Many people dream of reaching the top of the food-chain in their respective careers. From the average Joe with the nine-to-five gig to the aspiring entrepreneur, success is the motivation that keeps us striving to reach our goals while persevering through the trials and tribulations of life. For an entertainer, that dream is magnified, but actually seeing it through and being vindicated for the work put in is easier said than done.

Adversity has been key in molding the career of many great musicians and artists, with stories of various hurdles and setbacks along their journey. However, some would say that making it to the peak of the mountain only to topple down is a rougher blow than to have never seen the valleys and have a taste of what they've always yearned for be snatched away in the blink of an eye.

Fame is fleeting, and there's only a matter of time before the crowd gets tired of an act, which means being able to reinvent oneself is a useful trait for anyone in the music business to have. Being unable to adapt and put a new spin on who you are or what you bring to the table in hip-hop causes many rap artists and producers to fade into obscurity.

But there are a few artists and producers that have been able to evolve in the middle of their career, start from scratch, or revive their buzz by reinventing themselves. It's one thing to be a Kanye West or Puff Daddy and break through as a producer, then transition into rapping, or to go the Will Smith and Queen Latifah route and decide to make a foray into Hollywood; but going so far as changing your whole identity or name and furthering your shelf-life in the music industry is even more rare.

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