IMMATURE MADE IT BIG AS KIDS, SO YEAH THEY BLEW UP. (sorry caps lock). other than that i agree with most on the list. but why no mention of Lloyd banks, ciara (she hasn’t fallen off but she hasn’t become a big star either), jonell monae, india arie, (most neo-soul artists), kelis, chamillionair (dope emcee screwed over by the labels), 8ball and mjg was poised to break out of the southern niche category only to go right back to regional isolation when they left badboy records), all of those Midwestern rappers that sounded like bone thugs n harmony just vanished while bone kept on going, AZ; nas blew up (kinda) but AZ didn’t, three 6 mafia was about to become huge only to tragically disintegrate (it didn’t help that they drastically changed their dark style), dead prez (though that might have been a pipe dream), v-nasty & Kreayshawn (for obvious reasons), ANY black alternative act that got critical acclaim only to be ignored by both black and white people, i could go on and on. the urban music industry is a graveyard filled with promising careers.

natina died a couple of months ago

Hmmm nice article… Looks like you focused mostly on artists that came out during the 90′s, and that falls right in line with the music I grew up on and get nostalgic about BUT you left out Sisqo. You brought him up briefly with Mia’s clip, but damn, he was the biggest “fall off” I think of anybody expected to have a long and prosperous career from the era you focused on. I mean hell he was part of Dru Hill, the successful group that took over where Jodeci left off, then launched his own solo career with the massive hits “Thong Song” and “Incomplete”. The former having somewhat of a cult following to this day. With his swagger and unique hair and dress, there was no way anybody could have predicted such a swift and massive fall as what Sisqo encountered with his second album. Hell, I can’t even remember one single from that record, and I doubt anyone else can. His career has been dead ever since, while people like Usher and Chris Brown just keep chugging along. Sisqo should be number one on this list.

I gotta keep adding as I think. Changing Faces had IT if you ask me. The two distinct voices, Mmmmmmm. And Amerie…you were beautiful, please don’t take it to the extreme okay?

Nothing lasts forever. All these people got off their butts and followed their dreams into a career and had their time to shine and they have moved on. Will they be forgotten? We will all be forgotten with time and life and death. The stars of today will be has-beens tomorrow. That’s why they need to check themselves when the money and fame come in because it will end someday.
All y’all young people reading this- go and live your dream now. Right now!

I say Cassie.
I really expected her to be more of a lasting R&B success.

Also Ray J, although I was never really a fan.

Ummm you guys got it twisted. Amerie didnt come out with Beyonce’s producers, Beyonce took Amerie’s producer Rich Harrisson (who had produced Amerie’s first album All I Have) and he produced Crazy In Love. But the drum stuff was musically Amerie’s signature to begin with.

Then everyone started saying she had ‘copied’ Beyonce when ‘One Thing’ came out.