The World Needs More Role Players

Not everyone can be Jay-Z or Jordan, let alone Kanye or Pippen. But there is a place for Horace Grant and Memphis Bleek.

Memphis Bleek is the smartest man in music.

While the line of individuals that are mad at Jay-Z for not making them rich continues to grow — Foxy Brown, Beanie Sigel, State Property, even his mentor Jaz-O — Memphis Bleek continues to be Jigga’s right-hand man, acting as his hype man on stage and continuing to be a close member of his clique.

Long ago anointed as the heir to the throne, Bleek’s solo career has not had the success or impact that he or Jay expected, but Bleek has played his position, known his role and, unlike the others, continues to have a job. Memphis Bleek realizes that the world needs role players.

Everyone wants to be star and it’s never been easier to try to make yourself one. Before the Internet, a person needed to go to Hollywood to be seen on camera or needed a record deal to cut an album or a literary agent to get a book published. Now that all of those are readily available, it seems everyone has an album or a YouTube show or a book to sell. And I’m just as guilty, even explaining to people how to do it. We all want to be stars even if we don’t have star quality. Bleek has realized this…