2001: The Year In Music ...

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This year's musical reality was one that will forever be remembered as before Sept. 11 and after. Before 9/11, we were mired in the reality of mediocre music that egotistical artists forced on their fans to further enrich themselves. All the while those same fans, unwilling to pay top dollar for music below the artists' potential, increasingly turned to bootleggers and the Internet. Rock made a comeback, while established hip-hop artists (with the notable exception of Jay-Z) saw their sales slump in the waning days of fall. And despite all we'd learned in previous battles of words and territory -- not to mention the scepter of 9/11 -- the New York boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens seemed poised to set it off in the wake of a beef between its favored sons, Jigga and Nas.

What was the world coming to?

2001 was the year that the best of the U.S. military searched unsuccessfully for Osama bin Laden, while New York rappers secretly breathed a sigh of relief as finally, someone else was racially profiled. Puffy beat a case, but lost a label deal, and Alicia Keys was this year's Lauryn Hill. Ja Rule stayed on the upswing, while Destiny's Childs' karma finally caught up with them. Missy got her freak on, J. Lo proved she could still find her ghetto pass with "I'm Real" -- thanks to the omni-present Ja Rule, and Michael Jackson made fans say "unnngh" with his increasingly bizarre appearance. Let's not even go there with the Whitney and Bobby show. And what ever happened to Sisqo? Among those who maintained their careers in 2001 was the indisputable champion R. Kelly and, still the Queen, Mary J. Blige. Add to that, homegirl diva Faith Evans, everybody's young boy Usher, and keeping it crunk all the damn time, the dynamic duo of OutKast and the mouth from the South, Ludacris.

At the back of the pack in the beginning of the year, Eve smartly parlayed her fashion icon status into a mainstream hit with another exotic dresser, pop princess Gwen Stefani. Then she laced up joints for City High and Michael Jackson. What, what? Maxwell and Shaggy both far exceeded initial expectations, and Mr. Cheeks overcame the murder of his best friend and partner to come out of left field with a solid hit. Let's not forget Keith Murray who got out of jail and onto "Fatty Girl" with the funniest 16 bars of the year. Don't hurt nobody!

On the come-up are Lil' Bow Wow (Will puberty hurt his longevity?) Bubba Sparxxx (Will his career will resemble MC Serch's or Eminem's?) and City High (Will they prove to be two-hit wonders or future industry staples?).

Despite the continued ascendance of neo-soul (or whatever you want to call it), best exemplified by Jill Scott, India.Arie, The Roots crew, et al, and newcomers Bilal and Glenn Lewis, this year, overall, was a creative disappointment. Only OutKast, out of everyone in hip-hop, consistently made music that evolved creatively.  Ain't that what hip-hop is supposed to be all about?

Still, what's the CD we're most looking forward to in 2002? We have to admit it -- the Jigga/R.Kelly collabo. Why? Because at the end of the day, they make the music that we blast in the cars and the clubs. For folks outside of the insular music industry, they are the kings of rock. Please believe it.

Finally, while Sept. 11 was the tragedy experienced by the world, the music industry had several losses that hit it right in the heart. MTV's Fred Jordan, a good friend and champion of D'Angelo, and one of The Source's Power 30 last year, passed away in late spring. On July 15, Anthony "Poetic" Berkeley of The Gravediggaz lost his two-year battle with colon cancer. Then on August 25, news came that Aaliyah's plane had crashed in the Bahamas, killing her and eight others who also worked in the business. It was a tragedy of stunning proportions that still reverberates throughout the industry.



[Nosak]

...By Tonya Pendleton  from bet