Old Heads: why Kool G Rap couldn't at least go gold?

[patscorpio]

I think G's most successful album was Live and Let Die

nah i think it was 4,5,6

 

[Food Mane]

Different times and oddly enough 'Gangsta' lyrics were not accepted like that. Songs like Rikers Island were for a small a group of people. No internet etc. If you wasn't from NY some of what he along with old school rappers talked about didnt resonate. 'sweeping key food store for nicks and dimes'.....

I often laugh at my old students who use to clown me about having wild Timbs. Now 15 years later I look at their gram like I see you playa with them Beef & Brocs on.

Why are you following your old students on the Gram, breh

 

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

He didn't really 'blow up' until 1989 and prior to that, only had about 4 tracks out not including 'The Symphony'. Also, 'Mafioso Rap' wasn't a big draw, so his audience remained those of us hardcore listeners who admired his rhyming technique and lyricism. He didn't have many club hits aside from 'Poison' and 'It's a Demo' and danceable tracks are what sold records/abums back then moreso than lyricism.​

 

[Jerz-2]

nah, i dont think he has a legit classic album either,but he definitey got a few classic songs though(Raw,Ain't no half stepping,Young, gifted and black,etc)

You don't think "Long Live The Kane" is considered a certified classic by most of the hip-hop nation, fam? I mean, that's pretty much a GIVEN...

 

[Jerz-2]

definitely gotta disagree with that one breh

Raw & Ain't no half stepping are the only tracks i wanted to listen to on that album

no way you can seriously believe that that album is up there with Paid in full,It takes a nation of millions,By all means neccesary,Strickly Business,The great adventures of Slick Rick.

shyt even biz's 'Goin off' was more of a legit classic than Long Live Kane..and yes i know kane helped write it lol

Interesting....

 

[TripleAgent]

Different times and oddly enough 'Gangsta' lyrics were not accepted like that. Songs like Rikers Island were for a small a group of people. No internet etc. If you wasn't from NY some of what he along with old school rappers talked about didnt resonate. 'sweeping key food store for nicks and dimes'.....

I often laugh at my old students who use to clown me about having wild Timbs. Now 15 years later I look at their gram like I see you playa with them Beef & Brocs on.

This, and Cold Chillin' not doing their job...

There’s a few classic NY albums that never went gold.
Breaking Atoms
One For All

Facts

G Rap has never had a sure shot single
The closest he had was Road to the Riches
Other than his excellent mic skills, he had the charisma of toast

Fast Life, and slap yourself for that insult. He was that nikka. He invented the East Coast Mafioso swag and influenced the whole region.

for one, he doesn't have a legit classic album..great lyricist, but those albums were forgettable

4,5,6 was crack. Live and Let Die and Road To The Riches are arguable.

 

[Jerz-2]

As someone else already said, Fly Ty said G-Rap basically picked the streets over taking rap serious until he got sick and almost died. Then he started to focus on his career, but it was too late at that point.

Plus, as someone else also said, "Fast Life" should have been a bigger hit for him and Nas. Song will forever be flames.

 

[The Fukin Prophecy]

Man was before his time...

Too real

Too street

Too lyrically abrasive

 

[King Jae]

he def had one with fast life...that surface sample..that shyt got hella play..4,5,6 should have went gold

Still bump this song regularly....top 50 rap song imo....was too young to really understand what he was doin initially...I was a Nas stan heavy back in the gap..this song put me on to him....now that I'm older I can hear the influence in not only Nas but others such as Big Pun as well...G just a monster on the mic...he's a rappers rapper...cadence, aggressiveness, wit...life of a pioneer ain't easy...alot of times u don't get the rewards but u pave the way for others like u....if there's no G rap there is no If I ruled the world by Nas...bruh an unsung King in my book....

 

[Youngdev]

Wasn’t Ross gonna sign him




This shyt was hard, made me check out some of g raps older stuff, he was a little ahead of my time.

 

[BronxBomber]

Why are you following your old students on the Gram, breh

They 24- plus now.....

Also in business, EVERY ONE is a customer.

 

[P.Slight]

Exactly. He never had any album release marketing/promo, nor can I remember ever coming to my area while touring.

Because he does zero promo for his albums.

He's Lloyd Bank's daddy.

 

[NYK Loyalist]

A lot of legendary artists from the late 80’s and early 90’s never went gold. Cassette bootlegs was a huge thing back then that took a lot of sales away from artists. I remember being on Jamaica Ave back then you could buy 3 or 4 bootleg albums for like $10.

 

[old boy]

A lot of legendary artists from the late 80’s and early 90’s never went gold. Cassette bootlegs was a huge thing back then that took a lot of sales away from artists. I remember being on Jamaica Ave back then you could buy 3 or 4 bootleg albums for like $10.

yep and i'm ashamed to admit that i copped both nice n smooth first album and the cactus album off the african brothers in manhattan because i was low on bread. them tapes were terrible man, side A was actually side B.. track listing was fuzzy as hell and they would pop mad quick. just to be clear i did cop both the real joints later on CD

then you had rappers talking about it in their music. onyx with their joint about bootleggers on bacdafucup, hoodratz if you bootleg you get ya legs broke.... they were a serious problem. who knows what kinda sales kool g rap would really have had...

 

[L. Deezy]

G Rap has never had a sure shot single
The closest he had was Road to the Riches
Other than his excellent mic skills, he had the charisma of toast

was coming in to say this.. good rapper. No real appeal outside of the records.

I never bought anything Kool G Rap. All the singles he dropped back then, I only liked Ill Street Blues.