Philaflava.com ::

Previous "Winners":

2014 – Big Bank Hank of Sugarhill Gang
2015 – Sean Price / Ruckus of Heltah Skeltah
2016 – Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest
2017 – Prodigy of Mobb Deep



For the full list including dates and causes, visit They Reminisce.

The Godfather USO!

Voted Craig Mack.

His albums were terrible but he was a good singles artist: the MC EZ & Troup 12"; the handful of Bad Boy anthems; Jockin' My Style; a couple of his late 90s/early 00's indie 12"s.

Voted XXX simply for how publicized his death was. Could be either him or Mac Miller honestly. Weren't fans of either really.

Amityville was one of my fave jams as a kid. Voted Lovebug Starski.

Fredro Santana dying hit me the hardest

Craig Mack had the best death of all.

Thanks for still doing these too. They're always fun.

The first five responses, five different answers. In previous years there were more clear-cut choices, the voting was kind of a foregone conclusion.

Career Over Like Mike(NJJ) wrote:Voted Craig Mack.

Had an inkling that this would be the :phila:ick.

Honorable mention to Syko for producing Thizzelle Dance and Boss Tycoon?

Rhyme 4 Rhyme wrote:Voted XXX simply for how publicized his death was. Could be either him or Mac Miller honestly.

Those are definitely the two relevant in the moment / headline picks. XXX is getting murals put up around the globe. Couldn't be happier to be an out of touch old man as far as not getting that.

They make for an interesting dichotomy though, especially during these times. (Guns vs. opioids, violent vs. peaceful, murder vs. self destruction, etc.) Gotta be two of the biggest dying at the peak of their careers / the height of their popularity type artists since the nineties, right?

Spartan wrote:Voted Lovebug Starski.

Was hoping he'd at least get a nod.

GUCCI CONDOMS wrote:Fredro Santana dying hit me the hardest.

Started off the year with a big name, saddingly a lot more followed.

Philaflava wrote:Thanks for still doing these too. They're always fun.

Gotta keep the memes alive at least. For sure. They're a good distillation of what this place has always been about. Reminiscing, knowledge, humor.

My fave Syko production for Dre would be this song I only discovered last year:



Jimmy Wopo was definitely a sad one for me. He was very hit and miss but when he did get it right (both Elm Street songs, Walkin ' Bomb 2, First Day Out, Bout Jimmy) he was so good.

Sad to see that another one of the American Cream Team guys died. The few tracks they dropped were all excellent. Lord Superb hook on It’s Not A Game is one of my favs.

I guess Bankie died in 2000 and the album never materialized.

craig, miller, and red

Career Over Like Mike(NJJ) wrote:My fave Syko production for Dre would be this song...

Jimmy Wopo was definitely a sad one for me. He was very hit and miss but when he did get it right... he was so good.

Syk did damn near half that Mac Dammit Man comp. Agreed on Wopo, he had a few hits.

Gyangsta 4 Life wrote:Sad to see that another one of the American Cream Team guys died. I guess Bankie died in 2000...

Yeah Chip Banks was shot and killed December 9th, 2000.

sean wrote:Craig, Miller, and Red.

Hey Sluggo. Glad someone brought up Ready Red.

surprised this site hasn't had a rap celeb dead pool at some point

TheBigSleep wrote:

Rhyme 4 Rhyme wrote:Voted XXX simply for how publicized his death was. Could be either him or Mac Miller honestly.

Those are definitely the two relevant in the moment / headline picks. XXX is getting murals put up around the globe. Couldn't be happier to be an out of touch old man as far as not getting that.

They make for an interesting dichotomy though, especially during these times. (Guns vs. opioids, violent vs. peaceful, murder vs. self destruction, etc.) Gotta be two of the biggest dying at the peak of their careers / the height of their popularity type artists since the nineties, right?

Yeah, these are the main two that come to mind. L died in 2000, but I assume you were referring to him with your post above. I know Mac Dre died somewhat young, however I don't follow his career nearly enough to know if he was in his prime or not. A case could be made for Dilla, however much different circumstances and with much less surprise.

TheBigSleep wrote:

Philaflava wrote:Thanks for still doing these too. They're always fun.

Gotta keep the memes alive at least. For sure. They're a good distillation of what this place has always been about. Reminiscing, knowledge, humor.

Agreed, these polls are great. Are you putting together the other ones also? (Best Album, Best EP, etc.)

Big L was killed February 15th, 1999 if that's what you meant. I was really just referring to that time period in general because of Eazy-E in '95, Pac in '96, Big in '97, those guys were worldwide names already. L and Pun to a lesser extent.

Mac Dre certainly wasn't showing signs of falling off, he was running things and was big locally but really blew up globally after, kinda like with L. Recently, before the last few years with Price, Phife, and Prodigy, there thankfully hadn't been as many huge star type names that were still in the midst of working when their career was cut short. You'd probably have to go back over a decade to Pimp C for someone with that amount of work put in, a current dedicated fanbase, and who was still doin' it, with that level of name recognition.

I probably won't, if I do anything more it'd be a little something maybe. This is the first anyone has asked for it and it's become an increasing amount of work for ever diminishing returns.

TheBigSleep wrote:Big L was killed February 15th, 1999 if that's what you meant.

Ah, you're right you're right. My mistake.

Just reading it again after bumping "Special Delivery" remix kinda hit me so it's definitely Craig Mack for me.

no question lovebug starski, RIP to the bronx legend. It's the house on the hill!

TheBigSleep wrote:Big L was killed February 15th, 1999 if that's what you meant. I was really just referring to that time period in general because of Eazy-E in '95, Pac in '96, Big in '97, those guys were worldwide names already. L and Pun to a lesser extent.

Mac Dre certainly wasn't showing signs of falling off, he was running things and was big locally but really blew up globally after, kinda like with L. Recently, before the last few years with Price, Phife, and Prodigy, there thankfully hadn't been as many huge star type names that were still in the midst of working when their career was cut short. You'd probably have to go back over a decade to Pimp C for someone with that amount of work put in, a current dedicated fanbase, and who was still doin' it, with that level of name recognition.

I probably won't, if I do anything more it'd be a little something maybe. This is the first anyone has asked for it and it's become an increasing amount of work for ever diminishing returns.

Since you're not going to do any more lists, can we all just agree that Mindbender was the worst poster of 2018?

might go with EDM to be honest, mindbender is a creep but EDM is his even gayer shadow

@BigSleep

Can we get a Minortoucher Futurama vs. INCEL DARTH MALEK worst poster poll?

XXX was of the greatest magnitude. easy



also ITT: the combined forces of the NY coke-snorting 18 month dry-spell crew riding DEEP on my jock. how often do you fellas think about me? real question.

This might be the first I heard Allah Real died. RIP...

One of the best songs in the whole Wu catalog IMO:



Voted him, Purb, Starski, Alias and Craig Mack.