Why Didn’t Gravy Make It As A Rapper?
Gravy performing in 2005 at Power 105’s 3rd Anniversary Celebration
Critics and fans everywhere seem to be embracing Jamal “Gravy” Woolard’s big screen portrayal of Biggie in the new biopic Notorious, which opens today. To mainstream America, he’s a budding young thespian. But to the hip-hop world, Gravy is already well known as a 30-year-old failed rapper.
In honor of his new career taking off, we decided to examine his previous bid for hip-hop stardom. What went wrong? Check out the five biggest reasons below…
#5: HE WAS A WACK GHOSTWRITER
A lot of up-and-coming rappers get their feet wet by secretly ghostwriting lyrics for lazy MCs. But when you’re writing simplistic lyrics for a wack rapper who’s the laughing stock of the industry, you should probably avoid bragging about it in interviews. Even Bow Wow sounded aiight when Tip was writing his lyrics. Lil’ Flip written by Gravy? Not so much.
#4: HIS MANAGER WAS MORE GANGSTER THAN HE WAS
Having a well-known former drug dealer backing your career can definitely do good things for an aspiring rapper. But in Gravy’s case, it seemed like he was always overshadowed by his manager Fendi. The CEO of Gravy’s label Dirty Money is a well-liked, charismatic hustler who often reminds people that he was “close” with Biggie and Jay-Z back in the day. And despite flashing his guns for the DVD cameras, Gravy seems more like a tough talking Teddy Bear than the hardened criminal he portrays. We don’t believe you.
#3: HE WISHED HE WAS JAY-Z AND/OR BIGGIE.
Sure, knowing all of Big’s lyrics probably helped him get the role of a lifetime as an actor, but dropping lazy homage mixtapes like Without A Doubt/Still Ready To Die proved he was stuck in the shadow of New York rap’s previous generation. Rather than bringing the buzz back to Brooklyn, he always came off as a generic imitation of the '90s rappers he grew up idolizing.
#2: HIS NAME IS “GRAVY”.
Seriously. And no, “It’s all Gravy!” is not a cool catch phrase.
#1: HE SHOT HIMSELF IN THE ASS.
On the evening of April 26, 2006, Gravy arrived at Hot 97’s Greenwich Village studio to do an interview with Funkmaster Flex. While walking into the station with the Dirty Money crew in tow, a shooting occurred, and Gravy ended up with a bullet in his buttocks. No matter'Gravy went inside and did the interview anyway. Well, it didn’t take police long to figure out that the person who gave him the flesh wound was actually a member of his own entourage. Whoops. As a result of the incident, Gravy was banned from Hot 97 and dropped from his deal at Warner Brothers. Next time someone tells you that all publicity is good publicity, tell 'em about Gravy.
embark January 16, 2009 at 7:51 pm
I’m sure if Gravy had enough spit to him Warner wouldn’t have dropped him…Whether he ‘plaxico’ed himself or not.
Stop The Hate January 17, 2009 at 12:57 am
Wow. Complex…. It’s hard to imagine that you don’t just sit around and try to figure out ways to constantly rain down hate on people constantly for shock value. It seems like a consistently inane attempt to up readership through less than stellar hip-hop journalism.
Seriously.
P.S. And please get off of Jim Jones jock.
madison January 17, 2009 at 1:33 am
you dont have to stop the hate at all!
it’s actually rather hilarious.
i didn’t even know this dude was a rapper — i thought he was some random dude who was chosen to play BIG.
sooooo…i’m thinking his little shine is going to be over by mid-feb.
http://www.hostagenyc.com
Omar January 17, 2009 at 6:48 am
gravy had some nice joints, that hot97 shit messed him up bad
Anonymous January 17, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Hi there,
I am a sexy and beautiful woman. I am just in the beginning of my career and want to find a black man, so I uploaded my hot and even hot photos on
_______I N T E R R A C I A L L O V I N G.COM______. I’m waiting for u……..
INSITE January 18, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Are ya from da KKK thats alot off hate why
suckitmarshall January 20, 2009 at 1:02 am
^^^
According to “da streets”: Having an informed opinion = Hate.
Also according to “da streets”: copious, unconditional, mutual cock stroking = totally hetero behavior.
EnWhy January 20, 2009 at 1:37 pm
I think him lying about being from bed stuy n his cuzin goin on a dvd with newz talkin about how hes reely from jerzey n he only sed bed stuy because his cuzin lives there n it where biggies from had sumthing to do with it too….
GreeneBoy January 21, 2009 at 7:20 pm
The writer of this blog doesn’t know shit. Two thumbs down muthafucka.
osh February 18, 2009 at 3:14 pm
garvy is a tight rapper..
joints are tight..
thats thst
none October 13, 2009 at 4:11 pm
gravy will always be harder than the fag who wrote this haha
you’re contradicting yourself, if fendi is a gangster and gravy is soft then why would fendi back him?
and the link doesn’t say shit about him setting himself up to be shot.
keep hating retards
Shoot A Hater In The F'in Face! November 24, 2009 at 4:53 am
Gravy is Fire! F what u heard!… I’ve been banging Gravy for years, ever since one of my boys came back from NY with the ‘without reasonable doubt’ mixtape (I’m from London, UK)which is a good mixtape, one of the better ones out there, the concept is good and he actually does aiiight over the Jay & Big beats, stop hating!… Gravy is a nice rapper, he’s nice on the mic believe dat, if you don’t know that by listening to him, then you really shouldn’t be commenting on rap, stick to pop music Faggot!
Shoot A Hater In The F'in Face! November 24, 2009 at 4:56 am
…then you need to be commenting on another genre of music, leave Hip hop and rap to those that know, … Faggot!