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The temperature is cooling, leaves are falling and the morning air has become extra crispy. Without warning, autumn has slipped in right under our noses and makes us wonder: Where did the summer go?
The heat can be uncomfortable, but summer is full of warm days and sultry nights while providing the backdrop for hot parties with even hotter music. A classic example of this phenomenon was the summer of 1995. We were in the midst of Hip Hop’s “golden era” and witnessing the meteoric rise of Christopher Wallace aka The Notorious B.I.G. His debut album, Ready to Die, catapulted him to the top of Hip Hop’s food chain.
A major milestone during the summer of ’95 was the release of the “One More Chance (Remix)” video. Legendary director Hype Williams had a simple vision: A shindig at a Brooklyn brownstone thrown in Biggie’s honor. He managed to fit 18 cameo appearances–a veritable “Who’s Who” of Hip Hop culture–in a four-minute video. But much like the summer, where did they go once the cameras stopped rolling and 14 more summers have come and gone?
Let’s break down who was at the party then and where they are now:
Heavy D
The Overweight Lover lost 135lbs, made a reggae album and recently electrified a Chicago audience at the Hennessy Artistry Tour ’09.
Total
Keisha Spivey married actor Omar Epps in 2006 and is living in California. Pam Long lives in New Jersey. Kima and her sister, Vita, leaked a song called “What U Want.” As of this post, there are no plans for a reunion.
Tyson Beckford
Hosts the Bravo reality series, Make Me a Supermodel. He recently stated that IF he was gay, he’d be Obama’s “top.” o_O
Luther Campbell aka “Uncle Luke”
Left the rap game to become a promoter and launched the publicly traded Luke Entertainment Group (LKEN). As of September 2008, you can get stock in his company for a whopping .01 per share.
Changing Faces
Cassandra Lucas and Charisse Rose released a promotional single last month on Music Choice. Their fourth studio album is scheduled to drop sometime in 2010.
Sean “Diddy” Combs
The hip-hop mogul has left Warner Music Group to join the ranks at Interscope. His fashion label, Sean John, is still going strong, and he has as many reality television shows as he does children.
Zhane
Having gone their separate ways. Renee Neufville is the “voice” of Verve Music’s RH Factor. You can catch her at Soul Live ’09 this October. Jean Norris-Baylor poured her heart out on her solo debut album, My Life Story.
Faith Evans
Widely known as Biggie’s widow and the mother of Christopher Wallace, Jr., Faith has moved on with her life. She married Todd Russaw and had two more children, Joshua and Ryder. In addition to recording more music, Faith also released her autobiography, Keep the Faith: A Memoir, in 2008.
Miss Jones
After making history on New York’s Hot97, Miss Jones is now the host of Jonesy in the Morning on Philadelphia’s WSUL-FM “Power 99.”
D-Nice
Derrick Jones has built his career as a producer, photographer, internet junkie and entrepreneur. He currently provides the soundtrack at events for Sports Illustrated, Sean John, Adidas, Rolling Stone, FHM, Heineken, Pepsi and Paramount Pictures. He also produces the critically acclaimed True Hip Hop Stories film series.
Lance “Un” Rivera
Co-founded Untertainment with Biggie back in the day. In 2007, he co-wrote and directed The Perfect Holiday, starring Morris Chestnut, Gabrielle Union, Queen Latifah and Terrance Howard. He’s currently producing Charlie Murphy’s Stand Up film project.
Mary J. Blige
The “Queen of Hip Hop Soul” is scheduled to release her ninth album, Stronger, on November 24th and can currently be seen in Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself. MJB has also been announced as a guest judge on the 2010 season of American Idol.
Aaliyah
Only 16 years old at the time of the video’s filming, she went on to sell 24 million records worldwide and earned the title “Queen of Urban Pop.” Shortly after appearing in Romeo Must Die and Queen of the Damned, Aaliyah parted this life much too soon on August 25, 2001 in an airplane crash.
Kid Capri
Still one of the most sought-after DJ’s in the world, Kid Capri was chosen to hold down the 1’s and 2’s at Khloe Kardashian & Lamar Odom’s wedding reception.
Da Brat
Shawntae Harris is serving a three-year sentence for an assault in an Atlanta nightclub. While incarcerated, she is organizing “Showtime at Alto,” a talent show for inmates she hopes to grow into an annual event.
Craig Mack
He hasn’t had a hit record since “Flava in Your Ear” but it’s been reported that he’s dropping The Mack iz Back LP this year. . . it can happen, right? No one has heard from him since the Notorious movie was released last January.
Patra
Ms. Dorothy Smith aka Patra released The Great Escape in May 2007. According to her MySpace page, the reggae queen hasn’t logged in since January 2008. Maybe she didn’t escape after all?
Jermaine Dupri
Last seen at Donatella Versace‘s afterparty in Milan with Janet Jackson, JD is still making music. He recently produced “Can’t Stop Partying” for Weezer and can be seen online regularly with the rest of his Ocean’s 7 crew acting obnoxious.
Queen Latifah
In 2009, Dana Owens was a presenter at the 81st Annual Academy Awards, recited a Maya Angelou poem at Michael Jackson’s funeral and completed her seventh studio album, Persona.
*whew*
Now that we’re all caught up, let’s take it back to where it all started:
