Group Theory

I recently caught up with some old Lost Boyz music, which reminded me as far as hip-hop goes they've always been known but somewhat underrated. They definitely gave us some good songs such as "Renee", "Me and My Crazy World", "Lifestyles Of The Rich & Shameless" and a few more. Which reminded me about the decline of music groups. The group dynamic still seems a working formula for some genres especially, like rock (which it always has), but it's highly underrepresented now. This is no new topic, but just my take on it.

We're in the age of what I like to call "microwavable music". Sure, you get some four course meals here and there with innovative and original artists, but for the most part there are many manufactured artists that don't require much grooming. Everyone has always wanted to make money but now it's the main focus.

Once groups started disbanding and people went solo, it worked for them. So, once it worked for them, whether they were a singer like Beyonce, Bobby Brown, Justin Timberlake, Sisqo, or rappers like Ice Cube, Jadakiss, (I know this is an extremely short list of many and people did this back in the day as well), the solo thing worked for you. You become the more "known" group member, and don't have to divy the money up anymore. You and your former group members claim the group is not broke up and you just wanted to do your own album, but a group album never materializes again once you reach success (unless everyone's career falls off and then you rely on the former success of the group for a "reunion")

Not to say artists aren't genuine or don't have the right to make their own music, but everyone else followed suit with the phenomenon. In this world we all want to be different, but yet fit in somewhere. New artists do what works. If being in a group is what's making the money they want to fit in, if it's being a solo artist that's what will be done. Not to say there aren't still music groups out, there's plenty, but anyone in a group is just a song and an album deal away from going solo.


Anyways, here's a throwback video from the hip-hop group whose most successful reign during the 90s put Cleveland on the map.