In 2007 Papoose inked a deal with Jive Records for $1.5 million, something that most rappers would probably love to do.
But the Brooklyn rapper said it was his biggest career mistake. He talked about it on Big Boy’s Neighborhood and suggested that radio DJs blacklisted his music over his relationship with DJ Kay Slay.
“It was the worst mistake I ever made in my life, taking that deal,” said Pap, who announced his retirement in 2021. "Because I was independent for so long. You gotta realize, I met Slay in ’04. We ain’t get a deal till ’07. We was working hard. Mixtape after mixtape after mixtape ... My first single had Snoop Dogg on it, produced by Scott Storch ... And they was like, ‘Okay, now we can finish him for real because if we don’t play this record he’s gonna look crazy' ... And that’s what they did, long story short. A couple other bad situations, the deal folded. So I went back to the street.”
As far as Pap's lyrical skills, would you call him an underrated rapper?