They just don't make 'em like they used to. 

Artistic fame and relevance is a tricky balancing act of quality and branding, and more often than not, what goes up comes crashing down in a heartbeat.  

Some artists get their fifteen minutes of fame and hold on for dear life, while many more just burn out before you even know it. 

So, let’s take a trip back to the past and focus on artists who at one point in time were of musical relevance. For whatever reason they have faded away, but we celebrate and commend them for their efforts.

Many of these New York City artists swept us away with their one-hit wonders and their momentary shine in the limelight. While some of these artists came out with such a dominating force and incredible potential, others well, we probably should have seen it coming.

Here’s a brief ranking of 7 NYC artists that have unfortunately just faded away; artists we once enjoyed, but maybe never gave us all they really had to offer. 

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7. Mims

Mims rapidly grabbed everyone’s attention with his commercial debut single “This is Why I’m Hot,” selling over 1 million downloads. 

This Washington Heights rapper made it abundantly clear why exactly he was hot, somewhat predicting his momentary success in the verse, “I can sell a mill saying nothing on the track.”

“This is Why I’m Hot” successfully peaked at #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. His subsequent debut album Music is my Savior had also done fairly well, coming in at #4 on the Billboard 200 with 78,000 copies sold in the first week of its release.

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However, that streak didn’t continue with his second album Guilt, which debuted at #53 on the billboard 200, selling roughly only 12,400 copies in its first week. It never did any better, and Mims hasn't seen the same success since.

Pro tip: The problem with being "hot" (or heat in general) is that unless you're on fire (which Mims never was), you're going to cool off. 

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6. DMX

DMX had us all hooked at one point. He had the most important rap song of 1998 with "Ruff Ryders' Anthem." He was on top of the world with his barking rhymes, booming hardcore presence, and his unremittingly intense delivery on the mic.

In 2003, DMX became the first artist in history to release five consecutive albums that debuted at #1.

Unfortunately, this New York native’s journey went from top to rock bottom due to multiple arrests for offenses such as violating probation, animal cruelty, drug possession, identity falsification as well as other legal problems.

Overall, DMX has managed to spend more time getting into trouble and going in and out of jail than actually getting down to business and making some music, but he did have an amazing moment on a decidedly weird episode of Dr. Phil. It's everything. 

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5. Cam’ron

Now, let’s talk about the Harlem rapper Cam’ron (formerly known as Killa Cam), you know, the one who made it normal for guys to wear pink. 

Killa Cam originally came out with another Harlem rapper who at the time was known as Murda Mase. They'd been friends since high school and formed a rap group called Children of the Corn with two other New York rappers.

In 1997, Cam’ron was introduced to Biggie by Mase who at the time had signed with Bad Boy Records. Biggie was so impressed with Cam’ron’s lyrical style that he helped Cam’ron signed a deal with Epic Records.

After two albums that only produced “Horse and Carriage” as anything memorable, Cam’ron asked for a release from the label. Once free, he signed with his friend Dame Dash who owned the biggest label in the game at the time in Roc-A-Fella Records. 

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During his stay at Roc-A-Fella Records, he was able to work with some of the best producers and rappers including Jay-Z and some young kid from Chicago named Kanye West. 

Under Roc-A-Fella, he dropped two brilliant albums, Come Home With Me, and Purple Haze. These were the biggest hits of Cam’ron's career, songs like “Oh Boy” and “Hey Ma” dominated the airwaves, and Cam’ron was sitting well. That was more than ten years ago.  

Cam’ron’s downfall came from internal conflicts in which he felt like he wasn’t getting a much love as other Roc-A-Fella artists. 

He was never able to reach the same pinnacle of success, painfully illuminated in the Jay-Z diss track, "You Got to Love It," wherein he blames Hov for blocking him from getting the VP job at Roc-A-Fella.

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4. Fat Joe

It’s safe to say the Bronx rapper, Fat Joe has encountered several downfalls and setbacks, but it's important to remember the great success he has been through it all. Everybody knows how to lean back and do the Rockaway just like Terror Squad taught us.

At one point Fat Joe was getting massive attention by collaborating with eminent artists such as Jennifer Lopez, Big Pun, Ja Rule, R. Kelly and Ludacris to name a few. 

His first album, Represent, in 1993, showcased his commercial potential when his first single “Flow Joe” reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles Chart.

Two albums later, Don Cartagena and Jealous Ones Still Envy, Fat Joe had reached certified gold status. Released in 1998, Don Cartagena peaked on the Billboard 200 at #7, and #2 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop albums, while Jealous Ones Still Envy reached platinum status with over 1 million copies sold.

Although some may think that Fat Joe’s rap career was destroyed by his constant feud with 50 Cent, Fat Joe’s career was already diminishing long before 50 Cent even started the beef. Now? Neither of them have a fully intact legacy. 50 Cent is bankrupt, and Fat Joe isn't... fat. He's more like Fit Joe. 

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3. Foxy Brown

Discovered by Jay-Z, Foxy Brown’s career took off at the age of 17 when she made her first musical appearance on LL Cool J’s remix of “Who Shot Ya.” At 18, Foxy Brown was a platinum-selling artist.

What seemed like a budding start, was undermined by the Brooklyn diva’s notorious behavior. Faced with numerous assault charges and the disapproval of her mom, Foxy Brown had vowed to revamp her image and clean up her act.

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Torn between pleasing her mom and fans, Foxy Brown has had a difficult time in recovering from certain blows and mishaps, including a severe hearing loss she suffered with for over a year, during which she refused to wear a hearing aid.

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2. Lil’ Kim

With edgy hardcore rhymes and a sexual appeal to match her lyrical game, Lil’ Kim was a rarity among female MC’s. The Queen Bee is a classic, and she definitely opened doors for other female rappers whether Nicki Minaj will ever actually accept it or not. 

Lil’ Kim garnered the attention of greats like Biggie, who help cultivate her career and put her on the map. For her debut album, Hardcore,  Lil’ Kim worked with well known producers such as Diddy and Jermaine Dupri.

Lil’ Kim had a bright future. She went platinum and won Grammys, but she let herself get out of hand with plastic surgeries, legal troubles and hip hop rivalries with Foxy Brown, Shyne, and Nicki Minaj. Her feud with Nicki boiled into an epic diss track, and she definitely got the best of her. 

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1. Ja Rule

Coming in at #1, the most notable, the incomparable, Ja Rule.  

With the backing of DMX and Jay-Z, Ja had a meteoric rise to the top of the music world. He launched his own music label, Murder Inc. with Irv Gotti, he had hit records, platinum selling albums and the hottest singer in the game at the time, Ashanti.

The Queens native had it all, and even feuds with both Jay-Z and DMX didn't do much to deter his momentum. 

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But that all changed when a fellow Queens rapper by the name of 50 Cent came into the picture. The two MC's were rivals before any of them had achieved any level of fame.

The beef was a heated one, with both rappers and entourage members dissing each other on songs, and even having altercations that resulted in injuries as serious as stabbing. 

With Ja Rule's sales dwindling and 50 Cent's debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin' going 8x platinum, Ja Rule began to fade into obscurity.

He had a few moments where he attempted a comeback, but nothing stuck. Again, like any rapper whose had a beef with 50 Cent, Ja Rule still got the last laugh with 50 Cent filing for bankruptcy earlier this year.

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