Whatever Happened To These '00s One-Hit Wonders

The following article includes references to addiction, violence, mental health struggles, and sexual assault allegations.

Popular music in the 2000s was a kaleidoscope of genres and sonic delights. Everyone from poppy girl groups to rap rockers managed to release ubiquitous songs that became the identifiable sounds of the decade. And while music titans like Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Coldplay became household names during the aughts, there were plenty of acts that faded into relative obscurity. If they were lucky, some of these forgotten musicians became something that can be both coveted and reviled in the music business: One-hit wonders.

You might still remember the melodies and lyrics of these songs, but do you remember the people who made them? If the name MIMS doesn't ring a bell, but you can name all the geographical locations in the song "This Is Why I'm Hot," then this article is for you. Or how about you watched every episode of "American Idol" Season 4, but lost track of the show's runner-up? Then please read on. Let's face it, just because the world moved on from Juicy Couture tracksuits and Razr phones doesn't mean the artists who created some of the aughts' biggest hits stopped evolving. 

If you've found yourself wondering whatever happened to these '00s one-hit wonders, you're in luck, because this journey into Y2K nostalgia will take you back while catching you up.

In 2004, hip-hop collective Terror Squad had a massive hit with their laidback dance anthem "Lean Back." Fat Joe founded Terror Squad Entertainment, and the label's eponymous supergroup featured Fat Joe alongside Big Pun, Remy Ma, Cuban Link, and Tony Sunshine, among others. Sadly, Terror Squad suffered a serious setback when Big Pun died in 2000, but the group reached the zenith when "Lean Back" topped the Billboard Hot 100 four years later. The hit turn was a swan song of sorts for Terror Squad. They released an additional track called "Take Me Home" from their album "True Story," but it failed to match the success of its predecessor — and the collective hasn't released new music together since.

Since "Lean Back," life hasn't exactly been relaxed for former Terror Squad members. Cuban Link and Fat Joe have beefed since the mid '00s, and both Fat Joe and Remy Ma served time. Fat Joe received a four-month prison sentence in 2013 for failing to file tax returns; meanwhile, Remy Ma spent six years in a correctional facility for her involvement in a shooting, before being released in 2014. 

Despite their legal woes, Fat Joe and Remy Ma have found continued career success not only in music, like with their 2016 collaboration "All the Way Up," but also in movies and TV. He has made a number of appearances on both big screen and small, while she became a reality TV star on VH1's "Love & Hip Hop: New York."

When James Blunt stayed at Carrie Fisher's house while recording his debut album, he probably couldn't have predicted that "You're Beautiful" would become a global phenomenon and one of the most popular songs of the 2000s. Blunt's pensive ballad struck a chord with lovelorn millennials in the mid-'00s, and after a slow global ascent on the music charts, it finally reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2006. Not only was "You're Beautiful" a chart-topper, but its album "Back to Bedlam" was the biggest album of the decade in the UK.

Those are high expectations to live up to, and while Blunt's follow-up efforts haven't sold nearly as many copies as "Back to Bedlam," his global music career has been very successful, with his albums "All the Lost Souls," "Some Kind of Trouble," and "Moon Landing" selling over 1 million copies each in Europe alone. He's also not afraid of changing his sound with the times. In 2017, Blunt collaborated with hitmakers like Ed Sheeran and OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder on his album "The Afterlove." Although he's shared some regrets about his biggest hit, Blunt has readily embraced his old song in new ways, like when he mirrored the music video for "You're Beautiful" for his 2019 video "Cold." As he told Esquire, "I think most musicians and bands are searching for that one big hit."

In 2023, a new audience was introduced to Blunt when "American Idol" Season 23 winner Iam Tongi auditioned with his song "Monster." During the finale, Blunt joined Tongi for a heart-wrenching duet of the song.

The summer of 2001 arguably belonged to Blu Cantrell's song "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)" off her debut album "So Blu." A sassy breakup song about taking revenge on a cheating lover by going on a massive shopping spree, it peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Cantrell's 2003 follow-up album "Bittersweet" was nominated for a Grammy, and while her single "Breathe" with Sean Paul was a hit in the UK, it unfortunately couldn't crack the Top 40 in the United States. Its chart performance wasn't enough to clear Cantrell of her one-hit-wonder status.

Cantrell's record label contract wasn't renewed for a third album, and despite swinging onto '00s reality television with a stint on "Celebrity Circus," her career in the studio stalled. But as she told Fuse TV in 2016, "I've been eating off of those records and have been doing shows nonstop." In more recent years, the singer has maintained a pretty low professional profile — but the real reason you never hear from Blu Cantrell anymore might be a bit more personal. In 2014, Cantrell was hospitalized and put under a psychiatric evaluation after authorities found her wandering the streets of Santa Monica, California claiming to have been poisoned, per TMZ. 

While her Instagram has been dormant since late 2016, Cantrell has since leaned into the throwback phase of her career. In 2019, she joined the "Bring That Beat Back" tour in Australia and New Zealand; the following year, Cantrell crossed the pond to partake in the "KISSTORY Blast Off!" tour.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

MIMS's 2006 song "This Is Why I'm Hot," which hit No. 1 in 2007, was born out of the rapper's frustration with the music business, and ironically, its success brought him major label woes. In February 2023, MIMS told BET that while "This Is Why I'm Hot" grossed millions of dollars, he personally received little financial windfall from the track's success. He pointed to the label's accounting practices as the reason for allegedly not receiving his fair share of profits, and he spent seven years in litigation with Capitol Records, per an interview with AllHipHop. Financial disappointment and his soured relationship with his record label made MIMS dispassionate about being a music star, but his bad experiences in the music industry led to a successful career pivot into tech.

He co-founded the music app RecordGram, which promised artists the ability to turn their phones into a mini-recording studio. MIMS explained to Stereogum how his time in the music business influenced his app: "I think a lot of those negative situations lumped me into the world of technology. That's why I was able to create an app like RecordGram, because I wanted to democratize the way music works." 

Although "This Is Why I'm Hot" holds a tumultuous history for its creator, it seems MIMS is ready to embrace its enduring pop culture legacy. In April 2023, he dropped a parody of the song called "This is Beyond Hot" for Cheetos Flamin' Hot Tangy Chili Fusion. One imagines MIMS scored a good payday for the spicy track.

In the 2000s, "American Idol" was a cultural phenomenon that introduced the world to music megastars like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, and Fantasia Barrino. Season 4 runner-up Bo Bice's rock-infused version of the "Idol" finale track "Inside Your Heaven" peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard chart in 2005, and his second-place status seemed to be setting him up for success. He told Rolling Stone at the time (via Today), "The label 'American Idol' was not for me. I'm not a pop person. It would have been harder to play my kind of music if I had won."

Indeed, he played his kind of music on his debut album "The Real Thing," which also charted — but Bice's career cooled after his "Idol" shine faded. In the years after "Inside Your Heaven," Bice has kept to his rock roots by becoming the lead vocalist for classic rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears, touring the world with the group for five years until 2018. In January 2023, Bice even applied his hard-rocking persona to a production of the musical "Rock of Ages" in Florida. 

Reflecting on his music career and his experience on "Idol," Bice told Swampland.com, "I never called it work. I am doing what I always dreamed of doing at this level. To have these great fans who voted on the TV show and still come out to see us play is just a blessing — that's what this is all about."

Cassie had the sound and the look for music stardom when she dropped her song "Me & U" in 2006. The minimalist track peaked at No. 3 in 2006, but the singer failed to follow up it up with another hit. Instead, Cassie's career branched off into acting and modeling. In the 2000s and 2010s, she appeared in movies like "Step Up 2: The Streets" and "The Perfect Match," as well as on the hit TV show "Empire." She's also modeled for brands like Calvin Klein, ASOS, and Forever 21.

Although clearly a busy professional, Cassie also stayed in the public eye for her decade-long on-again-off-again relationship with Diddy. There are multiple reasons why Diddy and Cassie split, including her reported impatience regarding a marriage proposal, as well as alleged police-involved arguments and infidelity from both parties. Cassie eventually moved on from Diddy and married Alex Fine in 2019. The couple have two children together, and these days, she shares both her personal and professional life with her over 9 million Instagram followers. While Cassie hasn't released a proper album since 2006, Diddy appeared to process the demise of their relationship with the 2022 track "Gotta Move On." However, it's safe to say Cassie won't respond musically to her ex's laments. 

As Cassie told The Cut in January 2023, "I'm not fearful of the decisions that I make for myself because they're mine and they're for the benefit of me and my family at the end of the day."