Rapper's Delight: The Fine Line

posted in: Urban

For aspiring hip hop artists, releasing a debut album can be a scary moment. If the album flops, it can damage more than just your reputation”it can also make you doubt yourself, your talent and the very music you poured your heart into. But, on the flip side, what if a first album is too good? What if an artist drops a landmark album and spends the rest of his/her career living in its shadow? Many rappers who are defined by their first release (or single) leave fans vexed by years of comparably lukewarm releases afterwards.

Take Vanilla Ice, for example. When To The Extreme dropped in 1990, it was the fastest selling hip hop album of all time and won him both Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist and Favorite Rap/Hip Hop New Artist at the 1991 American Music Awards. And, of course, the monumental track “Ice, Ice Baby””one of the first hip hop singles to top the Billboard charts”is credited with making hip hop popular with white people. Whether you love it or hate it, you have to admit it’s remarkably catchy. But how could he possibly keep pace with such a stirring debut? Especially because, and let’s be honest here, his well of musical ability isn’t really all that deep. After five more studio releases (soon to be six), he’s still barely more than a faint and mildly amusing memory to most.

Another prime example is Nelly. Since the success of Country Grammar in 2000, Nelly has never regained the same level of sensation. Granted, he’s had his share of hits: “Hot in Herre,” “Dilemma,” “Air Force Ones” and “Pimp Juice” for starters. But none of his four later albums match the 8.4 million US copies sold of Country Grammar and, besides, “Country Grammar” and “Ride wit Me” will always have a special place in our hearts. And we could go on and on: Chingy. Chamillionaire. Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Not that Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch were necessarily destined for greatness, but the smashing success of Music For The People set the bar a little high. It didn’t help, of course, that their follow up album was rushed out in a year and lacked a healthy chart-topping single. But that’s enough about Marky Mark.

Don’t be too disconcerted, though. There are just as many artists out there who have had illustrious and enduring careers despite their industry shattering debut albums. Take the Wu Tang Clan, for example, with Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). While virtually impossible to top, this hip hop benchmark paved the way for a legendary career without killing its longevity. Of course there’s also the Beastie Boy’s Licensed to Ill, Nas‘ Illmatic, Biggie’s Ready To Die and Dr. Dre’s The Chronic”none of these artist have exactly fallen off the face of the earth either. It’s a phenomenon worth thinking about though; the line between a positive first release and a destructive one may not be as simple as just tallying album sales.