9 Later Day Musical Crimes Perpetuated By Great Artists

The career path of heroin-riddled bassist in a legendary punk band to hip hop artist is a seldom-trodden one. Dee Dee Ramone’s life is nothing short of fascinating, and his brief reinvention as Dee Dee King is among the strangest moments of his life.

Dee Dee decided that the rap life was the one for him prior to leaving the Ramones (he’d show up to some of his final gigs with the band in Run DMC style regalia, to their chagrin) having learned about the world of hip hop in rehab. His first single, “Funky Man”, was the beginning of a new life for the former punk.

Or: his first single “Funky Man”, is among the worst songs ever recorded. It’s baffling from the off, with the newly monikered King introducing himself as “Dee Dee Ramone”, reminding you that he plays bass in a punk band. He proceeds to grunt and wheeze out lyrics which at best half-rhyme over a lazy beat before running out of steam.

Naturally, Ramone followed this with a full length album, which was mauled by critics, leading him to return to what he was good at. He makes Macho Man Randy Savage’s record sound like Illmatic.