The record label casualties

 The dream teams that remain a dream

 The follow-ups of which, they never followed through

NOTE: The history of hip hop and R&B is filled with broken promises. These albums,whether recorded in full, unfinished or simply hyped, have never seen store shelves. from artists like Prince, 50 Cent, Lauryn Hill and Biggie Small & Jay-Z and talks to some of the forgotten few.

 1 - 50 CENT 
Power of the Dollar (Track Masters/Columbia/Sony, 2000)

It was the album before The Album. And it was a banger. Recorded mostly during a burst of productivity while on a two week retreat with the Track Masters at Bearsville Studios in upstate New York in 1999, Power of the Dollar delivered 17 tracks of New York grit spit by a pre-Shady, ­pre-botched assassination Curtis Jackson, all over a slick bed of the famed studio’s beats—back when being from Queens and kicking that Rotten Apple gangsta shit over Track Masters beats meant something. It’d be a stretch to say that this project was what led to 50 getting filled with holes in front of his grandmother’s house on that fateful day, May 24, 2000, but there’s little doubt that folks around the way were far from pleased by the arrival of the flow from Guy Brew. The Street single “How to Rob” pissed off nearly everyone but 50 Cent, and the lead single “Your Life’s on the Line,” driven by the taunting hook “Scream Murder!,’ I don’t believe you!” was the beginning of the end of Ja Rule’s career, prompting knife-wielding members of Murder Inc. to allegedly rush a 50 session at New York’s The Hit Factory studio in March 2000. And that’s not to mention 50’s “Ghetto Qu’ran (Forgive Me),” a Queens tale detailing the inner workings of the borough’s black hands—and naming names—that left the streets screaming, Snitch! Even then it was clear 50 didn’t give a fuck. Power also showcases Fif’s gift for switching up his flow and getting in pocket with melody (on “Slow Doe” he dives deep into a country twang), storytelling (“Gun Runner Skit”), and even pop potential: The syrupy “Thug Love” featuring Destiny’s Child was set to be the second single, with a video slated for production the same week of the shooting. Fif’s hospital stint not only delayed taping, but also led to the project being abandoned completely. “At that period of time, a lot of people fell back, Track Masters included,” recalls former G Unit Records President Sha Money XL, who also produced Power’s title track. “He had a price on his head, straight up. And they didn’t want to get caught up in the problems.” In the end, Sony and Track Masters decided to cut bait and let 50 walk with his publishing and no deal.Today, if you aren’t into hitting the Internet to grab tracks, you can find five cuts on Columbia’s teaser EP, Power of the Dollar (2000), and several others on the Full Clip compilation, Guess Who’s Back? (2002). But even if you cut and paste, without the full impact, it’s just loose change.

2 -  EVE  Here I Am (Geffen)

The Philly spitfire’s album should have been released on the heels of the April 2007 hit “Tambourine.” Here I Am was completed, but got jammed in the transition from former label, Interscope, to current home, Geffen. Now she just hopes to get it out.

3 -  M.O.P  Ghetto Warfare (Roc-A-Fella)

          The Last Generation (Roc-A-Fella)

                   The Foundation (G Unit)

The victims of two superstars’ picky imprints, Brownsville’s Billy Danze and Lil’ Fame are perhaps the most unlucky (and uncompromising) rap duo ever. Only parts of Ghetto Warfare surfaced on a 2006 indie. The rest is a hardcore mystery.

4 -   MASE  Untitled G Unit Project (G Unit/Shady/Interscope, 2005)

The bizarre union between rapper-turned- evangelical-pastor Mase and hip hop’s über- bad guy 50 Cent made headlines. But, aside from a spirited feature on 2005’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’ soundtrack (G Unit/Interscope) and his own Crucified 4 the Hood mixtape, Murda Mase never materialized.

5 -   Q-TIP   Kamaal the Abstract (Arista, 2002)

Repeatedly passed around but never released, the former A Tribe Called Quest frontman recently gained the rights to this bold funk- jazz–hip hop excursion. He’s (finally) planning a 2009 release.

6  -   RAS KASS   Van Gogh (Priority, 2001)/ Goldyn Child (Priority, 2002)

Though the scrapped third studio album and reconfigured replacement from the loquacious-to-a-fault MC never dropped (Ras once famously rapped of his label, “Fuck Priority Records”), both albums have become minor classics in bootlegdom. Ras’ 2003 arrest for drunk driving put the nail in the coffin for both projects.

7 -  SISTA   4 All the Sistas Around da World (Elekra/Asylum, 1994)

The all-girl quartet featuring Missy Elliott never made it beyond the compilation stage, even though their debut has become a message-board goodie. Their silky harmonies are a perfect companion to all-male DeVante Swing’s trio, Playa.

8 -  PEEDI CRAKK   Prince of the Roc (Roc-A-Fella, 2007)

Thanks to a frenetic rhyme style and a flurry of buzz, the Philly MC was briefly groomed as Roc-A-Fella’s next big thing. But when his lackluster lead single, “Take Me Home,” failed to take off, the Roc sent Peedi packing.”

9 -  KILLER MIKE   Ghetto Extraordinary (Purple Ribbon, 2005)

An energetic blend of space funk and ghetto gospel, the OutKast protégé’s would-be sophomore LP became a victim of industry rule No. 4080. Now signed to T.I.’s Grand Hustle imprint, he’s on to bigger and better things.

10 -  JOE BUDDEN   The Growth(Def Jam, 2005)

If patience is a virtue, Joe Budden fans must be saints. After years of delays, an uninspired Nate Dogg–assisted lead single “Gangsta Party,” and a perceived rift with then Def Jam Recordings President Jay-Z, he was dropped in 2007 and his sophomore album landed right back where it started—on the shelf.

11 - HAMMER  Too Tight (Death Row, 1996)

Hammer goes gangsta? Not quite. But the dancing machine’s sidelined effort for rap’s most infamous label featured plenty of WTF? cameos, including Big Daddy Kane and 2Pac. The Death Row catalogue’s recent sale has slightly increased the odds that this random document will see daylight.

12 - LIL JON   Crunk Rock (TVT, 2006)

Free of his East Side Boyz, Jon’s headbanger fusion project has been in limbo for years. After resolving his legal entanglements with former label TVT Records, Crunk Rock is rumored to finally be on the way this summer through a distribution deal with The Orchard.

13 - SAIGON   The Greatest Story Never Told (Fort Knocks/Atlantic, 2008)

 After becoming the inaugural signee to Just Blaze’s Fort Knocks imprint, Saigon quickly became one of the most anticipated MCs in years. But despite a handful of stellar mix- tapes, the Brooklynite threatened to “quit rap” at least twice and the album never materialized. Saigon and Fort Knocks left Atlantic last year and are preparing the album’s eventual release. We’re not holding our breath.

14 - JODY BREEZE   
A Day in the Life of Jody Breeze (Sho’Nuff/Warner Bros., 2007) 


Boyz N Da Hood’s most anticipated—after Young Jeezy—recorded his debut with Jazze Pha’s imprint, but the project sat on the back burner. It finally leaked in 2008, but too little, too late. Breeze now hopes to release his official debut this year under his own label, Young Gunna Records. 

15 -  THE COMMISSION (The Notorious B.I.G, Jay-Z, Charli Balitomore) 
 The Commission (Bad Boy/Roc-A-Fella) 


It might sound like the stuff of legend, but a rap supergroup starring the two Brooklyn heavyweights in their prime almost happened. Conceived during the recording of 1997’s Life After Death (Bad Boy), Biggie imagined the much-buzzed about Commission project as a high concept mafioso dream team (before The Firm), an album to be accompanied by a film or long-form video tie-in à la Jay’s 1998 Streets is Watching (Roc-A-Fella).“He had some really good ideas,” remembers Philadelphian Charli Baltimore, Big’s then girl-on-the-side and The Commission’s proposed third member. “It would’ve been [a] very gangsta,very Italian movie. That’s how he envisioned it.” Baltimore, Big, and Jay were set to serve as the central MCs alongside a rotating cast that would include Puff Daddy, Junior M.A.F.I.A.’s Lil’ Cease, and label executive Lance “Un” Rivera, who may have hosted in a consigliere role. On Life After Death’s “What’s Beef?,” Big gives a shout-out to the group on its opening bars, breaking down the full lineup and their proposed gangster aliases. He donned his Frank White alter ego and Jay became Iceberg Slim. Un and Cease were cast in the particularly paisano roles of Uncle Paulie and Caesar Leo DiGennaro, respectively.But beyond that and a few additional name drops on Life After Death and Puff’s 1997 “Victory,” The Commission seems to have existed almost entirely in Big’s head. Nothing was ever recorded for the album and it’s un- clear how aware even the proposed members were of his grand scheme. 

“I saw Jay out once, and I said, ‘You know, I’m the third party of The Commission’ and he was like, ‘Really?’” says Baltimore. “I’m not sure if he knew or not.”Jay is certainly more familiar with the group’s legacy than its lineup. He turned up on the 2005 posthumous Duets: The Final Chapter (Bad Boy) project for “Whatchu Want.” [listen below] The lackluster, patchwork collaboration tacks Jigga onto an unearthed and unrelated Biggie verse while an overexcited Puff ad-libs, “The Commission lives on!” But only in theory, since Biggie unfortunately took any prospect of a proper full length to the grave. As Baltimore puts it: “There could be no Commission without Big.”

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16 - MURDER, INC.(Jay-Z, DMX, Ja Rule) 
Murder Inc. (Roc-A-Fella/Murder Inc./Ruff Ryders/Def Jam) 
This killer triumvirate kicked around teaming up—no doubt a dream project for then label scout Irv Gotti—but only officially collaborated on Mic Geronimo’s 1995 “Time to Build,” 1998’s “Murdergram,” and their swan song, Ja’s 1999 “It’s Murda.” Gotti hinted at the idea that some members could never get along, and Damon Dash explained Jay-Z’s hesitation. “Look what happens when Jay does a record with anybody— it usually ends up being a problem,” Dash said in VIBE’s June 2008 issue. “He don’t like to work with people."

17 - THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS   (Xzibit, Saafir, Ras Kass) Golden State Warriors (Columbia/SME)

This planned threesome of West Coast lyricists was scrapped after a series of stumbles, including Saafir and Ras’ jail stints and a legal warning from the NBA’s Warriors leading them to rename the group Golden State Project.

18 - THE HRSMN (Canibus, Ras Kass, Killah Priest, Kurupt)  Untitled project (no label)

A handful of verbose collaborations came from this rap quartet, which, admittedly, was a more exciting proposition at the turn of the century than it is now. The cobbled together 2003 compilation, The Horsemen Project (Think Differently/Proverbs) was a disappointment. Now that all four members are signed to in- dies, shouldn’t this have happened already? 

19 - CRS (Kanye West, Pharrell, Lupe Fiasco)  Untitled Project (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam/Star Tral/Interscope/1st and 15th/Atlantic)

Child Rebel Soldiers is a nerdy rap fan’s fantasy trio: social consciousness, Louis Vuitton handles, and loads of swagger. Alas, it will never be. Each artis­t is too busy rapping, singing, producing for others, designing clothes, or planning their retirement to even think about participating in a functioning group.

20 - NE-YO AND FABOLOUS 
Best of Both Worlds (Def Jam, 2008) 


This most likely to happen alliance would match Ne-Yo’s gentleman with Fab’s smooth gangster. Sounds like a natural fit: They share the same Def Jam office and already have certified hits in 2007’s “Make Me Better” and 2008’s “She Got Her Own.” Now all they need is some studio time together.

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21 - CEE-LO GREEN AND JAZZE PHA    Happy Hour (Sho’Nuff, 2005)

Before he exploded as one-half of the Gnarls Barkley phenomenon, Cee-Lo was looking like a collabo-happy hustler. This peppy album for Jazze’s label—in which both artists sing, rap, and produce—was even serviced to press, but then it mysteriously disappeared.

22 - SCARFACE AND 2PAC   2 Face (Rap-A-Lot)

Tupac Shakur’s 1996 murder and the glut of posthumous rhymes that followed are two reasons this will never see the light of day— which is a shame. ’Face’s “Smile” featuring ’Pac was the lead single from his 1997 album The Untouchable (Rap-A-Lot) and proved these two had the promise of a classic. 

23 - G UNIT AND THA DOGG POUND    DPG Unit (G Unit, 2007)

Snoop Dogg and 50’s crews formed like Voltron to record a handful of cuts on the 2003 Rock the Mic tour, though only one eponymous mixtape track was ever released.  

24 - DR. DRE AND TIMBALAND  Chairmen of the Boards (Aftermath/Mosley Music/Interscope)

This supergroup seemingly never got past the announcement stage, with both producers turning their attention to other projects (like, ahem, bodybuilding).  

25 -  LAURYN HILL 
Khulami Phase (Columbia) 


There are mysteries and then there are inscrutable emotional puzzles. But few puzzles are more unsolvable than Lauryn Hill’s rumored third album. Following the release of the Fugees 1996 The Score (Ruffhouse/ Columbia) and her solo debut, 1998’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (Ruffhouse/Columbia)—which moved a combined 14 million units in the U.S.—Hill became an inter- national superstar. Then she recoiled from the spotlight. What has played out since—2002’s baffling Unplugged No. 2.0 (Columbia), spiritual awakening, family growth, bizarre live performances—is a cautionary lesson in how fame can infect as well as affect. 

Hill has not given a proper interview in years. During her last major interview in 2005, she told Essence, “People need to understand that the Lauryn Hill they were exposed to in the beginning was all that was allowed in that arena at that time.... I had to step away when I realized that for the sake of the machine, I was being way too compromised.” 

When an interview is requested, if she can be reached, the singer requests payment, famously demanding $10,000 from Oneworld magazine in 2003. But reports surrounding her self-imposed exile have been dogged. She has been repeatedly linked to a spiritual Svengali named Brother Anthony, who reportedly steered her to a militant form of Christianity. 

Since Unplugged, “Lose Myself” from the 2007 film Surf’s Up (Columbia) and “Music,” from Joss Stone’s Introducing Joss Stone (Virgin/ EMI, 2007), are the only songs she’s released. Both lack the intensity and burnished sound that made Miseducation such a classic. Kanye West reportedly collaborated with her on a number of songs in 2005, but none of them have leaked. Her label, Columbia, has no news on the project. 

But some cause for hope emerged last year when Rohan, the father of Hill’s five children and son of the late reggae legend Bob Marley, talked to People. “She writes music in the bathroom, on toilet paper, on the wall,” he said. “She writes it in the mirror if the mirror smokes up. She writes constantly. This woman does not sleep.” Until she releases Khulami, her fans may not either. 

26 - RAEKWON   Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II (Aftermath/Interscope, 2007)

Leaked songs from this sequel to Rae’s scintillating solo debut sound thrilling. But the album is fast becoming a white whale. Ties to Dr. Dre’s Aftermath have been severed and the album has no label home, let alone a release date.

27 - MAIN SOURCE   The Science (Wild Pitch,1993)

The planned sequel to underground classic Breaking Atoms (Wild Pitch, 1991) was smashed when MC/producer/mastermind Large Professor fell out with “them two DJs.” Large Pro’s 1996 solo debut, The LP, was also shelved for years, until 2002 when he regained the rights and released it as a promotional item.

28 - D’ANGELO    James River (J Records)

The third album by the mercurial Richmond, Va., talent has reportedly fallen victim to drug problems, weight issues, and label politics. Still, with a spring tour in the works, fans may finally get the chance to hear the funk-rock epic that’s been nearly a decade in the making.

29 - FUGEES   Untitled reunion project (Columbia)

After teasing fans onstage at Dave Chappelle’s 2004 Block Party by performing for the first time since 1997, and then again at the BET Awards in 2005, the Fugees flaked. Pras and Wyclef Jean have said they are willing to return, leaving only one big Hill to climb. 

30 - PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION 
 Dream Factory (Paisley Park, 1986)

“Writing a song for Prince is like brushing his teeth,” keyboardist Lisa Coleman says, laughing. “He’s that guy.” But for much of 1986, the prolific artist whose albums often bore the tag, “Written, arranged, produced, and performed by Prince,” was in a collaborative mood. The outcome? The stunning 18-track Dream Factory. During Prince’s Hit & Run tour, he entered the studio for a series of dates with his longtime backing band The Revolution. Two members of the classic lineup would have the most artistic impact on those sessions: Coleman and guitarist Wendy Melvoin. That was the relationship he, Lisa, and myself had,” Melvoin recalls of the duo’s close musical bond with the infamously independent Purple One. “We were in studios all over the world, writing and finishing tracks that were all incredibly diverse and odd.” 

Following Around the World in a Day (Paisley Park, 1985) and Parade (Paisley Park, 1986), Dream Factory was a showcase for Prince at his most avant-garde. What other multiplatinum superstar would open up an album with a  melancholy instrumental piano piece like “Visions”? But it only gets deeper—and weirder. Witness the dark funk title track, which rails against the crippling illusion of celebrity; “Crystal Ball,” a relentless 10-minute epic about war; and “Train,” a soulful rocker that uses train-track sound effects as a backbeat. The centerpiece is “All My Dreams,” a whimsical number straight out of a 1930s jazz musical, featuring Prince singing into a megaphone. 

But Dream Factory was never officially released. After abruptly disbanding the Revolution, Minnesota’s native son included Dream Factory solo standouts like “Ballad of Dorothy Parker,” “Strange Relationship,” and “Sign O’ the Times” on his acclaimed 1987 album of the same name, erasing any trace of Wendy and Lisa. “We wanted to be Prince’s muses,” she says, “but he felt like he needed to take back the initial thing that got him to where he was at, which was, ‘I need to do this on my own,’” Melvoin says. Yet Wendy and Lisa have thrived, releasing several albums and scoring films like Soul Food (20th Century Fox, 1997) and television shows like NBC’s Heroes, as well as working with the Edith Funker supergroup with Erykah Badu, ?uestlove, James Poyser, and DJ Jazzy Jeff. But looking back, Wendy says of the time: “We are extremely proud of that period.”

31 - MOS DEF 
 Black Jack Johnson(Rawkus, 2002)

Featuring Living Colour’s rhythm section, Bad Brains guitarist Dr. Know, and Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell, this Mos Def–led group toured after the BK MC’s 1999 solo debut and threatened a historic black rock record. Most of the songs the group wrote never made it to Mos’ follow-up, The New Danger (Geffen, 2004), on which the group played together.  

32 - JOI   Amoeba Cleansing Syndrome (Free World/EMI, 1996)

Anticipating Erykah Badu’s later experiments, Joi’s masterful balance of mournful soul and baddest-bitch funk rock remains lost to the EMI vault. Google it.

33 - MF DOOM AND GHOSTFACE KILLAH Swift & Changeable/Doomstarks (Nature/Metalface)

First discussed in 2006, this collabo could really happen, just not with a major-label push. Wu-Tang Clan’s Iron Man and producer Doom have worked together before, notably on Ghost’s 2006 banger “Clipse of Doom,” and already have a few songs in the can. But this is purely a vanity/nerd project.  

34 - BILAL   Love For Sale (Interscope, 2006)

The devastatingly talented crooner’s experimental follow-up to the underrated 1st Born Second (Interscope, 2001) has been floating on the Web for years. But while Bilal Oliver tours regularly and contributes the occasional guest hook, Love for Sale remains on 

 source: Vibe