History OneHitWonder / Rap

* Somalian-Canadian singer '''K'naan''''s only international success is "Wavin' Flag" (which, despite not actually being a big hit, is well-known due to commercial associations with Coca-Cola, the 2010 FIFA World Cup and Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign). Before it, he had a minor hit on American alternative radio with "If Rap Gets Jealous", which featured [[Music/{{Metallica}} Kirk Hammett]] on lead guitar, but that song fell short of the Billboard Alternative chart. His later song "Is Anybody Out There?" (a collaboration with Music/NellyFurtado) also scraped the bottom of the charts, but it's completely forgotten even in Canada. An incident where he infamously bashed Music/KendrickLamar didn't help his chances of scoring another hit.

* Professional wrestling superstar '''Wrestling/JohnCena''' released an album titled ''You Can't See Me'' in 2005. The only track from said album to make any cultural impact whatsoever is "The Time is Now" due to its use as his entrance theme and association with the "Unexpected John Cena" meme, however, the meme was soon CondemnedByHistory and "The Time is Now" has mostly gone back to being associated solely with being Cena's entrance theme. Cena, [[OneBookAuthor who has yet to release another album]], continues to be a household name in wrestling and acting.

* British jazz-rap group '''[=Us3=]''' had a top-10 Hot 100 hit in 1993 with its very first single, "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)". The song didn't chart in the UK on its first release, but did reach the top 40 there with a re-release. This was the group[s only single to chart at all in the States, although it had two other top-40s in the UK.

* Shreveport, Louisiana rapper '''Hurricane Chris''' scored a hit with his single "A Bay Bay" and pretty much fell-off the face of the earth afterwards. Any chance of a comeback quickly disappeared when he was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in 2020, many years after he fell off everyone's radar. In 2023,he actually beat all the charges, although it's unlikely he'll have anymore hits.

* Although he's fairly popular in the rap community, R&B singer '''Ty Dolla $ign''' only had one top 40 hit of his own, with 2014's "Paranoid" (featuring [[Music/{{Bob}} B.o.B]]). Like Kid Ink above, he's probably better-known for his involvement on a Fifth Harmony song ("Work from Home"), and also his involvement in the all-star collaboration "Sucker For Pain" from ''Film/SuicideSquad2016'', but "Paranoid" is the only song that can legitimately qualify as ''his'' hit.

* '''Music/KidNPlay''' were one of the most well-known rap groups to mainstream audiences during the early 1990s, owing to their starring roles in the hit 1990 film ''Film/HouseParty'' and having their [[CelebrityToons their own cartoon show]], and they even had two Gold-selling albums. As a chart act however, their only major pop hit was 1991's "Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody", which didn't even make the Top 40 and had a Hot 100 peak of #51. That was it for Kid 'n' Play on the pop charts, although they had a string of R&B and rap chart hits (which ended with "Nobody", their last single to chart anywhere).

* Shreveport, Louisiana rapper '''Hurricane Chris''' scored a hit with his single "A Bay Bay" and pretty much fell-off the face of the earth afterwards. Any chance of a comeback quickly disappeared when he was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in 2020, many years after he fell off everyone's radar. In 2023,he actually beat all the charages, although it's unlikely he'll have anymore hits.

* Shreveport, Louisiana rapper '''Hurricane Chris''' scored a hit with his single "A Bay Bay" and pretty much fell-off the face of the earth afterwards. Any chance of a comeback quickly disappeared when he was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in 2020, many years after he fell off everyone's radar.

* Music/{{Eminem}} is definitely not a one-hit wonder, and collaborator Royce da 5'9" is a NoHitWonder. Together they formed the duo '''Bad Meets Evil''', which in 2011 had a #4 pop hit with the Music/BrunoMars collab "Lighters" from their reunion EP ''Hell: The Sequel''. While the EP's lead single "Fast Lane" did chart at #32, it dropped off the chart very quickly and is all but forgotten today[[note]]That being said, a previous single from their first run, 1999's "Nuttin' to Do", had scraped the bottom of the charts; its BSide "Scary Movies" was featured in ''Film/ScaryMovie''[[/note]]. The duo never released any more music since then, both Eminem and Royce largely returned to their solo careers. Royce guested on Eminem's ''Kamikaze'' album track "Not Alike", which reached #24 on the Hot 100 in 2018, but the two were credited separately and not under the Bad Meets Evil moniker.

* Fugees member '''Pras''' only ever had one hit in his solo career with 1998's "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" from the film ''Film/{{Bulworth}}''. The song, which interpolates Music/DollyParton and Music/KennyRogers' 1983 hit "Islands in the Stream", also featured guest vocals from non-one hit wonders Music/{{Mýa}} and Ol' Dirty Bastard.

* Fugees member '''Pras''' only ever had one hit in his solo career with 1998's "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)". The song, which interpolates Music/DollyParton and Music/KennyRogers' 1983 hit "Islands in the Stream", also featured guest vocals from non-one hit wonders Mýa and Ol' Dirty Bastard.

* New York duo '''Partners in Kryme''' had a #13 hit in 1990 with "Turtle Power" from the ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' soundtrack. On the other side of the pond, it did even better, topping the UK Singles Chart for 4 weeks. It was also their only major hit anywhere.

* '''Biz Markie''' is known almost entirely for his 1989 hit "Music/JustAFriend", which remains his only top-40 hit to date. While he had other hits on the rap charts, they've largely been forgotten.