a hit record, so he was still very relevant. I'm sure he can still sell records, the same way U2 or Coldplay can still sell records. I just don't think he's capable of having a hit record at this point.
I'd argue Jay didn't become a legacy artist until some point after 4:44. That album sold very well and had a hit record, so he was still very relevant. I'm sure he can still sell records, the same way U2 or Coldplay can still sell records. I just don't think he's capable of having a hit record at this point.
The kind with enough brand loyalty as a RAPPER to garner interest well after your peak.
Emphasis on the rapper part because there is a shorter window for MC's than there is for someone like Barbara Streisand or someone along those lines that get tagged as "legacy artists". Putting a bookend, albeit temporary on his career made him an artist with a storied career up to that point.
shyt I'd say Nas been a legacy artist since Stillmatic, Eminem since 8 Mile.
Sure they've had impactful projects since those checkpoints but their legacy was pretty much set in stone.
That's the legacy right there. Them Wizards numbers count but it ain't budge the narrative much.
Piff Perkins
Veteran
The kind with enough brand loyalty as a RAPPER to garner interest well after your peak.
Emphasis on the rapper part because there is a shorter window for MC's than there is for someone like Barbara Streisand or someone along those lines that get tagged as "legacy artists". Putting a bookend, albeit temporary on his career made him an artist with a storied career up to that point.
shyt I'd say Nas been a legacy artist since Stillmatic, Eminem since 8 Mile.
Sure they've had impactful projects since those checkpoints but their legacy was pretty much set in stone.
That's the legacy right there. Them Wizards numbers count but it ain't budge the narrative much.
Nah you gonna have to explain how you can be a legacy artist and have the biggest song in the country, which he had with WTT years after The Black Album.
Metal Face
Superstar
since retirement
i played story of oj at a college party and they laughed at me
i played story of oj at a college party and they laughed at me
The kind with enough brand loyalty as a RAPPER to garner interest well after your peak.
Emphasis on the rapper part because there is a shorter window for MC's than there is for someone like Barbara Streisand or someone along those lines that get tagged as "legacy artists". Putting a bookend, albeit temporary on his career made him an artist with a storied career up to that point.
shyt I'd say Nas been a legacy artist since Stillmatic, Eminem since 8 Mile.
Sure they've had impactful projects since those checkpoints but their legacy was pretty much set in stone.
That's the legacy right there. Them Wizards numbers count but it ain't budge the narrative much.
6 multi plat albums before Black Album
6 multi plat albums after Black Album
If you read the OP, he's talking about legacy artists, not LEGACY ACTS. As in they can still have hits, successful tours and the possibility of new material without adhering to trends or the typical timelines for artists to stay relevant with the youth.
A legacy act is somebody who's career is in statis and people only tune into them for what is held within their legacy, little to no expectation of new material. I feel like ya'll are aguing against the latter when I don't think that's the argument that's being made.
Someone pointed it out out to me that Nas was always more innovative as both Jay and Nas aged.
Nas essentially just kept dropping projects as a mature artist and eventually got that grammy. He also made Hip Hop is Dead. He also made Life is Good.
Hov has kinda been chasing Nas’ artistic direction as both artists aged.
Hov isn’t active because I dont think he knew how to do so.
Nas essentially just kept dropping projects as a mature artist and eventually got that grammy. He also made Hip Hop is Dead. He also made Life is Good.
Hov has kinda been chasing Nas’ artistic direction as both artists aged.
Hov isn’t active because I dont think he knew how to do so.
Beyonce was smart to tag her current era as a trilogy to sustain her for basically through this decade. It maintains interest and develops that implicit attachment to her career.
Hov always wanted to be some sort of boss and call shots. He didn’t want to be “just an artist”.
the cac mamba
Veteran
that mold don’t fit Jay. Jay z fanbase always was more older than young. A lot of artists with younger fanbases get left behind when kids grow up. jay had young fans no doubt but his base was always older. Jay fanbase was set it stone for the most part. i really believe that’s the biggest reason he ain’t fall off. So this dont apply to him imo. Because if he drop an album. It’s gonna be a big deal. I really big deal (trump voice)
fun fact: solo jay z, the last time he sold under 400k first week was 1998. Ironically enough that album is his highest selling album to date