6 Rappers That Have Weathered the Storm

What’s hip-hop music if not an outlet to combat life’s hardships? Since its early days, the culture has acted as a platform for oppressed and overlooked folks to voice their struggles. Yesterday, on the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, all of the world paid tribute to the citizens of New Orleans who’ve endured through homelessness, government neglect and the destruction caused by broken levees.

With the city’s strong natives in our thoughts, XXL couldn’t help but think of rap’s survivors, artists that are no strangers themselves to hard times. Life constantly challenges men and women of all backgrounds, but it’s all about how one thrives through the difficult periods. These six rappers have weathered their own personal storms to emerge victorious. Salute them.

EMINEM
One look at the current Billboard 200 albums chart is all that’s needed to see Eminem’s resiliency. Last May, Marshall Mathers released the comeback record Relapse, after five years of musical inactivity caused by drug use and the death of his best friend, and fellow D12 member, Proof. While the LP was a financial triumph, many fans and industry types questioned its direction, accusing Em of going too far into conceptual horror and goofily-voiced flows instead of earnestly cleaning out his personal closet. Having heard the complaints, Em returned this past June with a proper resurrection record, Recovery, which has spent seven weeks atop the Billboard 200 album chart.

KANYE WEST
Last September, Kanye West became Public Enemy No. 1. overnight. In a now-infamous episode of foot-in-mouth foolishness, the superstar producer-rapper stormed the MTV Video Music Awards stage and tainted young pop/country singer Taylor Swift’s Best Female Video victory. West, clearly a Beyoncé fan, professed his appreciation for B’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” vid over Swift’s “You Belong With Me.” As if public opinion wasn’t sour enough in the incident’s wake, famous folk, ranging from Katy Perry to President Obama, voiced their disdain for ’Ye’s actions. Fortunately, a year away from the limelight and dope music have done West’s career good. Today, he’s as prolific as ever (see his Twitter profile or weekly “G.O.O.D. Friday” music series), and has the year’s most anticipated album on deck. No longer are heads asking “Where are you, Yeezy?”; he’s everywhere.

T.I.
While the hip-hop world impatiently awaits his seventh LP, King Uncaged, T.I. is most likely just happy to still be here. On March 26 of this year, Tip was released from prison after serving a yearlong sentence for federal weapons charges. The road to jail began in May 2006, when the Atlanta rap star’s childhood friend, Philant Johnson, was shot to death after a concert in Cincinnati, Ohio. As if his demeanor wasn’t damaged enough following that tragedy, T.I. crossed paths with authorities again in October 2007, when federal ATF agents raided Tip’s home and seized an arsenal of firearms. Being that he was a previously convicted felon, T.I. couldn’t legally possess guns; jailtime was imminent, but he and his team used the promise of community service and public speaking engagements to shorten his behind-bars stay. As part of his preach-positivity campaign, Tip recorded a PSA commercial for local ATL television in which he encouraged witnesses to not remain quiet—charges of “snitching” soon hit him. Those insults, coupled with questions of whether jail had cooled off the self-proclaimed King of the South’s popularity or not. Yet, as this weekend’s box office numbers show (Takers, starring and produced by T.I., earned over $20 million), he’s back on top.

CAGE
On the low, underground lyricist Cage has battled through some of the darkest forces that hip-hop has ever known. During his teenage years, Cage was kicked out of high school and suffered beatings at his father’s hands, which led to drug abuse and alcohol consumption. To avoid jail time for her son, his mother convinced a judge to have Cage sent to the Stoney Lodge psychiatric hospital, where he stayed for 18 months. There, he attempted suicide several times. Rather than completely succumb to his troubled past, however, Cage has since aired out his demons through his music. Though his music is often, if not always, dark in tone, Cage remains a survivor.

RICK ROSS
When it comes to Rick Ross’s career, fans have most definitely favored art over authenticity. In July 2008, The Smoking Gun exposed the Miami rapper’s background as a corrections officer, offering substantial proof to support previously leaked pics of a young Ross wearing a prison guard’s wardrobe. TSG dug up his social security number and employee records that showed he’d worked for the jail system for 18 months back in 1995. While many wondered if the developments would both kill Ross’s credibility and career, he’s since gone on to have the last laugh. Two successful albums and a slew of notable guest appearances later, he’s more famous than ever.

DR. DRE
Dr. Dre may be one of the industry’s largest entities today, but his road to such immensity hasn’t been easy. Particularly in the superproducer’s early day, the good Doc has overcome tons of adversity. The first hurdle came in July 1991, when he exited the groundbreaking crew N.W.A, which led to a war-of-words, both on wax and in the press, with former groupmate Eazy-E, as well as Dre’s teaming with former bodyguard Suge Knight to form Death Row Records that August. His subsequent success with Knight and Death Row proved his staying power, yet that relationship went sour in 1996. Looking to forge his own movement, Dre started Aftermath Entertainment, the label’s first release being the underwhelming compilation Dr. Dre Presents The Aftermath. A couple years later, though, Dre was on top of the world, after signing Eminem in 1998 and dropping the colossal 2001 album one year later. The rest is, including the acquisition of 50 Cent and various hit records produced, is history.

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