As the 90s closed out the 20th century, artists heading into the new millennium wanted to deliver something fresh. With this, rap and hip-hop were redefined, straying away from the gangsta rap of the 90s. Additionally, rap became even more commercialized, with certain established hip-hop artists being lost in the fold. Here are three iconic hip-hop artists of the 90s whose careers never carried over into the 2000s.
Coolio
Though Coolio remained active in the hip-hop scene throughout the 2000s, his popularity never reached the level it was at by the end of the 90s. His 1995 No.1 hit “Gangsta’s Paradise” became one of the best-selling rap singles not only of that decade, but of all time. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 and the Cash Box Top 100 simultaneously, and earned Coolio a Grammy Award. In the 2000s, Coolio’s popularity waned, though he released three independent albums. Additionally, he penned a minor UK hit in 2006 with “Gangsta Walk” featuring Snoop Dogg. Coolio also collaborated with Kenny Rogers on a track called “The Hustler”.
Vanilla Ice
At the very beginning of the decade, Vanilla Ice made a huge statement in hip-hop with his debut album. In 1990, To The Extreme became the fastest-selling hip-hop album released. His lead single and signature track, “Ice Ice Baby”, became the first hip-hop track to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Within a few years, Vanilla Ice’s popularity waned, and his pop-infused rap style fell out of trend. Rap became much more serious by the latter half of the decade. In 1998, Vanilla Ice made a drastic transition into a nu metal phase with the album Hard To Swallow. His hit “Ice Ice Baby” was reworked as a nu metal song, with the new title “Too Cold”. He continued this nu metal phase into the 2000s before shifting into reality television.
MC Hammer
Much like Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer’s popularity waned shortly after major success as a hip-hop artist early in the 90s. His 1990 album Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em became the first hip-hop album to sell 10 million copies. He popularized his worldwide famous dance moves attached to his signature hit “U Can’t Touch This”, along with his iconic parachute-style “Hammer pants”. Hammer appeared in television commercials for brands like Pepsi, and even aired his own cartoon called Hammerman. Unfortunately, his record sales declined in the mid-90s as the rap landscape became saturated with gangsta rap. This led to a highly publicized bankruptcy in 1996. In the 2000s, he released albums on an independent label and co-produced the TV movie Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story.
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