Hip Hop: The Forgiven and Forgetful

(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

So sing-song rapper Ja Rule is in the pen now snorlax but his anti-climatic leave from hip hop rehashes the subject of how forgiving the hip hop community is when its artists screw up. Actually I think it's the most forgiving of all the genres. Whether you sold drugs, shot a man down, or got involved in a sexual mishap, if you give us a hot single we forgive you. Give us a hot album, you never did anything.

Hey, we all make mistakes. Theirs are just in public for all to see. But that begs the question; as fans do we ever have the right to critique an artists' personal choices? Some examples..

Lil Wayne

I know I talked about this much earlier but, I can't think of any other rapper who's career has benefited more from jail time in recent memory.  He went away for eight months, had an album out while in jail, and a ridiculous amount of features and videos. Now we are all awaiting  Tha Carter 4. Not to mention he is sober. That's important because he's never made music that way. Possibilities are endless.

Lil Wayne - Music - More Music Videos

T.I.

Now in jail for the second time in two years, I really think this is hurting his career. It worked the first time because of the timing of the album release. But it's not doing much to build an even bigger fan base when no one sees you or much material. T.I. is a dope rapper. I know he can rebound again. It's hard to hate on em when he makes music like this.

Chris Brown

No surprise that T.I. featured him in the video above. They both have weathered storms in their careers. Having one of the greatest music comeback stories in the last couple of years, there is no better example of hip hop's forgiveness than this guy. Though I do not cosign what he did, I really believe this was a blessing. Think about it: Chris Brown has been putting out hits since he was a teen. Many teen artists have trouble making the transition into an adult while keeping their fans with them (Bow Wow). Having this tragedy gave him the opportunity to explore his dark side while taking time off after Graffiti failed. When he returned from his hiatus, as a mature adult, all the pieces came together and you get this....

Honorable Mention: Prodigy

I almost forgot about him to be honest. I mean to be away 3 years is crazy. Being one half of the infamous Mobb Deep automatically makes you a legend. People should still check for him. His best stuff might still be ahead of him. He's got that new mixtape out right now. Let me know how it is.


So who are some other artists that mess up and get easy passes for good music? Kanye? R.Kelly?

Let me know...