The Rawkus Curse?

[Philaflava]

While being a bit ridiculous and somewhat earnest at the same time, I've come to realize "most" of the careers have significantly took a turn for the worst after spending time on the once beloved indie label Rawkus.

Ride with me on this before that backpack pride rears its ugly head.

There is no denying that at one point Rawkus was distinguished as an intricate part of the entire indie years. While they've had their share of horror stories, suspicious backings or hidden agendas, the fact remains Rawkus was a major player eons ago.

In '97 Co Flow put out a remarkable album, later broke up.

In '98 Black Star finally put out an album, not as remarkable, but still very good. Technically they still record but it was their last album and both rappers careers have taken a turn for the worst.

In '99 High & Mighty released "Home Field Advantage" which proved guest appearances can help generate minimal interest. Besides being the butt of many jokes for many years, the group is no longer and hasn't made any material close to receiving minimal interest since their debut.

In '99 Mos Def dropped Black on Both Sides. Mixed reviews but overall many people enjoyed Dante's whining on the album. However; its a universal census that he has not made anything nearly as good since 1999 and its 2013 now.

In '99 Pharoahe Monch decide the solo route was his best option. He dropped Internal Affairs and while it had some bangers, the production seemed to be an issue for many Day 1 OK fans. Despite what many people say, this too was his last real good album. He has since changed his style a bit and OK has not made an album since. It's a lot sadder than you realize.

In '00 Rawkus released leftover and pieced together material of the late Big L. The album was a success, largely in part of Rawkus purchasing over 130K albums in hopes to make this a certified "Gold" record. Big L died yo!

In '00 Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek dropped Train of Thought, the album didn't hold up very well despite its few singles. It also lead to the group having some internal struggles. Both went their own ways to later drop an album NONE of you can remember and I highly doubt anyone actually bought it (Revolutions Per Minute).

I will post some of their other titles in their discog and you can do the rest. Hey thanks for those promises after Lyricist Lounge. Top 50 MC Zack de la Rocha still has yet to drop an album. Last Emperior is MIA. Sir Menelik is a certified nut. The list goes on and on. It's hard to find anybody from that label who has bettered themselves or even has a stable career today.

Hey remember that Rawkus 50? Worked out well I guess. Out of 50 rappers, I think 4 are still rapping today and by that I mean making music we care to download.

2001: Smut Peddlers - Porn Again
2001: Hi-Tek - Hi-Teknology
2001: Da Beatminerz - Brace 4 Impak
2002: Mad Skillz - I Ain't Mad No More
2002: Talib Kweli - Quality
2004: Talib Kweli - The Beautiful Struggle
2006: The Procussions - 5 Sparrows for 2 Cents
2006: Kidz in the Hall - School Was My Hustle
2006: Panacea - Ink Is My Drink
2007: Mr. J. Medeiros - Of Gods and Girls
2007: Blue Scholars - Bayani
2007: Marco Polo - Port Authority
2007: Panacea - The Scenic Route
2007: Point Blank - Don't Get Carried Away
2007: Hezekiah - I Predict A Riot

Rawkus 50

12Bit 12Bit
3rd Brillyance Grass Roots
6th Sense It's Coming Soon
Aarophat Aarodynamix
Atllas Arizona Ceasr
Barak Yalad A Loss For Words
Bekay The Horror Flick
Chuck Taylor Black Hop
Clan Destined And For Our Next Trick
Custom Made Truth Be Told
Cy Young Exactly
Cymarshall Law Hiphop In The Flesh
Doujah Raze Where You Are
Dutchmassive Crush Your System
Dynas Me, Myself & Rhymes
East The Right Direction
Finale Develop
Grand Agent Peak Oil / Agent & Raynge
Hassaan Mackey Soul For Sale
Intricate Minds Self-Hypnosis
Kaimbr Why Be Somebody Else
Kaze Block 2the Basement
kojoe Rawnin
Krukid Afr-I-Can
L.E.G.A.C.Y. L.E.G.A.C.Y.
Laws Super Thug Killa Rap EXCLAMATION
Mookie Jones Catch Me If You Can
Mr. Metaphor The Evolution of Marc Bars
Phenetiks Revolutionary Non-Pollutionary Mechanical Wonder
Pizon I Am Hip Hop
Prime From The Ground Up
Protoman Grey Area
Red Clay The Red Dawn
Roddy Rod Blunt Park Sessions (413)
scanz Prelude To A Legacy
Scavone The Rehab Record
Sev Statik & Dust Back To Dust
Silent Knight Hunger Strike
Span Phly Two Weeks Notice
Spit Supreme Whole Life For This
Spokinn Movement 60 Min. Spin Cycle
SunN.Y. Sun.N.Y.
The Foundation Forever Behind The Music
The Regiment The Come Up
The Smile Rays Smilin' On You
The1shanti the1shanti
TheBREAX theBREAX
Together Brothers Together Brothers
Wildabeast Many Levels
Willie Evans Jr. Communication

[citizen]

name some other non-rawkus underground rappers/producers from the era who have had recent success

[ardamus]

Sad thing about Rawkus 50 was there were some good projects from it that got shitty promotion. Like Krukid, Willie Evans Jr., L.E.G.A.C.Y., Cy Young, Aarophat, Clan Destined, and The Smile Rays. If they had a schedule right to drop all these albums, instead of just pushing them to have the artists do the push for them and chopping down the roster some, it could've worked.

[Philaflava]

name some other non-rawkus underground rappers/producers from the era who have had recent success

Look in our own backyard and you'll find a few.

[peanut butter]

Their roster wasnt ever really that deep. Of the artists that got their start at Rawkus, El-P and Mos Def were really the only two that had the talent to sustain a career. The hype of that era had packpackers thinkin that everything the label dropped was classic, same as No Limit and Ruff Ryders before. But in retrospect, you look at the artists putting out music, and most of em just weren't very good. Other than Funcrusher and Black Star/BOB, the best thing that Rawkus did was release the first two Soundbombing albums, and that was filled with people who weren't signed to the label.




PEACE

[ardamus]

I couldn't front on Smut Peddlers though. Wasn't the best album but conceptually some raw shit.

[mike eagle]

name some other non-rawkus underground rappers/producers from the era who have had recent success

this is my first thought as well. i cant think of many underground acts from that entire era that are still viable. rawkus might actually have the most success stories if you're looking at current relevance as the barometer

[Employee]

You guys clearly aren't listening to enough Mighty Mi.

[Philaflava]

name some other non-rawkus underground rappers/producers from the era who have had recent success

We can use the term loosely or not, but all rappers below have been involved in that era and has achieved either greater success or recent like you mentioned.

Aesop Rock
El-P
Atmosphere
Ka
MURS
Roc Marciano
R.A. The Rugged Man
Joell Ortiz

I can add on I'm sure.

[step one]

The same could be applied to Bad Boy, Death Row, Aftermath etc

[Employee]

Didn't Fat Beats do some shit similar to the Rawkus 50 that some members (nh @ "members") were part of?

[Jayou Ayen]

Pizon I Drive Slow In The Fast Lane

Fuck this mother fucker.



39

[myself]

name some other non-rawkus underground rappers/producers from the era who have had recent success

We can use the term loosely or not, but all rappers below have been involved in that era and has achieved either greater success or recent like you mentioned.

Aesop Rock
El-P
Atmosphere
Ka
MURS
Roc Marciano
R.A. The Rugged Man
Joell Ortiz

I can add on I'm sure.

A couple of those guys were on Rawkus releases and a couple more benefited from the post-Rawkus endeavors of the Rawkus guy.

[Employee]

Gloss & Pizon had beef too.

[myself]

The same could be applied to Bad Boy, Death Row, Aftermath etc

Yep. Basically, anyone who was once signed to Label Whatever in whatever genre of music never did anything as notable after leaving said label.

[Employee]

Alternate thread title/question: why do people carry a still-burning candle in their hearts for Rawkus?

[Employee]

The same could be applied to Bad Boy, Death Row, Aftermath etc

Yep. Basically, anyone who was once signed to Label Whatever in whatever genre of music never did anything as notable after leaving said label.

[Stieflkater]

Other than Funcrusher and Black Star/BOB, the best thing that Rawkus did was release the first two Soundbombing albums, and that was filled with people who weren't signed to the label.

+ some singles (e.g. http://www.discogs.com/artist/B-1)
+ http://www.discogs.com/Sir-Menelik-The- ... ase/431347

A 2012 Menelik + EL-P album would be dope...

[Employee]

A 2012 Menelik + EL-P album would be dope...

[Larry2times]

Practically no one still has a career 15 years in. Suppose I should care more abou 12"s from that era but pretty much the only Rawkus shit that I still revists Pharoahe and

2001: Smut Peddlers - Porn Again
2001: Hi-Tek - Hi-Teknology

and like Universal Magnetic and that.

Rawkus was cheeks in retrospect it just had more marketing dollars.

[Larry2times]

Oh yeah Menelik was great & The first Lounge and Soundbombing were decent. Otherwise even Wendi Murdoch couldnt protect that moneypit from its embarrassing legacy

[Spartan]

In '99 Mos Def dropped Black on Both Sides. Mixed reviews but overall many people enjoyed Dante's whining on the album.

[GentleJonesReturns]

largely in part of Rawkus purchasing over 130K albums in hopes to make this a certified "Gold" record

WOW

[step one]

largely in part of Rawkus purchasing over 130K albums in hopes to make this a certified "Gold" record

WOW

fact or rumour? I'd have thought the hype surrounding the release + L's reasonably large fanbase would've resulted in respectable units being shifted. I know the album is generally considered patchy but I assumed it was an album most people into East Coast rap wouldve bought.

[samdoom]

name some other non-rawkus underground rappers/producers from the era who have had recent success

We can use the term loosely or not, but all rappers below have been involved in that era and has achieved either greater success or recent like you mentioned.

Aesop Rock
El-P
Atmosphere
Ka
MURS
Roc Marciano
R.A. The Rugged Man
Joell Ortiz

I can add on I'm sure.

I'm confused by a lot of these names listed. Are you saying that these rappers achieved more success than the big names on Rawkus or that they achieved more success after Rawkus than during? In either case, I'm not sure I agree. Aesop Rock gained momentum after the Rawkus era and wasn't involved with the label. El-P was on Rawkus and achieved more success as a solo artist after. Atmosphere- same as Aesop Rock. Ka- hasn't really achieved success despite critical acclaim. Murs- same as Atmosphere and Aesop Rock. Roc Marc- under the radar or non-existent in Rawkus era and has gained some success and much critical acclaim. RA- hasn't really gained much acclaim or success, even during Rawkus days. Joell- had two songs drop on Rawkus under his old name but changed his whole style up after.

Regardless, other than El-P, Aesop Rock, and Atmosphere, none of the other names were close to as popular/successful as the heavyweights on Rawkus. Mos Def, Kweli, Monch, etc all still sell records and tickets based on what started on that label to this day. El, Aesop and Slug have all enabled themselves to live off of music and to gain success and acclaim but i'm not sure if they've reached the level of mos, kweli and monch from an overall assessment.

[Philaflava]

largely in part of Rawkus purchasing over 130K albums in hopes to make this a certified "Gold" record

WOW

fact or rumour? I'd have thought the hype surrounding the release + L's reasonably large fanbase would've resulted in respectable units being shifted. I know the album is generally considered patchy but I assumed it was an album most people into East Coast rap wouldve bought.

fact but how do you prove that?

[battlecatmeowstab212]

Alternate thread title/question: why do people carry a still-burning candle in their hearts for Rawkus?

I think people are just nostalgic for those few months in '99 when Rawkus was slowly gaining momentum in the mainstream outlets with a then-refreshing alternative style of hip-hop. The roster had so much potential, and people miss feeling that hopeful about a movement.

[Versive]

Top 50 MC Zack de la Rocha

Was this comment based on a thread from 04?

[B. Ware tha Siniq]

Top 50 MC Zack de la Rocha

Was this comment based on a thread from 04?

The infamous intellicon of 04.


Zach De La Rocha did drop an album by the way. It was forgettable, but it happened.

Thread's premise seems like shoddy trolling at best. Is anyone really that shocked by the career arcs of those involved? Mos Def being the most promising on a commercial level did move into film primarily, but also put out at least one other album arguably as good as any of his Rawkus material in The Ecstatic. In general there are plenty of releases from these rappers post-Rawkus era, and most of them were as good as the effort/money put into them.

Take any label from 96-00 and let's talk about the amazing leaps and bounds they took as artists in the next millenium. Sure there are labels that did more of substance than Rawkus alumnni, but we're talking about 13-17 years ago. Most of these artists have died out by now.

[Philaflava]

The Ecstatic is not arguably as good on any planet. DPB!