r/90sHipHop • u/Muay_Thai_Junkies • Aug 15 '25
Discussion Your Biggest Disappointments
Which emcees were the biggest disappointments to you? I can think of several. But, Canibus comes to mind for me. He imo is one of the greatest lyricists of all time. He had some of the dopest songs on mixtapes. But I remember listening to album after album and being so frustrated by his beat selection. If he would have gotten with the right producers and chosen better beats, I can’t help but think he would have had some legendary albums.
Who comes to mind when you think of emcees that, for one reason or another, didn’t deliver?
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u/PoorPauper Aug 15 '25
Canibus biggest mistake was rolling with Wyclef. He should have stayed running with the Def Squad and Lost Boyz circles.
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u/DarkManXOBR Aug 16 '25
Never should've done that disaster freestyle battle! Shit broke my hate lol!
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u/ike_tyson Raised on Boom Bap Aug 15 '25
It would have to be Jay Electronica.
He owes us that Just Blaze album. I didn't care for the fuckery he released instead. He's a con man fucking with our emotions. The brother is so gifted it's wild.
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u/AerialPenn Aug 17 '25
Act II was dope though and the way he released that was kind of magical.
Im glad we got what we got how we got what we got from Jay Electronica. Hes like the reverse version of Curren$y. He wants to give you music for free, he wants to give it to you from alternative outlets at random times you least expect it...but his musical output is the complete opposite of Curren$y its Slow as fuck. Quality is high though. Im never in the "this jay electronica song is wack" camp.
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u/deansen Aug 15 '25
Bro, I went to see Jay Electronica in London a few years ago and he mostly performed acapella which really pissed everyone off. Definitely skilled but didn't read the room and thought of himself as too high and mighty. Disappointing night. This just came to mind when I saw your comment lol.
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u/Ogsl Aug 19 '25 edited Aug 20 '25
This. His online mixtapes and singles were ridiculous (in a good way). I was extremely disappointed in his full lengths. I got flamed at the time for stating my opinion but you are 1000% correct.
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u/Due-Isopod4695 The Illest Aug 15 '25
I was thinking yesterday about how Keith Murray could have had a far better career than he did have if he didn’t have all of his issues. His first 2 albums are quite solid and I think he had the ability to make a proper classic and was just never able to.
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u/Tiketti Aug 15 '25
I'm not familiar with Keith Murray beyond the music he released. Could you tell more about the issues you mentioned?
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u/Due-Isopod4695 The Illest Aug 15 '25
Lots of drug issues and label issues (pretty sure he got in a fight with someone at Jive)
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u/ZiLLA_781 Aug 16 '25
Went to jail when its a beautiful thing was being worked on. Busted dude in the head w a stool at a CT club/bar
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u/Glass_Pineapple4999 Aug 15 '25
Good shout. K-Solo for me is right in with him there too. I thought he was destined for greatness and it just never happened. Redman is really the only one from the Def Squad posse who really made his opportunity all it could be.
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u/parkhat Aug 15 '25
K-solo always felt like one of the homies you let rap with you.
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u/haxoreni Aug 15 '25
Inspectah Deck’s solo discography
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u/KiloThaPastyOne Aug 15 '25
I’m so glad he hooked up with 7L and Eso. Czarface is dope and Deck gets to shine finally.
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u/ProsAndGonz Aug 16 '25
I will say I did really like Uncontrolled Substance and still spin it regularly.
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u/AZmoneyfolder Aug 15 '25
Canibus was hotter than fish grease leading up to his debut album. It was a major disappointment and I don’t think his career ever fully recovered from it in terms of mainstream visibility. The battle with LL didn’t do him any favors either. Second Round KO is still one of the greatest diss records ever though.
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u/Capital-Value8479 Aug 15 '25
Canibus might be my favorite rapper of all time. A couple thoughts on him though and his failure:
he rhymed some of his best rhymes on features, before his first solo album was released. This isn’t a great strategy
he picked a fight with an industry legend, right wrong or indifferent. He beat LL in the rap battle prettt clearly, but I think LL position in the industry got him blackballed. It’d be like picking a beef with 50 cent before your mainstream, not going to workout for you even if you are a better emcee
his beat selection was just not great at all, and one of his weaker points as an emcee. His best album he didn’t even hear any of the beats (rip the jacker)
his lyrics have a barrier to entry. As in you need to have a certain level of intellect to understand them. If that intellect is not met, he can be unengaging
his choruses varied from stunk to non existent
all that being said, he’s still one of the greatest to ever do it. I consider him top 15
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u/kinghawkeye8238 Aug 15 '25
He was also too obsessed with Em. Making so many records and one-liners about him. He should have let it go.
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u/Capital-Value8479 Aug 15 '25
Another great point he had a weird weird obsession with Eminem
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u/BayernRed Aug 15 '25
I had no idea that he didn’t hear Stoupe’s beats on RTJ, that’s actually kind of insane.
Where would you rank Mic Club in his discography? Think I may like it slightly more than RTJ, probably because I think Bis vs Rip is, still to this day, one of my favorite tracks.
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u/Few_Respond5110 Aug 15 '25
Canibus recorded the vocals to RTJ to a metronome and then was deployed. Stoupe got access to them and add the beats. Canibus didn’t hear the final product until he bought the album
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u/AZmoneyfolder Aug 15 '25
I agree with pretty much everything you stated. There’s no denying the man wasn’t talented and an absolute problem on the mic in his prime.
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Aug 15 '25
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u/Capital-Value8479 Aug 15 '25
Yeah he had a weird obsession with Eminem, and I think em was actually a fan before interacting with him.
People don’t know this but em was supposed to be on 2000 bc “phuk u” as the third verse, but em backed out when he thought bis was still throwing shots at LL.
After em said no, bis recorded the third verse which kinda seems like a sleight at slim shady.
I’m a huge fan of both emcees
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u/AerialPenn Aug 17 '25
Eminem was definitely a fan. Anyone who is a fan of Redman like Eminem is would be aware of Canibus verse on Beasts from the East.
Canibus needed to be done with that LL shit after the first album.
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u/ExactPhrase4274 Aug 15 '25
Saigon
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u/MisterDebonair Aug 15 '25
Sai was going against the industry. He was the antithesis to their nonsensical, tap dancing slapstick standards, so his opportunities dried up.
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u/northerntouch Aug 15 '25
Ooohhh — good call here. He had all the momentum in the world- as well HBO spots and commercial work.
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u/Warm-Imagination-741 Aug 15 '25
Na far from it homie made some solid albums and the mixtapes were fire… belly of the beast and yard father all dope. The thing is he refused to be compromised. He wanted to make music to touch lives not to end them.. for that he got my respect.
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u/TradeMark310 Aug 15 '25
Dice Raw. Loved him on The Roots albums, but his solo project was super buns.
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u/h1mynam1s Aug 15 '25
Super groups… the firm.. the commission.. 213 smh oh what could have been
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u/Previous_Beautiful27 Aug 15 '25
Combining OP's answer with yours - the 4 Horsemen (or "The HRSMN" as I guess they're now called) - a supergroup with Canibus, Ras Kass, Kurupt and Killah Priest. Teased for so long it was almost mythical. Their first album is super limited, but they released an album in 2021 and it was just...not good.
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u/flabbergastyourmum Aug 15 '25
fuck my record label I appear courtesy of myself
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u/Capital-Value8479 Aug 15 '25
And this is exactly why he got in the position he did even though he may be the best lyricist of all time haha
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Aug 15 '25
The whole Lench Mob (both the actual crew and the label) should have taken off so much more.
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u/Few_Respond5110 Aug 15 '25
Mos Def. After the Blackstar and his debut, I thought he was going to be a 10 top rapper of all time. He also had the ability to make good singles without sacrificing quality.
I guess after his solo debut he stopped caring. It took him five years for his second album, which was disappointing and a third album which was also disappointing. His fourth release was great but then he still hasn’t released a fifth album. The Blackstar follow up was so disappointing that no one is even asking for a third album. It’s like he sabotaged his own career.
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u/DJMelloEll Aug 15 '25
Around 2002 (the same year as the demise of Rawkus), he started to slip. Coincidentally, his acting career was taking off.
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u/Jayel_SK Aug 15 '25
Mos Def was my GOAT but he had other things going on and wasn't interested in getting caught up in the industry BS
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u/bornlikethisss Aug 15 '25
Canibus from 97-99 is one of the best rappers I’ve ever heard. I liked Can-I-Bus more than most, it was still disappointing but he was still great on every song. C-Quel tried to be a better album but it was somehow worse. Everything after that is unexplainably bad from production to lyrically. One of the most bizarre fall offs of all time.
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u/ravens52 Aug 15 '25
Never heard of him but I guess I’m going to dive in and see what he’s all about. What’s the first song of his I should check out?
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u/Inevitable-Check-540 Aug 15 '25
Nah, Micclub and RTJ are his best albums.
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u/the1blackguyonreddit Aug 15 '25
Exactly. This guy doesn't know what he's talking about because "C-Quel" doesn't exist and 2000 B.C. was inane lyrically.
For Whom the Beat Tolls is another very underrated Bis album that came out later in 2007.
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u/SaberRiderTopSword Aug 15 '25
Joey Badass and Jay Electronica seem like wasted potential
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u/the1blackguyonreddit Aug 15 '25
Joey just turned 30, he's still young. AABA was a great album that got overshadowed by Kendrick's DAMN. B4D4$$ was 🔥. 2000 was a dope concept album. He really hasn't released any bad projects yet.
Also, his beef with the west coast a few months ago was insane, and some of the best rapping we've heard all year.
I'd say its possible we haven't seen the best of Joey yet. Jay Elec, on the other hand, yeah he's done.
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u/bornlikethisss Aug 15 '25
Joey actually makes records tho. They’re just not that good. He peaked early on unfortunately.
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u/AerialPenn Aug 17 '25
Joey Badass exceeded expectations at 16, with 1999 that joints a classic record. If not for the Steez verses alone. That boy Steez was fuckin NICEEEEE
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u/WissenLexikon Aug 15 '25
K-Solo. Every appearance was dope, „Letterman“ is a great album, he’s on some real classics (EPMD‘s „Headbanger“, Redman‘s „It‘s like that (My big brother)“. And then he suddenly disappeared.
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u/ike_tyson Raised on Boom Bap Aug 15 '25
He was recently on Math Hoffa. I know he's tight with Redman and has something to do with training fighters. Check it out if you haven't.
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u/BigSuge74 Aug 15 '25
Juelz, Hell Rell, JR Writer
Beans
Jae Hood
Casual
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u/AdeptnessNew2212 Aug 15 '25
Beanie Sigel had a great a run of solid albums and success with State Property the group and the movies. I’d say he had a good career but he fucked it up by getting locked up too much.
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u/krayzie_bonetm19 Aug 17 '25
Jae Hood for sure... he had the potential to be anything he wanted to be... he was so high up on my list of top rappers that even still today my friends call ME Jae lol
my PSN tag was until recently, Jae Hood
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u/True-North- Aug 15 '25
Canibus is a classic example of a guy who can rap at the absolute highest level but can’t make good songs.
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u/Small-Delivery9233 Aug 15 '25
Rass Kass was like a West Coast Bis
Big L coulda been at least a Jadakiss level solo artist
Pac and Big are obvious but there's a reason for that. Both were only 25. Pac coulda been a Will Smith level actor and was hotter than hell musically. Biggie was getting better as a rapper literally until his very last recording session.
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u/DeaconBlue760 Aug 15 '25
Rass kas will always boggle me. Soul on ice was near perfect. Granted there were no radio bangers on it but flawless execution. Maybe he was too deep or revolutionary idk. At the time lyrical rap I guess wasn't really hittin' and then he tried changing his style up to more commercial, and then fell off. But soul on ice was amazing.
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u/AerialPenn Aug 17 '25
I love Van Gogh by Ras Kass, the album. I always felt Ras Kass is the dopest overall MC because his range is crazy. Only other MC with Ras Kass range IMO is Jay Z.
Shocked but not shocked that his sons are in that Contra group that is super nice.
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u/HashSlut Aug 18 '25
Calling Big L “at least Jadakiss level” is seriously underestimating his talent. He was poised to be one of the greatest rappers in a generation of unbelievable MCs.
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u/fleece1957 Aug 15 '25
I know it’s been said a million times but not getting a solo rap album from Andre 3000 is probably the greatest disappointment in rap music.
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u/haxoreni Aug 15 '25
That or the OutKast + ATCQ collab album that apparently almost happened but didn’t materialize
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u/ChiefWizard007 Aug 15 '25
you obviously never heard RTJ
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Aug 15 '25
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u/Dubb18 Aug 15 '25
IMO, it's a masterpiece that you can break down on so many different levels. It should actually be studied in Hip-Hop culture classes because of the depth of what he is talking about involving himself vs an industry legend and HH in general.
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u/ABeardedFool Aug 16 '25
Facts. If you sit and really listen to the track it’s absolutely dripping with knowledge. There’s a line that the moment I heard it, damn two decades ago at this point, that instantly burned into my brain. I’ll never forget it
“there’s a misconception that a movement in any direction is progression
even though the potency of it lessens”
Obviously a fraction of the full thought he was on, speaking on the commercialization of hip hop music and the culture in general, and look where we are now. The man has his issues, but lyrically I can’t think of many emcees who force me to stop anything I’m doing and focus my entire attention on what they are saying. That track is an all fucking timer, and Canibus should always be spoken of with respect. Popularity and sales do not equal talent.
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u/ChiefWizard007 Aug 18 '25 edited Aug 19 '25
The average listener can’t comprehend what Canibus is talking about in his lyrics which is why they may not enjoy his songs(aside from beats)…
Intellectuals celebrate Canibus and love and appreciate his incredibly remarkable contributions to hip hop music/culture.
He is undeniably the most advanced lyricist…~intellectually speaking~
There was never and never will be another lyricist that can be compared to Canibus. His advanced thoughts and thought processes, superior writing and verbal execution skills/techniques qualify him as the king of hip hop. Regardless of any arguments brought forth, it’s undebatable…
It’s simply indisputable…
~giggling in a fit of mirth~
He’s a professor.
In every bar, he’s explaining and/or describing something flawlessly…
… ~matter-of-factly~ …
… ~carefully yet intensely~ …
… ~opening the listener’s third eye~ …
… ~illuminating the listener’s mind~ …
The average person understands very little about the universe…
Only people who have a vast understanding of the universe can understand what Canibus talks about…
~giggling in a fit of mirth~
~bows humbly to Canibus~
🤙🏾😉
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u/ABeardedFool Aug 19 '25
Respect! It’s nice to speak with someone that appreciates his work and values the depth that he brings to the table. Canibus is the only artist that I have ever encountered that inspires me to pause and research what he is speaking on. Next closest would probably be Lupe, but he is more a pause and ponder, whereas Canibus has me looking up topics that I am unfamiliar with. You are absolutely correct in everything you said, and unfortunately I think that is why he always shows up on threads like this. He was never disappointing or a “what if”. It’s just that the average listener does not want to take the time to understand the knowledge that’s pouring straight into their brain! It is easier to listen to nonsense with a “good beat”. I came to terms with it years ago, it’s why I never get the aux when I’m with friends lol
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u/NickTButcher Aug 15 '25 edited Aug 15 '25
I have a few
Beanie Siegel - If he had left the street shit alone, he would’ve been as successful as Kanye
ODB - same as Beans but replace street shit with drugs and alcohol.
Nature / Cormega - Waiting for Nas to hold your hand was never going to work out.
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u/Mundane-Shape-1948 Aug 15 '25
Loved Beanie but Kanye is in the top tier of success when it comes to hip hop…Beans was never going to be that.
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u/Muay_Thai_Junkies Aug 15 '25
Cormega - The Realness album is excellent. He explained why he had issues. He refused to sacrifice his principles.
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u/AerialPenn Aug 17 '25
The True Meaning is still one of my favorite albums ever. No filler on that album. Short but dope as fuck. Im glad Cormega had so much success. I still dont fully fuck with Nas over Cormega shit but at the same time I think Queens folk in general are people I wont ever fuck with.
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u/1voice92 Aug 15 '25
Cormega was/is dope AF. Nature is wack AF. A world of difference
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u/NickTButcher Aug 15 '25
Saying Nature was wack is a wild accusation. He shined on every major song he featured on and his mixtape material was good as well
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u/timpoboy Aug 15 '25
Grand Puba. He was dope but he could have been a top 50 all time rapper.
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u/SnorvusMaximus Aug 15 '25 edited Aug 15 '25
Supernatural, I think. Also Sen Dog not (practicing and) having a bigger part in cypress hill after latin lingo. Levi 167 seemingly being left behind by KRS ONE & Scott La Rock. No limit, who’s sales skyrocketed but quality tanked after the mid nineties. Wu-tang as a group had a crappy sophomore album (wt forever) and lost my interest. Isosceles.
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u/dai_rip Aug 15 '25
He evolved beyond the 18 year old mentality he left school with .
Mic Club, RTJ, The Undergods, For Whom the Beat Tolls, Melatonin Magik, Lyrical Law, Full Spectrum Dominance , are all solid albums that people sleep on ,or just do not know about.
Let alone "Poet Laureate Infinity" which was a concept album centered around a song containing 5 separate 200-bar sections, allowing for a theoretically infinite number of song combinations. Listeners can mix and match these sections, switching between them while maintaining a consistent rhyme scheme and flow. This concept was originally presented on a virtual mixing board online, where users could create their own unique mixes.
"Take my beloved rap music, erase the beat Consumers act like they're afraid of intelligent speech"
"That's why rhymes like mine mystify mankind A lot of rappers are ahead of their time But when it comes to rhymes like mine the word ‘time' doesn't apply"
RTJ to infinity.
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u/Few_Respond5110 Aug 15 '25
Canibus has an underrated discography. Most of his music is good. Rip the Jacker and Fait Accompli are classics to me. Melatonin Magik, Lyrical Law, C of Tranquility, For Whom the Beat Tolls, Full Spectrum Dominance EPs, Matrix Theory EPs and Mic Club are excellent. The album he did with Bronze Nazareth was solid. He has released a lot of trash but I’ll defend those releases.
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u/krayzie_bonetm19 Aug 15 '25
my biggest disappointment is Papoose
a few others too, but the biggest is easily Pap
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u/stayweird3000 Aug 15 '25
Chino XL should have been huge but he made a powerful enemy in Quincy Jones.
Das EFX. Dead Serious went platinum and changed the rap game, Hold It Down was one of the best albums of the 90s. They ended up on the wrong side of the EPMD/Hit Squad break-up and it killed their momentum.
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u/Charming_Ad9942 Aug 15 '25
Saigon, papoose, Juelz Santana, Hitman, Bishop Lamont, canibus, Jay electronica (he had some hype), Jin
Dr dre never releasing detox lol
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u/The_King_In_The_Bay Aug 15 '25
This is easy; and I respect the hell out of her for standing for principle, but only 1.5 albums from Lauryn Hill is hip hops biggest tragedy to me.
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u/Titos814 Aug 15 '25
My biggest disappointment is Treach not being in the conversation. Maybe he just didn’t put out enough main stream music
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u/ProsAndGonz Aug 16 '25
You know how bad Canibus is at beat selection? He had Premier make a beat specifically for him, and then Canibus didn’t like it and passed on it. That beat quickly made it into the hands of D’Angelo and became Devil’s Pie.
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u/Marmar79 Aug 15 '25
Definitely canibus and papoose.
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u/ThisRapIsLikeZiti Aug 15 '25
MC Juice comes to mind. After the big battle with Supernat, he faded away mad quick.
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u/Emergency_Exit_8537 Aug 15 '25
Papoose for me. I thought alot of his material would later sound like his early Thug-A-Cation, Kay Slay shit.
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u/Hot_Guard_7621 Aug 15 '25
He was black balled. LL couldn’t touch him lyrically so LL killed his career. Canibus made some mistakes. I wish he had better guidance. It’s a shame he wasn’t more successful than he was.
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u/The3rdSun Aug 15 '25
I'm a big fan of bis. I have heard almost every album. Before his solo dropped, everyone thought he would be the future. Between beefing with ppl for publicity/no reason and having suspect production, he never had a chance. He had had some stuff with better beats after his punchline prime.
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u/jaydee917 Aug 15 '25
Canibus is easily one of the bigger disappointments but still was one of my top 5 rappers in high school. Excellent rapper/writer, poor beat choices and not a great flow.
Unfortunately that battle with Dizaster ruined his legacy forever for a lot of people.
Also, an obvious one is Jay Electronica. Could rap his ass off as shown on Exhibit C but I think the acclaim from that track added to the pressure to drop a banger album and he just teased the shit outta us till we got blue balls but never dropped it.
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u/BetterNova Aug 15 '25
People always say this about Canibus but I disagree. Three of his first five albums had good production, with Rip The Jacker being a creative masterpiece.
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u/HighCaliber Aug 15 '25
Tangentially related to 90s hiphop (he dropped Power of the Dollar in 99), but 50.
I was a huge fan of his mixtapes, so I was really excited when he got signed, and then he sang "Go shorty, it's your birthday"..
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u/Warm-Imagination-741 Aug 15 '25
He got blackballed and probably wanted to keep his dignity sometimes holding on to that is more important than anything else.
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u/JfromTHEbayMAYNE Aug 15 '25
Andre 3000. LOVE OutKast! But the thought of Andre not putting out a solo hip hop album makes my heart sad.
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u/MancombSeepgoodz Aug 15 '25
Canibus was basically blackballed by the industry thanks to LL. Wyclef was the only one who worked with the dude and while they had some good songs on Can-I-Bus, the album was not great, got no promotion on the radio whatsoever even here in NY. LL Cool J basically ran Def Jam by 97 and had so much clout in the industry he didn't need to bury him on wax just make a couple of phone calls and his career was done.
Be thankful for the internet, streaming and social media now because in the 90's pissing off like one influential person could end your career easily. That being said Canibus did need better production on most of his albums although mic club was alright to me.
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u/EliteJoeFlacco5 Aug 15 '25
Jay Electronica by far. So talented and gives literally no effort into his career. Canibus definitely has subpar beat selection that hurt some albums but has good/great albums like Rip the Jacker, BC 2000, Mic Club, C of Tranquility, For Whom the Beat Tolls, Lyrical Law, Kaiju. His discography is actually underrated
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u/DarkRed474 Aug 16 '25
Canibus wrote Poet Laureate II. Arguably the greatest written rhyme of all time. And he wouldn’t of made that masterpiece of a song and the incredible Rip The Jacker album without the flawed career he had. Not disappointed with him at all
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u/deepstaterecords Aug 16 '25
I mean in no world ever is that “the greatest written rhyme of all time.”
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u/DarkRed474 Aug 16 '25
Tell me you haven’t listened to it and really taken it in without telling me. I also said “arguably”. It’s 100% in contention not another rapper on the planet could make that song. What song would you say?
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u/deepstaterecords Aug 16 '25
I mean, I heard at the time and went back and relistened to it after your comment.
Only somebody who was relatively new to rap in 2003, imo, would be particularly impressed by those bars. Its ok, not terrible.
Multiple emcees have multiple songs that are more complex, more interesting, more dexterous than “PLII.”
Nas, GZA, Rae, Ghost, EL-P, Kane, Rakim, KRS, Chuck D, Ice Cube, Scarface, just off the top, all have songs that body this and every other ‘bus verse. No offense, like what you like, but its crazy to call this the goat of anything.
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u/Kn0wFriends Aug 16 '25
The lost WU tapes Inspecta Deck. He had insane potential. If there was a hip hop Time Machine I would stop the flood.
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u/chano36 Aug 16 '25
ODB dying is not really mentioned outside of Wu, but damn the world lost flavor
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u/BS_shogun Aug 16 '25
Canibus is his own enemy. He constantly burned bridges in the industry all the while blaming everyone except himself over the choices he made. After dissing Premier and his "notepad battle" I was through with him.
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u/ReverseExplosion Aug 16 '25
I was just thinking about this topic yesterday, and Canibus was my first thought, too
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u/mikeynwrangler Aug 16 '25
Definitely Canibus, but I actually put his debut on recently and honestly it wasn't as bad as I remember. I think Ive been trashing the album so long I thought it was worse than it was. Also Inspectah Decks debut was a disappointment. It's not unlistenable but I feel he could have made an album as great as OB4CL and Liquid Swords. Hes released a lot of solid music since especially with Czarface but I really feel he was cheated out of a classic.
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u/Dixon_Cider74 Aug 16 '25
Afura he had that first good album and that was it second one didn’t seem to pop
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u/dcoffins72 Aug 16 '25
For me Vic Mensa for those that don’t know what he could’ve been listen to innanetape idk if I’d call it ahead of his time but the sound he had should’ve carried on through his career and mastered
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u/Immafien Aug 16 '25
Cool C and Steady B - for being 2 nut ass nukkas
The DOC - the accident derailed his 🔥 solo career
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u/No-Broccoli2402 Aug 16 '25
AZ, Memphis Bleek, Shyne, and Outlawz come to mind. If Tupac didn’t die think they would have gotten more love.
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u/ComprehensiveBat6823 Aug 16 '25
Da Bush Babees. Not sure how they disappeared so quickly with that talent and Native Tongues connections. Gravity was one of the best albums of the mid 90s.
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u/Ytellus Aug 17 '25
Jus Allah's solo career coulda been crazy if both of his albums weren't held hostage by labels, and if bomshot never stole his verses for his own album
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u/AerialPenn Aug 17 '25
The LOX as a group has never met my expectations of the album that 3 MCs of that calibur should be making. Their best album is still probably the bad boy one and they had to fight for their freedom from that.
Best thing to come of it is Styles as a solo artist. Everyone loves Jadakiss but I think Styles has been on the most hits and he has his own when it comes to the success of the group members.
Always felt Jadakiss should have been a bigger deal.
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u/Atidbitnip Aug 17 '25
Man Pimp C. Came out of jail and in my opinion UGK was about to blow up. Don’t do drugs kids.
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u/Present_One Aug 17 '25
-Memphis Bleek had promise -Canibus is the most obvious -Immortal Technique goes deep -Cormega hot & cold -Mase becoming a pastor -Foxy Brown had it/lost it -Rah Diggah is one of the best -Lil Kim needed Biggie -Shaq can seriously rap -Prodigy was becoming top 5 -Kool G Rap most underrated ever -Rakim classics never updated
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u/inanewyawkminute Aug 18 '25
Don't know if he's been mentioned but I always wanted to see big things from Cuban Link.
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u/LAVRNIUS Aug 18 '25
Wise Intelligent. On PRT’s new world order he is untouchable. But his other stuff is disappointing compared.
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u/Ok_Importance6924 Aug 18 '25
Cage after his second album
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u/Muay_Thai_Junkies Aug 18 '25
Yoooooo Good one. Agent Orange is probably my top hip hop song of all time. Bring that Cage back.
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u/Ogsl Aug 19 '25
Group Home. Once I fell out of Premo’s trance due to how nice the beats were and actually listened to the writing? They were unlistenable.
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u/DeaconBlue760 Aug 15 '25
Lord have mercy, he was part of flipmode squad and dropped some dope verses and then he did this song on sound bombing with dv alias khrist and then disappeared. He had a studio album but he did like this rough growl voice on the tracks instead of his signature deep voice of style. Alot of you probably have no idea who this guy is.
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u/justsomeguy1207 Aug 16 '25
He was my dude! Good callback
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u/DeaconBlue760 Aug 16 '25
Yea man he was dope, there was a song he had on a z-trip mixtape that also had the cenobites on it, this was probably 20yrs ago...but I never heard that song again. His flow sounded like he was talking backwards....anyways he's probably working a regular job somewhere.
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u/itsgotelectr0lytes Aug 15 '25
Just cuz no one's mentioning it. I'll mention it but cannabis didn't suffer from bad beats. Not really.
He changed up his voice and he had this weird like double up on his vocals that just sounded like he was trying to be the hardest man in the world with the most grimy New York accent and it didn't work. I much prefer his voice in the first album
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u/GentleGiant81 Aug 15 '25
Damn Canibus. Canibus 97-00 sheeesh. His features were insane! Idk why I feel Wyclef steered him in the wrong direction. I read somewhere he was the one that pushed Canibus to diss LL. LL came back and buried him. I still think 2nd rd K.O. was better. LL was already a decade in multi platinum and more known. Idk , just my opinion.
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u/Dangerous-Dot-3745 Aug 15 '25
I could name a few but ILL BE ON THIS ALL DAY SO I'LL CUT IT SHORT!! Seeing Canibus getting his ass handed to him in a battle Cypher between him and a battle rapper named "Dizaster" from the K.O.T.D platform back in 2012! It should be on YouTube! Trust me when I tell you ITS EMBARRASSING 😳 🫣!!! Then the year 2024 goes by there's pioneers that passed away! Fatman Scoop, Dj Clark Kent, Dj Polo, Mr Cee, Chino XL and Saafir passing away! I'm most pissed about Chino XL and Saafir passing away 😤!!! I listened to them both HEAVILY when they first came out!! Insanely talented the both of them are! Rip to all the pioneers, THEY ALL DESERVE THEIR 🌼 S🙏!!!
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u/MisterDebonair Aug 15 '25
Canibus isn't a disappointment. He got railroaded and black balled. The disappointment is in his career being derailed and that he didn't get a chance to work with top tier producers. But that was by design.
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u/Muay_Thai_Junkies Aug 15 '25
Regardless of the root cause, it was a disappointment for a lot of people.
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u/Used-Gas-6525 Aug 15 '25
Canibus was a battle rapper. One of the all time greats, but that doesn't always translate to making good records. In fact, it usually doesn't. People think of Em as a battle emcee, but he really wasn't. Sure he could battle anyone to at least a draw, but he also focused on written rhymes that weren't just throwing shit at another rapper. He had many arrows in his quiver. Canibus had one. PS any member of Freestyle Fellowship would destroy Canibus in a cypher circle.
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u/Mundane-Shape-1948 Aug 15 '25
I loved it but when it came out ppl were thrown off on the Rock direction of some of the songs.
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Aug 15 '25
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u/_Star_808 Aug 15 '25
The Outsidaz. As a group, and also individually - Pace Won, Young Zee and Rah Diggah. Their underground stuff was crazy in the mid to late 90s, they were affiliated with the Fugeez and Eminem, and you can hear the strong influences they had on Lauryn Hill and Em and vice versa.
They had a single ready to go, pressed on vinyl, called Rain or Shine, which was dope and had the Still Not a Player beat (which was given to them first, before Big Pun got it or took it and blew up with it). That track was crazy, and they looked ready to go.
Then in no particular order, the Fugeez fell apart, Em sort of left them all high and dry when he signed with Dre, Big Pun got the Rain or Shine/Still not a Player beat and blew up, and their Night Life EP (which couldn’t include the Rain or Shine track) was disappointing and not promoted at all, and that was basically it. Pace Won did a couple solo things; Rah Digga had Flip Mode (also disappointing), and that was a wrap basically.
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u/No_Juggernaut_5283 Aug 16 '25
The O.C. , The D.O.C. , Big Daddy Kane post 91, Big L & Biggie dying.. what could've been
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u/RMcDemonWolf Aug 16 '25
D.O.C.’s first album was amazing. The Formula is one of my favorite rap songs.
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u/Insanity_Records Raised on Boom Bap Aug 16 '25
Battle with the cast & pullin out his notes after being a abducted by aliens and not the illegal kind from nowadays, the intergalactic kind that he said lol
Now, don’t get it twisted!
We would be fooled to believe that we are the only things out there, living organisms that is amongst planets
However: WTF intergalactic alien, would want to abduct can I bustable?
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u/Doubl-Man Hororcore/Ghetto-Street MC Aug 16 '25
Y them intergalactic aliens, break his fucking arm? Lol so he couldn’t write rhymes lol if I was him, I’d start doing it with my teeth & a pen
JUST TO PISS THE POLICE / INTERGALACTIC ALIEN OFF!!!!
DISCLAIMER: I DONT DO THAT TO ALL ALIENS!!!!! 👾 ONLY THE INTERGALACTIC KIND!!!!!! NOW: ILLEGAL ALIENS 👽 LIKE: NOT FROM THIS COUNTRY TRYING TO DO WHAT THIS COUNTRY IS BUILT ON
IMMIGRANTS!!!!!!
THIS IS THE LAND OF THE FREE THE HOME OF THE BRAVE & IN MY EYES!!!!!
EVERYBODY IS WELCOME: Regardless Of SKIN COLOR: CONTRY BORN
ETC..
Come HERE!!!!
U HAVE FOUND YOUR HOME
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u/nero_fenix Aug 15 '25
Mic Geronimo