I’m old. I know of him because of the court case. I have never heard of those songs until then. The clips I see of him performing are at community style events. What’s the saying? “A man is the room he is in?”. I’d say the same thing about Styx (who I saw recently 😄). They had had multiple platinum albums but are now playing casinos in fly-overville.
eta: I just looked him up for real. I was a post-doc when he had his hit. A Grammy nomination 20 years ago. It puts him in the same category as Eddie Blazonczyk’s Versatones who were nominated for their polka hit Live and Kickin’ during the 2002 Grammy’s.
No offense to polka, but that’s a terrible false equivalence. You’re reducing someone’s cultural impact to “award nominations” and also, “Grammy nomination for polka” and “Grammy nomination for rap” is like saying that “The academy award for set design is the same as the academy award for best actor.” The Versatones weren’t up against Jay-Z, Nelly, DMX and Missy Elliott for their award. Just to be included in that group of people is an honor.
Sure he’s irrelevant now and has been for a while, but I feel like “formerly popular rapper” is more truthful than “low level”
Yeah, I was trying to be a bit funny. But honestly a hit among the highschool crowd over 20 years ago is exactly what I’d consider a low level performer to be. He plays golf tournaments and community festivals on the strength of an award nomination for a hit? Strong Verve Pipe vibes.
https://youtu.be/1umEXpGHc0E
I’m old. I know of him because of the court case. I have never heard of those songs until then. The clips I see of him performing are at community style events. What’s the saying? “A man is the room he is in?”. I’d say the same thing about Styx (who I saw recently 😄). They had had multiple platinum albums but are now playing casinos in fly-overville.
eta: I just looked him up for real. I was a post-doc when he had his hit. A Grammy nomination 20 years ago. It puts him in the same category as Eddie Blazonczyk’s Versatones who were nominated for their polka hit Live and Kickin’ during the 2002 Grammy’s.
No offense to polka, but that’s a terrible false equivalence. You’re reducing someone’s cultural impact to “award nominations” and also, “Grammy nomination for polka” and “Grammy nomination for rap” is like saying that “The academy award for set design is the same as the academy award for best actor.” The Versatones weren’t up against Jay-Z, Nelly, DMX and Missy Elliott for their award. Just to be included in that group of people is an honor.
Sure he’s irrelevant now and has been for a while, but I feel like “formerly popular rapper” is more truthful than “low level”
Yeah, I was trying to be a bit funny. But honestly a hit among the highschool crowd over 20 years ago is exactly what I’d consider a low level performer to be. He plays golf tournaments and community festivals on the strength of an award nomination for a hit? Strong Verve Pipe vibes. https://youtu.be/1umEXpGHc0E