There are artists who started hard and ended up conscious. KRS One comes to mind. Jay Z to a degree. In rock, maybe The Beatles would qualify. Although they never went 'hard' or explicit just more serious from their bubblegum pop beginnings. I'm sure there are others.

But I can't think of any groups or MC's that started conscious or reflective and transitioned into a gangsta or hardcore image.

I wondered about this after listening to Oddisee's Yeezus Was a Mortal Man. Oddisee drops some harsh language (for him) in the song. That whole album was 'harder' than his previous albums (and following ones) so it's clear his audience didn't like the direction his music was headed.

And Das EFX comes to mind too. They started out a novelty or gimmicky act and went street and I don't remember them having nearly the success post-Dead Serious.

<--- Me when my head hits the pillow

Yeah, I'd say recording songs with Snoop and WC is hard.

<--- Me when my head hits the pillow

After scanning thru a few songs, I can't say they went hard, but there's definitely an edge that wasn't on the first album.

<--- Me when my head hits the pillow

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www.albumism.com

Checkin' Our Style, Return To Zero:

https://www.mixcloud.com/returntozero/

But it's interesting that he switched up his content, AND his name. Unique.

<--- Me when my head hits the pillow

I wouldn’t ever use “conscious” if I needed to label him, but there was a clear difference in content from Straight Outta Compton to what he was rapping about from 91-94ish.

Then he tried to go away from that type of content when he first started Aftermath but it didn’t sell the same.....so he went back to it.

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"Fuck aliens." © WarriorPoet415

Reflective might be the best way to describe that first Aftermath album.

But yeah, he left that style with the quickness. Kind of sad because I don't think the content was really the problem with that album. The production was the issue to me with '... Presents the Aftermath'.

<--- Me when my head hits the pillow

Went from making fun dance songs, and songs about having to Pray to The Funky Headhunter album and that unreleased Death Row project.

In Real Life he was always Gangsta but his music was pretty friendly

R.I.P. Loud But Wrong Guy
Dec 29th 2009 - Dec 17th 2017

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"Fuck aliens." © WarriorPoet415

Talk about putting up an image cause those early albums were about as far from gangsta you could get. My mother who went to church three times a week loved Hammer. But I don't think she would have liked Pumps and a Bump if she heard it.

<--- Me when my head hits the pillow

This is Dizzy Dustin from Ugly Duckling:

https://dizzydustin.bandcamp.com/album/the-ballad-of-roc-holiday-ep-2

Clearly he's adopting a persona, but still jarring to hear.

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I check for: Serengeti, Zeroh, Open Mike Eagle, Jeremiah Jae, Moka Only.

http://youtu.be/hblAppO67Ig

This reminds me of one of my favorite Jeru tracks...huge respect to Jeru for actually speaking up...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR1dI5zneYo

Integrity is the Cornerstone of Artistry...

I totally forgot about that skit. It does fit the post.

*10,000 bonus pts*

<--- Me when my head hits the pillow

Tyler, the Creator

But I thought his career moved from harder content to more self-aware stuff?

<--- Me when my head hits the pillow

yeh sorry... you're right. I got this the other way round

That's the clearest example, for sure.

<--- Me when my head hits the pillow

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Days like this I miss Sha Mecca

Pretty obvious example but it may not come to mind readily since the 2nd album was originally shelved.

There sounds like there was a lot of hardship & hard drugs after the first album was recorded.