Why can't certain rappers reclaim that glow or spark they had?

[Ziggiy]

Mos Def could still make a classic i believe but he truly don’t give a fukk about rap almost like Andre 3000.


Cam’ron was never that good to begin with. He got by on MASSIVE amounts of swag and thats only going to last you but so long.


Eminem was the Great White Hope. Again, he was NEVER that great of an artist to begin with. He got by on white people exulting him as Hip Hop’s Elvis.


50 Cent never really seemed like he had a true love for the artform. He looks to be very much content making it big in the movie/television landscape. I don’t think Hip Hop was ever truly his endgame.


Jeezy, same thing as 50. Music was more of a hustle for him.


Luda went the actor route.


Styles P & Common still got it in MY opinion. Common especially, his last three albums have been great.


T.I. never fully recovered from that weird “reality star” phase. He became a caricature of himself

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

Because at a certain point they’ve said what they had to say, they been rich for too long - especially the ones who made it talking street shyt don’t have much to contribute being 8 years and $50M removed from that environment, complacency, outdated style - flow, content and beat selection. Lastly, you also grow an change, you not gonna respond to music and be in awe of someone the same way at 32 that you was at 17 when they dropped. How you interact with music changes as you age


It’s more of an anomaly to be dropping pure fire 5+ years into a career than not which is why you appreciate the folks who’ve had great longevity (10+ years of heat) - nas, Jay, LL, OutKast, Kanye, Kendrick, even drake, etc

 

[frush11]

In Hip Hop, in a lot of cases, it's based on timing.

Kweli, for example, benefited from being around MC's that were on legendary runs. He hung around greats, and that really became a lifeline for his career back then. Dude was getting booed off the stage at Lyricist Lounge back in the day, in NYC. The crowd there would run you outta there, if you showed up for Open Mic Night and did some wack shyt. He was always clowned and ran out the building. But once he started running with Mos, Common and the Soulquarians thing, and spent time with more certified MC's, he was accepted. Later on, he used the Kanye affiliation. That saved him. But when that ended, he basically ended.

That's how Hip Hop is. The majority of these dudes ride waves and benefit from timing. The GOAT's, are the ones that can do whatever whenever they choose to, and still shine. Nas is 30 years in, winning Grammy's and still dropping critically acclaimed work. Other legends have had runs that seemed to last forever. That's what separates the legends from the average rappers. A lot of these dudes had short runs that ended a long time ago.

Please stop, Nas is not dropping anything great. And honestly I'll stack Common's discography against Nas anyday.

 

[CrimsonTider]

I even tried to like Lloyd Banks's new shyt but it just doesn't have that "feel" of his old shyt. *Continues to play Victory and Banks Workout*

Rappers have primes bruh

that’s why you have to open yourself up to new artist

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

Some rappers spend their entire lives to make that classic album and it usually their first.

I respectfully disagree. I’m certain most of these rappers that people hail as having seminal records did not intend on doing so. Do they want to make money? Sure Do they want to put out their best effort? Yes Yet the factors that play a role in making a “classic” record are not set in stone otherwise there would be no bad records. It’s the fans that have this thirst to ordain albums classic

 

[H. Selassie]

@Ziggiy I have to agree and disagree on Cam.

Camron can and has always been able to rap. I think at some point he started getting a certain amount of money from non rap ventures…that he stopped caring about the quality of his projects under the assumption his swag would carry him to your point. That said…over the past 10 years…Cam has had PLENTY of moments that made me say “damn, if he could just lock in with the right producer for 10-12 joints”…

 

[Ziggiy]

Please stop, Nas is not dropping anything great. And honestly I'll stack Common's discography against Nas anyday.

 

[Mike the Executioner]

Mos Def could still make a classic i believe but he truly don’t give a fukk about rap almost like Andre 3000.


Cam’ron was never that good to begin with. He got by on MASSIVE amounts of swag and thats only going to last you but so long.


Eminem was the Great White Hope. Again, he was NEVER that great of an artist to begin with. He got by on white people exulting him as Hip Hop’s Elvis.


50 Cent never really seemed like he had a true love for the artform. He looks to be very much content making it big in the movie/television landscape. I don’t think Hip Hop was ever truly his endgame.


Jeezy, same thing as 50. Music was more of a hustle for him.


Luda went the actor route.


Styles P & Common still got it in MY opinion. Common especially, his last three albums have been great.


T.I. never fully recovered from that weird “reality star” phase. He became a caricature of himself

Eminem in his prime actually was great. He was capable of rhyming technically sound while not sacrificing his musicality. He actually sounded like he belonged on tracks with Dr. Dre and Jay-Z without taking away from them. His run during that time (SSLP, MMLP, Devil's Night, Eminem Show, 8 Mile) was incredible.

The problem was that drugs got to him, and when he sobered up, he slowly started to forget what made his music great in the first place. Relapse was the lane he should have stayed in, eventually transitioning back into being an underground rapper working with guys like Alchemist and Sid Roams. But nobody from Interscope to the fans to the critics knew what he was doing with Relapse. So he switched up his style with Recovery and his career went in another direction.

 

[frush11]

Please, I've been surrounded by Nas stans for most off life, and I've heard all his projects. Com simply has a better discography then him.

 

[CrimsonTider]

I respectfully disagree. I’m certain most of these rappers that people hail as having seminal records did not intend on doing so. Do they want to make money? Sure Do they want to put out their best effort? Yes Yet the factors that play a role in making a “classic” record are not set in stone otherwise there would be no bad records. It’s the fans that have this thirst to ordain albums classic

this is absolutely correct but I feel it’s a different convo


Classic albums are more about the timing than they actual music

Illmatic is not a classic if it comes out in 2014

FHD is not a classic if comes out in 1994

and it’s hard for someone listening to these projects for the first time today to hear what makes them so impactful and classic

 

[NormanConnors]

Com JUST dropped some heat


Talib Kweli
Mos Def
Common
50 Cent
Eminem
Styles P
Cam'ron
Rick Ross
Jeezy
Ludacris
T.I.


The cats in the bold could drop something with the right dedication/time given to the lab and etc. When you are a brand and still have to write your own stuff and etc time becomes an enemy and music will suffer organically. Clowns like Drake that has a team do ALL of his music can cut and paste all day and not miss a beat.

The other guys fit what you are talking about for the most part.

 

[mbewane]

In Hip Hop, in a lot of cases, it's based on timing.

Kweli, for example, benefited from being around MC's that were on legendary runs. He hung around greats, and that really became a lifeline for his career back then. Dude was getting booed off the stage at Lyricist Lounge back in the day, in NYC. The crowd there would run you outta there, if you showed up for Open Mic Night and did some wack shyt. He was always clowned and ran out the building. But once he started running with Mos, Common and the Soulquarians thing, and spent time with more certified MC's, he was accepted. Later on, he used the Kanye affiliation. That saved him. But when that ended, he basically ended.

That's how Hip Hop is. The majority of these dudes ride waves and benefit from timing. The GOAT's, are the ones that can do whatever whenever they choose to, and still shine. Nas is 30 years in, winning Grammy's and still dropping critically acclaimed work. Other legends have had runs that seemed to last forever. That's what separates the legends from the average rappers. A lot of these dudes had short runs that ended a long time ago.

Didn't even know that. Never was a fan myself, I thought I was some kind of anomaly lol

Anyways like others have said the hunger that drives you early in your career is totally different when you start getting a little more comfortable, touring, getting involved in ventures outside of HH, meeting new people, etc. The energy from your beginnings just isn't there like that anymore. Obviously a lot of guys still have it but it's clear that once circumstances change so does the music. Might sound cliché but I would guess that for some rappers the music is literally their way out of of the struggle, so they give it their all. I guess it's like Kobe said, some guys relax once they've made it to the league.

 

[Awesome Wells]

Didn't even know that. Never was a fan myself, I thought I was some kind of anomaly lol.

He was known for that back then, lol. They booed him all the time. One night, he didn't want to get off the stage, so someone threw a bottle and a fight broke out. Supernat had to help him get out of there. I always say, Mos changed that dude's life. Nobody would fukk with him before Mos took him under his wing.