Top ten rappers who lost their edge after getting rich and when

It’s not a diss! It’s a list!

One of rap culture’s top personality traits is edge.  It’s reflective and influential on fans and rappers alike.  The hood is and what comes with it is where it’s at.  Attitude. What we call simply, being, “hard.”  It can make or break an rappers’ longevity in hip hop.  Being a tough guy is largely what keeps you relevant in rap music.  And, often, once you attain a certain level of wealth and fame, the tough guy act becomes harder and harder to maintain.  Fans who follow you begin to evolve and disengage with how “hood” you are as an artist when you’re living in Brentwood with a $500 million net worth.

This begins to affect virtually every ‘tough guy’ rap artists’ brand, but that’s a different story for a different day.  TODAY, we’re here to list the top 10 rap artists whose edge was lost when they secured the big bag and dripped that sauce (I missed my calling as a rapper I swear).

 

10.  LL Cool J

LL is an interesting case, to be honest, and that’s why he leads our list at number 10.  LL’s niche has never really been about being “hard,” honestly.  It’s been more about how hard he is lyrically as well as fitness-wise from his mama said knock you out era, the beginning of the LL swole era.  Even in his name, “Ladies Love Cool James,” for those unaware, doesn’t necessarily personify a tough guy among rappers.  But, Who Shot ya L is why he is here.  But I digress.

L lost his tough guy edge around the time of the Mr. Smith album.   Again, by this point, we never really considered LL to be too much a “hard” artist, but that shit was definitely going out the door and shifting to just sex symbol LL by then.  Plus, with the In the house tv show to boot,…yeah….not gangster at all, James.  Now a part of the NCIS cast on the very elderly of networks in CBS, safe to say L has graduated from edge.

I leave this before I go to number 9 on our list:

The prosecution rests its case.

 

9. Diddy

Diddy makes this list not because he was hard nor a hardcore rapper with edge.  He makes this list cuz he was the right hand man to one of the greatest gangster rappers of all-time.  And, that goes without saying, but I said it anyway.

Diddy’s edge obviously became lost after the murder of close friend, Notorious B.I.G.  What came after that was music a little more on the softer side, as well we an innovative business acumen that made Diddy, then Puff Daddy, a media mogul, fashion designer, just plain rich badass.

 

When his clothing line, Sean Jean blew up and Diddy became billboard material in Times Square, any drops of a tough guy album just simply wouldn’t be taken seriously.

Which is why he just ad-lib on cameos of gangster rappers now.  For as much shit as we give and have given Diddy in the past, he never ceases to lose relevancy.

8. 50 Cent

Fif, while still a tough guy lost a bulk of his edge probably around the time of Candy Shop and In the club.  That money took 50 a long ass way where he eventually ventured into liquor, television, film, and trolling the shit out of his celebrity peers on Instagram, and now, Twitter.

50 doesn’t land too high on this list, because he still will throw hands without hesitation, and people aren’t likely to try his big ass.  It’s also not the brightest idea of many to poke the bear of a man that’s been shot 9 times, and still talks cash-shit without backing down, ever.

Fif still makes gangster music but the people are actually here for when Tariq is gonna stop being a dumbass and when Andre is going to finally get his.

7. T.I.

Has T.I. retired from rap officially? What even happen to P$C?  Just wondering.

But, T.I.’s hardness took a tumble when he became part of reality show royalty with wife Tiny. Granted, when T.I. does pick up a mic, he largely has lyrics that have matured a long way from the old Tip, but, we’re largely here for the reality shows and Hip Hop Squares.

 

 

We still love ya though, T.I. Can’t trap forever!

6.  Ice T

A movie about Ice T’s life should be made and when BET is done forcing 80’s babies to remember and pay homage to 80’s and 90’s r&b singers we neglected, they need to get to casting for an Ice T biopic.

You know where Ice lost the edge.  Detective Tuttuola on Law & Order: SVU is where.  Ice T’s life is nothing short of amazing.  Pimp, cop killing rapper to law enforcement on one of the longest running tv shows in history.  AND, he gets absolutely no shit for it.

Ice’s transition to television is still as a “hood” detective, which is why he is good for 6th on the list. And to his defense, he works sex crimes, not just writing traffic tickets.  But, the law is the law.

5. Ludacris

Luda’s “edge” is more along the lines of being hood more than it is being the neighborhood tough guy.  Nonetheless, he lands at the halfway point of our list.

 

Luda’s edge and ghetto days took a slow down once he became a staple of the Fast & Furious franchise.  With hip hop taking a backseat to the lucrative Hollywood acting sets, Luda has also tapped into television, hosting the Fear Factor reboot on MTV.

Under normal circumstances, Luda probably wouldn’t even make the list, due to his oft-humorous rap songs.  However, with the major league Hollywood success he as accrued, Luda’s rap edge is definitely smoothed out.

 

4. Snoop Dogg

Snoop can still manage to bang out hardcore, street raps when the feeling is right.  But, Coach Snoop, Joker’s Wild Snoop, cooking show with Martha Stewart Snoop……you get the picture.

It’s pretty hard to pinpoint when exactly Snoop’s gangster edge began to wear off as his fame grew larger.  Maybe it was around the time he released a whole reggae album and changed his name to Snoop Lion.  Or maybe it was when he dabbled with the WWE.

Yeah so, maybe we can start there for Snoop’s downward descent of hardcore edge?

3. Rick Ross

Rozay has joined the ranks of reality tv shows and also owns a whole chicken franchise.  Ross has graduated to mogul status and left the gangster life behind him.  Which couldn’t come at a better time for Ross, as he’s had health issues to tend to lately.  Nipping at the heels of Diddy, Ross is about a life of business and business opportunities for aspiring artists.

2. Ice Cube

Speaking of moguls, there will be a whole ass generation of kids who you are going to have to prove to that Ice Cube was a gangster rapper.  There’s a generation who are now adults that grew up on Are We There Yet? Yes, yes you are old officially.

Cube’s edge arguably started to end with the Friday movie franchise. The director bug was definitely becoming a niche for Cube.  Now executive producer of all that is hip hop on television, and even a ESPN 30 for 30 under his belt, Cube’s edge is best directed on the big screen now.

 

1. Pitbull

And number 1, Pitbull.

Sounds funny? Well you should go listen to the Miami album again.  Pitbull was LIT.  

Then he put a suit on.  Pitbull came from the hardcore associated acts of Trick Daddy and Luther Campbell, to world touring with Enrique Iglesias.  Talk about a complete turnaround!

Pitbull is more than a rapper now. He is an event. He is a WHOLE ass party.  Even speaking Pitbull’s name now makes you wanna just start jumping up and down and spilling champagne all over the room.  His edge is party now.