sly

For some rappers, it really is nuthin.’

They drop a hit single, it catches the right ear and a distribution deal is done. The song gets some steady spins, generates a trendy following and ends up topping the charts week after week. Before you know it, the track eventually becomes a national sensation, the rapper blows and soon enough Kidz Bop is covering it for toddlers.

Others aren’t so lucky.

Take Sly Boogy for example.

A locally well-known talent over on the Pacific Coast, his break seemingly came and went almost four years ago. Judgment Day, his underground mixtape/album on Sway & Tech’s Bolo label, was released in 2002 to much praise from a melting pot of hip-hop heads. The album, which featured guest appearances from Saigon, Butch Cassidy, and Truth Hurts, landed him a joint contract with J Records and Bolo. That deal caught the ear of a bubbling Scott Storch.

With major label support, talks of a real album surfaced and singles were pressed. Behind the Tuff Jew-laced “That’s My Name” and “It’s Nuthin” (MTV Jams video of the week at one point), Mistaken Identity was scheduled for a 2005 release. Despite some serious beats and some straight solemn vocals on Sly’s part, the songs didn’t carry over to the sacred waves of the FM.

Now, more than two years later, the crooked letter S hasn’t even been seen on the milk carton.

While he tours the IE once in awhile, the newest song on his MySpace is over a year old. That once eminent J Records deal is now nonexistent and he hasn’t put out his own new material since it was still on the table. As far as a new album goes, the reference to the unnamed project on Wikiepdia states simply, “The word is starting to get around Sly Boogy’s new album.”

That’s news to me.

It seems as though Sly Boogy, as talented of an emcee as he is, has fallen into one of the many cracks in this ill-fated earthquake called the music business.

Although he’s got an articulate and distinct vocal presence, and despite the fact he can effortlessly tear just about any beat to shreds, his music just wasn’t catchy enough. None of his songs ever had a dance and his catalog doesn’t feature many club bangers. Sly Boogy himself, well, maybe he isn’t fresh enough for the crowds these days.

Instead, he might simply be too good.

In a market with no age parameters, Sly’s lyrical fortitude doesn’t have much adolescent appeal. With an ungodly amount of America paying 99 cents to vote for their talent over the phone, instead of calling up their local DJ to request real music for free, the more musically inclined adults are evidently preoccupied. Because of both those factors, respectable artists like Sly Boogy are left with few options.

You can keep grinding for those loyal fans that will support you no matter what and drop yearly releases and bi-monthly mixtapes to alleviate their never-ending hip-hop withdrawal. Or, you can just hang ‘em up. Cut your losses, take it for what it was worth and move on with your life.

Since Sly Boogy’s been MIA so far in ‘07, no one really knows which option he chose. However, given his talent, I think it’s safe to say that anyone who’s ever heard him spit would be have an obvious preference. Unfortunately though, none of us can speak on his behalf.

Even more unfortunate, neither can he.

For some people, the trials and tribulations break you before you even start. For others, pure chance will elude you of your last few seconds of fame your entire career. For most, and those who are truly in love with their passion, it’s that walk along that very thin line alone that makes all the uncertainty worthwhile.

If it really is nuthin’ for Sly and if he ever wants his music career to be more than just nothing, he’ll need to realize that.

Sly Boogy – The Fifth Letter Mixtape

For more info, visit www.myspace.com/slyboogy7.

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