10 Musicians Whose Careers Were Destroyed By Just One Song
4. Flatline — B.O.B
Rappers have a little leeway when
it comes to conspiracy theories. From Killer Mike of Run the Jewels’ unsparing
solo effort Reagan to all of Immortal Technique’s discography, rap’s place
outside the mainstream has always allowed its edgier artists an opportunity to
speak truth to power whilst disregard the risks of addressing controversial
subjects.
That said, Killer Mike did his research and can stand by the statement that Ronald Reagan was an employee of America’s “real masters” the oil lobby.
Atlanta rapper B.O.B, on the other hand…
The Nohin’ on You rapper was always corny, but he had plenty of potential back in 2009 when he first rose to prominence alongside the likes of KiD CuDi and Wale. Unfortunately, there’s no better way to lose a few years’ worth of clout amongst alternative hip hop aficionados than writing an entire track about how… The world is flat.
Released in 2016, Flatline was a risible string of conspiracy theories badly disguised as a single, and a career-crushing blow to the rapper’s credibility.
It’s ironic that his biggest hit, the emo-inflected Eminem-featuring smash Airplanes, famously heard him rap “somebody take me back to the days, before this was a job, before I got paid.”
Wish granted.