25 Hip-Hop Artists People Think Are One-Hit Wonders (But Totally Aren't)

Success in hip-hop is often a crapshoot. Some artists grind it out for years before breaking through, while others come to our attention seemingly out of nowhere. In both instances, though, the trick is to seize the moment and do what you can to keep the eyes of the culture focused on them for as long as possible. But how long will that moment last?

When the hits dry up, casual fans may assume that the artist is dead and gone, although that's rarely the case. Maybe it's not even a question of hit records, but something more pressing—like a jail sentence—that makes successful artists fade into obscurity. Or perhaps they've gone on to making money in the record business doing other things.

Whatever the case, many artists are deemed one-hit-wonders because most people only know their biggest song. But that doesn't mean that's all they ever amounted to. Yesterday we broke down the 100 Best Hip-Hop One-Hit Wonders. Now here's 25 hip-hop acts you thought were one-hit wonders who really aren't.

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Written by Paul Cantor (@PaulCantor)

Major Hit: "Lip Gloss" (2007)

Other Hit: "Shawty Get Loose" f/ Chris Brown & T-Pain (2008)


Lil' Mama was one of the first New York City-based entrants into the dance rap scene that exploded on the web around 2007. "Lip Gloss" earned the Brooklyn-bred teenager a deal with Jive Records. The song's catchy refrain ("My lip gloss is cool, my lip gloss is poppin'") and danceable drum pattern helped it shoot up the charts, peaking at No. 10 on the Hot 100. The video was also filled with dancing, which helped cultivate the perception that she was somewhat of an expert in that field.

In 2008, she landed a gig as a judge on MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew." A year later, starving for relevancy, she bum-rushed the VMAs as Jay-Z and Alicia Keys performed, behaving just like a one-hit wonder. Yet ironically she was nothing of the sort. "Shawty Get Loose," her follow-up single featuring Chris Brown and T-Pain, hit the Top 10. Unfortunately her album VYP (Voice of the Young People failed to move significant units.

Major Hit: "So Seductive" (2005)

Other Hit: "Drama Setter" f/ Eminem & Obie Trice (2005)


Even though Tony Yayo was part of many G-Unit bangers, "So Seductive" is the biggest solo hit he has to his credit. The single helped his 2005 debut LP, Thoughts of Predicate Felon, sell 214,000 copies its first week. But calling Yayo a one-hit-wonder would be both unwise and misguided. Indeed, his debut disc boasted four charting singles, including "Drama Setter" (featuring Eminem and Obie Trice), which hit the Top 10 on Billboard's R&B chart. Either way, Yayo is still in the Weed Carrier Hall of Fame.

Major Hit: "Pump It Up" (2003)

Other Hit: "Fire" f/ Busta Rhymes (2003)


Though he's now a member of the rap supergroup Slaughterhouse and become an underground favorite with his Mood Muzik mixtape series, Joe Budden will forever be remembered for his solo hit "Pump It Up." Yet contrary to popular belief the New Jersey spitter has sent not one but four solo joints into the Billboard charts, the biggest being "Fire" his collabo with Busta Rhymes—and let's not even mention his feature appearances with Marques Houston and Christina Milian. Really, let's not.

Major Hit: "Monie In The Middle" (1990)

Other Hit: "It's a Shame (My Sister)" (1990)


UK femcee Monie Love made some big guest appearances (including Queen Latifah's "Ladies First" and De La Soul's "Buddy," among others) before she signed a deal wtih Warner Brothers. Her first album, Down To Earth, released in 1990, yielded two Grammy-nominated songs. Though most rap heads remember her for "Monie in the Middle," her follow-up song "It's A Shame (My Sister)" was the bigger hit, reaching the Top 40 on the pop charts.

Major Hit: "Get By" (2003)

Other Hit: "I Try" f/ Mary J. Blige (2004)


On his song "Moment of Clarity," Jay-Z gave his fellow Brooklyn MC a back-handed compliment: "If skills sold/Truth be told/I'd probably be/Lyrically/Talib Kweli." While it's true that Hov has moved more units, Talib Kweli has a couple of hits under his belt too. Aside from his classic work with Mos Def as Black Star, and his features with the likes of Kanye West, Kweli's biggest solo success was "Get By." He followed that same blueprint the following year with the chart hit "I Try." And he's still trying—recently linking with Res to form Idle Warship.

Major Hit: "Po Pimp" (1996)

Other Hit: "Still Po Pimpin" (1998)


"Po Pimp" was originally released independently, but after it attained some local attention, Rap-A-Lot Records signed the Chicago-bred trio and dropped the single nationally in 1996. The tune introduced Twista, who went on to release a handful of other records. And while the group will always be remembered for "Po Pimp" technically they are not one-hit wonders. They did have a follow-up hit, even if it was called "Still Po Pimpin."

Major Hit: "Romeo & Juliet" (1998)

Other Hit: "Ya Style" f/ Snoop Dogg & Bizzy Bone (2000)


Did Shakespeare have this in mind? Probably not. But Sylk-E. Fyne had a No. 1 rap hit and Top 10 hit on the Hot 100 in 1998 with "Romeo & Juliet," a thug princess's take on the classic love story. But Sylk-E.'s story didn't end there. She returned to the charts two years later with "Ya Style," featuring Snoop and Too $hort, off her sophomore album, Tha Cum Up.

Major Hit: "Dey Know" (2007)

Other Hit: "Foolish" (2008)

Shawty Lo almost tasted success when D4L hit it big with "Laffy Taffy." But despite being in the group, he was in jail at the time the song was recorded, and thus wasn't featured on the track. Not content to ride the snap-rap gravy train, Lo hit the studio and dropped his slow flow on "Dey Know." Bigging up all his haters, and then his haters kinda sorta rejoiced, thinking he couldn't muster up another hit. But then he defied the nay-sayers, cracking the charts with both "Dunn Dunn" and "Foolish." Guess the haters lose again.

Major Hit: "Case of that PTA" (1991)

Other Hit: "Sobb Story" (1991)


Twenty years before Busta Rhymes was trolling for views on Youtube, he was rocking with Milo, Dinco D, and Charlie Brown in The Leaders of the New School. Their debut single, "Case of the P.T.A.," was a playful ode to horsing around. It peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100, but shortly after his appearance on A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario," Busta Rhymes became a solo star and the group broke up. Luckily L.O.N.S. had that all-important follow-up hit with "Sobb Story," so they should never be classified as one-hit wonders.

Major Hit: "Shoulder Lean" (2006)

Other Hit: "Rubberband Banks" (2006)


In the mid-aughts, T.I. was so hot he could no wrong. So he put his crew on. Young Dro was the first to cash in when he released his dance-infused single "Shoulder Lean." The song shot up the charts, peaking at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reaching No. 1 on both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Rap Songs charts. While he might be mistaken for a one-hit wonder, his song "Rubberband Banks" also cracked the charts. So just remember, when you dis Dro, you dis yourself.

Major Hit: "Rump Shaker" (1992)

Other Hit: "New Jack Swing" f/ Teddy Riley (1989)


Wreckz-N-Effect had a No. 1 on the Billboard Rap charts in 1990 with "New Jack Swing," but it's really "Rump Shaker," from their album Hard or Smooth that most people remember. In '92, the song hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, but got cock-blocked by Whitney Houston, whose tune "I Will Always Love You," wouldn't budge from the top slot.

Still, "Rump Shaker" went double platinum as a single and gave future Neptunes hitmaker Pharrell his first taste of success. P wrote Teddy Riley's verses, though it's not clear who came up with the line, "All I wanna do is zooma-zoom-zoom-zoom in a boom-boom."

Major Hit: "Whoa" (2000)

Other Hit: "I Dare You" (2000)


Black Rob was one of the early victims of the Bad Boy curse, which began rearing its head around the turn of the century. Perhaps it was because Diddy was focusing on his own career, or perhaps Black Rob just wasn't talented enough to bet the farm on. Whatever the case, just don't call him a one-hit wonder. He may be best-known for "Whoa," from his 2000 LP True Story, but don't sleep on his underground smash "I Dare You" or his other chart hit "Ready."

Major Hit: "Good Vibrations" (1991)

Other Hit: "Wildside" (1991)


Most kids these days are too young to remember or even know that actor Mark Wahlberg was once a rapper. Jailed as a youth on an assault charge, he had a little more street cred than his other white pop rap counterparts, and was perhaps a tad more accepted (though not much more). "Good Vibrations" was a blend of hip-hop and acid house, a genre which by the early '90s had largely gone pop. The sound helped this tune go to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, easily. They soon followed up with the hit "Wildside," which is now largely forgotten—except by us.

Major Hit: "The Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" (1992)

Other Hit: "Where I'm From" (1993)


Digable Planets were one of the more adventurous rap groups of the early '90s. While other acts were content to just sample from jazz records, DP actually sounded like they were cut from be-bop cloth. In a sense, the song title was saying, they represented the rebirth of "cool." And they largely pulled it off—for a while anyway. Although their mainstream buzz inevitably died down, DP continued to put up hits like "Where I'm From." (By the way, the artist formerly known as Butterfly is still in the game with his group Shabazz Palaces.)

Major Hit: "I Got 5 On It" (1995)

Other Hit: "Playa Hata" (1995)


The Luniz are best remembered for this smoker's anthem. Five on it meant having five dollars to put towards a bag of weed. Although Diddy bastardized the tune when he jacked the beat for his god-awful 1999 R. Kelly collab "Satisfy You," Yukmouth and Numskull will always have this jam to their credit. But reducing these Bay Area mainstays' entire career to one tune would be a sad mistake. Unless of course you happen to be a "Playa Hata."

Major Hit: "The Choice Is Yours" (1992)

Other Hit: "Strobelite Honey" (1992)


Black Sheep's signature smash set forth a musical dilemma: "You can get with this, or you can get with that." The whole world got with that record, which remains one of the most timeless tracks in hip-hop history. These days their song "Strobelite Honey" is largely forgotten, but at the time it was a big deal. So take a minute to refresh your memory, and don't you ever call Dres and Mr. Lawnge one-hit wonders again.

Major Hit: "Bust a Move" (1989)

Other Hit: "Principal's Office" (1989)


It was all so simple then. Young MC garnered his record contract by rapping over the phone to Michael Ross and Matt Dike, owners of the famed LA-based record label Delicious Vinyl. The signing proved to be a smart move, as the rapper went on to record "Bust A Move," which won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance and pushed his debut LP Stone Cold Rhymin' to platinum status. He also collaborated with Tone-Loc on the writing of hits like "Funky Cold Medina" and "Wild Thing." Still, few remember Young MC's follow-up hit "Principal's Office." But we do—and now you do too.

Major Hit: "Laffy Taffy" (2005)

Other Hit: "Betcha Can't Do It Like Me" (2006)


Silly, simple snap-rap songs like "Laffy Taffy" would seem to be the stuff one-hit-wonders are made of. But after releasing their No. 1 pop single, Atlanta's D4L proved that they had more in store when they dropped "Betcha Can't Do It Like Me." We haven't heard much from them since, but the numbers don't lie: one plus one still equals two.

Major Hit: "Flava In Ya Ear" (1994)

Other Hit: "Get Down" (1994)


The summer of 1994 was the summer of Bad Boy Records, which kicked off with Craig Mack. His Easy Mo Bee-produced single, "Flava In Ya Ear," was a mainstay on both the streets and the charts. The first release on Puffy's new label cracked the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 9. But soon thereafter The Notorious B.I.G. got his career going—"Juicy" dropped that summer—and Mack got lost in the shuffle. Despite his scene-stealing guest appearance on the song's classic remix, Biggie later went on to say "Nah, I don't fuck with that dude." Which maybe had something to do with Mack's disappearing act. Still he's no one-hit wonder, as his follow-up hit "Get Down" clearly proves.

Major Hit: "Ridin'" (2006)

Other Hit: "Turn It Up" f/ Lil Flip (2005)


In terms of Texas rap getting exposed nationally, Chamillionaire was a little late to the party. But he actually wound up having more success than many of his counterparts from the Lone Star State. "Ridin'" topped the Hot 100, won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, and was nominated (but didn't win) for Best Rap Song. The song also won Best Rap Video at the MTV Video Music Awards, and its ringtone was downloaded over 3 million times.

But if you think he might be a one-hit wonder, think again. Before "Ridin'" rode up the charts, Chamillionaire had been bubbling on the underground for years, and already had another chart hit under his belt with Lil Flip ("Turn It Up"). He would go on to another successful underground run with his Mixtape Messiah series.

Major Hit: "Just A Friend" (1989)

Other Hit: "Vapors" (1988)


Calling Biz Markie a one-hit wonder is not unlike calling Leonardo Da Vinci a cartoonist. Although his comedic yet tender ballad "Just A Friend" became a Top 10 single in 1989, it was all his work with the Juice Crew that made him a seminal figure in hip-hop culture. Just try to imagine a world without songs like "Pickin' Boogers" and "Make The Music With Your Mouth Biz"—to say nothing of his funky features with groups like De La Soul (who are also not one-hit wonders). So why did VH1 put Biz on their 2002 list of One-Hit Wonders? Guess they must have caught "The Vapors."

Major Hit: "Jump Around" (1992)

Other Hit: "Shamrocks and Shenanigans" (1992)


House of Pain had infinitely more cred in hip-hop than most other white rappers (Everlast had been ushered into the game as part of Ice-T's Rhyme Syndicate). So when "Jump Around" went to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, it wasn't like some random guys infiltrating the culture a la Vanilla Ice. Nor were they one-hit wonders. Although the sheer enormity of "Jump Around" may have obscured the fact, House of Pain hits like "Shamrocks & Shenanigans" as well as the title track to the Who's The Man soundtrack kept them on the charts. Since then all the group members have gone on to become successful individually—Danny Boy as a streetwear aficionado, DJ Lethal as a member of Limp Bizkit, DJ Muggs as a producer, and Everlast as an alternative rock vocalist. One hit wonders? Nah.

Major Hit: "It Takes Two" (1988)

Other Hit: "Joy and Pain" (1988)


Although they had one notable follow-up single, "Joy and Pain," Rob Base & D.J. EZ-Rock will forever be known for their Lyn Collins-influenced '80s party jam, "It Takes Two." Base's opening line ("I wanna rock right now") is certainly one of the best-known lyrics in hip-hop history, even if the Harlem duo itself is mostly remembered for that one big tune.

Major Hit: "Ice Ice Baby" (1990)

Other Hit: "Play That Funky Music" (1990)


Vanilla Ice had a few hits from his debut record To The Extreme, but all anyone really remembers him for at this point is "Ice Ice Baby." The song's catchy beat was largely driven by its sample of the bass line from Queen and David Bowie song "Under Pressure," which again proved that an easy-going pop melody mixed with hip-hop bravado-however contrived it might be-could lead to riches. Ice would soon be taken down by the media and the rest of the hip-hop community, back when the culture sort of policed itself. By the time he scored his second hit ("Play That Funky Music" which was a Top 5 song in the US) he was considered a joke. But in hindsight "Ice Ice Baby" wasn't too bad, and Rob Van WInkle probably didn't deserve the treatment he got. Poor guy.

Major Hit: "Rapper's Delight" (1979)

Other Hit: "8th Wonder" (1980)


Hip-Hop's first big hit record was almost its first one-hit wonder. With its beat-jack of the bass line from Chic's "Good Times," The Sugarhill Gang showed right from the start that the formula for rap success was the perfect combination of a catchy beat and simple rhymes. Nothing too complex. And Grandmaster Caz wrote Big Bank Hank's verse, too. (Apparently credibility wasn't that big of a deal back then either.) One year later, the Gang worked the same formula to perfection and dropped another, less well-known hit, "8th Wonder," which they followed with another chart hit, "Apache." The Sugarhill Gang might not have had eight hits, but they're definitely not one-hit wonders.