Swagger Back: 10 Rappers That Were Left For Dead, But Bounced Back Like Cooked Cr@ck

We’ve all been ridiculed, called names or counted out at some point in our lives. But when you are a rapper who is in – or striving to get in – the public spotlight, it comes from all angles. Fans, haters, bloggers, record execs, DJs and the people in the comment section all have a certain say so in the future of a rapper’s career and a negative opinion from any in that group can affect whether a rapper is the next mega star or ends up selling dope.

When a rapper is perceived to have fallen off it can be the death knell for their career. Unless they are one of the select few artists who can somehow claw their way out of that figurative grave and return from the essence.

Here are 10 artists that were dropped, laughed at or written off who–for various reasons–bounced back better than ever…

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Juicy J
Juicy J has been a member of the Academy Award winning collective Three 6 Mafia since the group formed in 1991. After enjoying platinum success in the 90s and early 2000’s the group’s musical popularity was stunted after numerous personnel changes left them with only two members. Since then the duo of DJ Paul and Juicy J have been, for the most part, working separately with both releasing, not so greatly received solo projects.

That’s until…

Juicy J realized working with hot young artists can get you back hot again and he began linking with a who’s who of up and coming acts. Ultimately, he branded himself to a whole new audience of people who probably weren’t even born when he started rapping. In 2012, he took it a step further and signed a deal with Wiz Khalifa’s Taylor Gang, and is now as hot as ever.

2 Chainz

2 Chainz came into the game as Tity Boi of Playaz Circle in the late 90s and enjoyed marginal success on Luadcris’ DTP label. After Playaz Circle reached their peak with the Lil Wayne assisted single “Duffle Bag Boys” in 2007 and released their second solo album to little fanfare, the duo was poised to be just another Southern group that came and went.

That’s until…

Tity Boi changed his name to 2 Chainz and blew up. No, really. That’s all it took. Okay, he simultaneously started going super hard with his mixtape output. That also helped. But really, other than the name change, nothing was different from the PC days. Don’t tell that to fans. Deuce Chainz signed a solo deal with Def Jam in 2012 and is currently one of the hottest rappers in the game. Truuu.

Rick Ross

Ricky Rozay had been penning rhymes for the likes of Trina before he finally got his shot as a solo artist. Once he got his foot in the door, acquired that Def Jam deal and started making hits, it seemed there was no turning back for the man-breast flashing bawse. Then he was exposed as being a CO. Not only was there hardcore evidence that Ross was a copper, there were pictures. Then, to make matters worse, he lied about the whole thing. Cats were coming at his neck [II] and jokes were in abundance. People were just waiting for his career to fall flat. No way could he bounce back from being exposed as a badge turned drug lord rapper.

That’s until…

He kept dropping hits and people stopped giving a f-ck about his correctional officer past. It was that simple. Even real gangsters were coming to Ross’ aid and bigging up the “B.M.F.” rapper. Now the evidence that once threatened to end his career seems like nothing more than a fly on the Mack truck windshield of the Miami rapper’s career. Ruh!

Wiz Khalifa

When Wiz first dropped, not too many people outside of Steeler country gave too much of a ish about him. He released the independent album Show and Prove under Rostrum Records in ’06 and was signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007 before they figured he wasn’t ever going to be isht and gave him his walking papers parted ways.

That’s until…

He dropped his second album on Rostrum, Deal or No Deal in 2009 then his mixtape opus Kush & OJ the following year. The props he got from that mixtape earned him a deal with Atlantic Records. Then his single “Black and Yellow” hit #1 on Billboard charts and jetted the skinny rapper into the stratosphere. He has since started his own label, Taylor Gang Records and is one of the hottest young acts in the music industry. Oh yeah, and he’s engaged to Amber Rose. He went from a shelved rapper to household name in a few years time, not bad for a pot head.

Freddie Gibbs

Gary, Indiana rapper, Freddie Gibbs had a promising rap career going into the mid 2000s and was signed to Interscope Records in 2006. After moving to L.A. to record his debut LP, Gibbs was dropped by the label when management changed hands. He then presumably went back to robbing cats in Gary.

That’s until…

He kept dropping fire mixtapes and eventually became garnered as one of the dopest young unsigned artists in the game. He has since been named to the annual XXL magazine “Freshman Issue” and in 2011 he signed a deal with Young Jeezy’s CTE imprint.

50 Cent
In 1999, 50 Cent was an up and coming artist signed to Columbia Records. With the impending release of Power of the Dollar a year later, it seemed like nothing could stop him, except maybe bullets. In May 2000, he was shot nine times, the album didn’t drop and he was eventually dropped from Columbia and blacklisted in the industry, allegedly for making the song “Ghetto Quran.”

That’s until…

He said f#ck the industry and got on his mixtape ish. A copy of his 2002 mixtape Guess Who’s Back later caught the ear of Eminem. Em was so impressed he introduced the Queens rapper to Dr. Dre. Fif eventually signed a $1 million record deal with Shady/Aftermath, and the rest is history.

Gucci Mane

In 2005, Gucci Mane released the indie LP Trap House, and enjoyed regional success with the Young Jeezy assisted single “So Icey.” The single caused a well publicized beef between the two rappers, with many fans taking sides with the more popular Snowman. Gooch dropped Hard To Kill in 2006 to little fanfare and was written off by many as a one hit wonder.

That’s until…

“Freaky Gurl” caught on. The single was on Hard To Kill, but it wasn’t until Ludacris and Lil Kim hopped on the remix that the song took off nationwide, landing him a deal with Atlantic Records in 2007. Subsequent singles and mixtapes helped boost Gucci’s following and he eventually landed another deal with Warner Bros. in 2009. He’s had the trap going ham ever since. Whenever he’s not in jail.

Tech N9ne

Tech Neener bounced around like an army brat early on in his career as a member of the groups; Black Mafia, 57th Street Rogue Dog Villains and Nnutthowze. It was with the latter that he signed a deal with Perspective Records in 1993. They were later dropped like a candy wrapper on a busy street by the label, and eventually disbanded. He even formed a collective with Yukmouth called The Regime in 1997 and bounced around to labels like Qwest and JCOR Records in an attempt to capture breakthrough success.

That’s until…

He started his own label Strange Music in 1999 and grew into one of the biggest indie artists in the nation. Tech is an artist with a cult following and has sold over 1 million copies without major label promotion. His music has appeared in television shows, videos games and movies.

Lupe Fiasco

In 2001, Lupe was a part of a gangster rap influenced group called Da Pak. The group inked a deal with Epic Records but only released one single before disbanding. After the split, Lu starting working as a solo artist and was signed to Arista Records only to be dropped like a horse turd a little while later.

That’s until…

He befriended Jay-Z. Jay, then the president at Def Jam, was so impressed by the rapper he called him “a breath of fresh of air” and later helped Fiasco land a deal with Atlantic Records. He also executive produced Lu’s breakout debut Food & Liquor in 2006.

Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne just kept getting better and better over the years as a member of Cash Money records. In the mid 2000s he calling himself the “best rapper alive” and even had some of his deranged fans thinking he was right. Then the picture of him swapping saliva with his daddy hit the net. People were saying it was a wrap for Weezy. No gangster rapper could thrive in the rap industry after it was revealed that he accepts kisses from a non blood related male over the age of two, right?

That’s until…

[See Rick Ross entry] Which just goes to show, when you are a musician, putting out superior music trumps anything. And we mean anything. [See R. Kelly]