When people think of Heltah Skeltah, people think of Rock and the other guy. “Everyone was sucking Rock’s dick, thinking that he’s the man. “Nobody believed me,” he recalls of the experience. Ruck, on the other hand, was faced with the harsh realization that he was no longer a hot commodity. Rock - whose contract was retained by Priority before securing a solo deal with DJ Lethal’s Lethal Dose Records at Interscope - was gearing up to drop a solo album titled Planet Rock, featuring production from A-List producers like The Neptunes. In light of their failure to gain traction, as well as internal friction, Heltah Skeltah decided to part ways, which - following his release from Priority Records - left Ruck a free agent. Unfortunately, beyond that success, Magnum Force was met with indifference by the mainstream, with die-hard Boot Camp Clik fans maligning Ruck and Rock for not sticking to their guns in the pursuit of chart position and radio airplay. 8 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums, Magnum Force yielded a minor hit with the single, “ I Ain’t Havin’ That,” which gave the duo their second Hot 100 hit of their career. However, in an attempt to appeal to a broader audience, Ruck and Rock sought production from outside of the BCC camp, calling in producers like Daz Dillinger, Grand Daddy I.U., Self, Smoke, and others to help craft a more palatable sound on the album. Led by the single, “ Operation Lockdown,” Nocturnal failed to mirror the commercial success of previous Boot Camp Clik offerings, forcing the duo to return to the drawing board.Īppearing on For The People, the Boot Camp Clik’s debut album as a collective, in 1997, Heltah Skeltah doubled back with their sophomore album, Magnum Force, in 1998. as the short-lived group The Fab 5 - Ruck and Rock garnered instant acclaim due to their standout performances on the sleeper hit, paving the way for the release of their debut album, Nocturnal, in 1996. One arm of the Brownsville based rap crew Boot Camp Clik, Heltah Skeltah first appeared on Smif-N-Wessun’s 1995 debut, Dah Shinin‘, on the tracks “ Wontime,” “ Cession at da Doghillee,” and “ Let’s Git It On,” but would blow up as one of rap’s most anticipated new acts via their appearance on the hit single “ Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka.” Cast alongside Boot Camp Clik trio O.G.C.

One rap artist who managed to flip the script and channel his pain into a second chance at glory is the late Sean Price, who embodied the persona of the “ Struggle Rapper” like none before him and brought a whole new meaning to reality rap.Ī product of Brownsville, Brooklyn, Price, who earned the nickname “Ruckus” as a member of the Brooklyn gang Decepticons, linked up with fellow Brownsville tough Rock, forming the rap duo Heltah Skeltah. Creative differences, contractual limbo, lackluster promotional budgets, and marginal financial compensation can weigh on a rapper’s psyche, resulting in a number of talented MCs becoming disenchanted with the grind and fading into obscurity. But for the overwhelming majority of artists, the reality is far less enticing. This may be the case for a handful of rappers who have dominated the Billboard charts, mastered the art of independence, or parlayed their success into lucrative business ventures outside of music.

The lifestyle that’s afforded a professional rap artist is a lavish one, filled with an excess of finances, a harem of beautiful women, and other spoils of the trade. Photo Credit: Robin Marchant/FilmMagic via Getty Released 15 years ago, Monkey Barz was the birth of Sean Price, “the brokest rapper you know.” Read about how the Brooklyn MC pulled off one of the greatest reinventions in rap history.

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