10 Musicians Whose Careers Were Destroyed By Just One Song

At the height of his powers, there were few lines that New Orleans/ Greatest Rapper Alive candidate Lil Wayne couldn’t get away with. The rapper’s rapid fire delivery, as well as his strange sense of humour and often dark non-sequitors, left listeners ready for surreal bars that matched Eminem’s intense obscenity, Nas’ thoughtful introspection, and Andre 3000’s trippy invention.

Unfortunately, the height of his powers didn’t last forever.

After the failure of his rock album Rebirth Wayne never recovered his position as a leading voice in mainstream rap. Meanwhile, health issues alongside addiction and personal problems saw the quality, if not the quantity, of his lyrical output drop off.

The ignominious end came in 2014, during a brief feature verse on then-rising star Future’s Karate Chop. The Atlanta legend acquiring a Wayne feature was impressive even long after his prime, but few listeners recalled the song fondly due to one ill-judged lyric.

Weezy was far from able to pull off a shockingly misjudged line (which won’t be repeated here) that mocked the murder of Emmett Till, a disturbingly visceral “joke” that appalled long-time fans and casual listeners alike. The backlash was immediate and deservedly intense, and added another nail to the coffin of Weezy F’s once unstoppable career.