Edd’s MANtra: Not-So-Supergroups

 

 

 

 

Well, after poking around the wiki pages of a few long-forgotten artists I discovered The Queen Project. Apparently it’s a supergroup that formed last fall consisting of, get this, Tamia, Deborah Cox and Kelly Price.

 

Here’s a snippet of their first single, Queen.

 

Now before you get excited, let me hit you with a cold, hard dose of reality – it’s a good chance these ladies won’t release ANYTHING. Why? Because when it comes to supergroups, defined as a collective of already-established artists, they tend to have a horrible track record.

And I guess these guys did OK too.


But they are the exception. Ninety percent of the time when a bunch of artists allegedly link up, nothing ever materializes. And even when groups like The Firm and Slaughterhouse actually release albums they’re rarely successful.

 

Lucy Pearl

Raphael Saadiq, En Vogue’s Dawn Robinson and Ali from A Tribe Called Quest

– This neo-soul alliance SHOULD have worked, but I just wasn’t feeling their 2000 self-titled album. Notorious troublemaker Dawn got kicked out of the group and was replaced by eclectic singer Joi. But even that didn’t last long.

Foxy Brown and Lil’ Kim


– Those two couldn’t stop bickering long enough to record any tracks and they still hate each other to this day.


Kim and Fox – fostering stereotypes of black women for more than 14 years.


TGT


Tyrese, Ginuwine and Tank


– LSG clones. Next.


The Murderers


Jay-Z, Ja Rule and DMX


– This collection of egomaniacs and crackheads was doomed to fail from the start. They do have a couple of decent songs on their resume, though.


The Murderers – Murdergram





Jay-Z and R. Kelly


– Ugh. As lazy as their collaborative albums were, both lyrically and creatively (they didn’t even record together – they just sent each other snippets that were pasted together), both 2002’s Best Of Both Worlds and 2004’s Unfinished Business sold relatively well. The first album was derailed by Kelly’s sex scandal, the second was hurt when Kellz and Jay started catfighting – proving that’s not exclusive to just Foxy and Kim.

 

The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Charli Baltimore, Diddy, Lil Cease and Lance ‘Un’ Rivera


– Man, I never realized what a groupie Jay-Z was. Although the members of The Commission, Biggie’s mafioso group, were announced to the world on the classic “What’s Beef,” they never got the chance to record because of Biggie’s slaying. That’s too bad – Big and Jay could have replaced their partners with four Snorkels and still would have made hits. Actually, that might be an improvement.




T-Wayne


Lil Wayne and T-Pain


– Ugh. Just the thought gives me acid reflux. And since T-Pain’s 15 minutes are FINALLY up, thanks to Jay-Z blackballing him, I’m pretty sure their rumored collaboration will never see the light of day.


Lil Wayne and T-Pain – Got Money




Still, I have high hopes for the ladies of Queen – I hope their alliance is stronger than their predecessors.


Were there any supergroups that made it big? What were some of your favorites?