By: Alexander Fruchter
Published: Jan. 30, 2007 - Chicago, IL

When Little Brother started to make headway in the late 1990's, their sound was fueled by the vintage drums of 9th Wonder. The combination of 9th's beats, and Phonte's and Big Pooh's rhymes made the perfect match, and Little Brother became an underground favorite with enough potential to crossover into radio.

News came yesterday that 9th Wonder has left the group. While this causes disappointment, and a bit of uncertainty, it should not shock anyone. Little Brother has criss-crossed the country on multiple tours without 9th Wonder behind the decks, causing fans to wonder about his absence and sometimes forget he is in the group. Similarly, 9th's status as a producer has grown tremendously, making it almost impossible and unrealistic that he can devote so much time to one group. Lastly, Little Brother's major label debut, The Minstrel Show was critically acclaimed, yet sales-wise a disappointment. They are frustrated with their label situation, and that frustration may have also contributed to this split.

Phonte, Big Pooh, and 9th Wonder all maintain that the split is amicable, and there is no reason to doubt that. Both camps are moving forward. Little Brother will soon be releasing Get Back, their new album, which is said to only contain one 9th Wonder Beat. Meanwhile, 9th is at work on various projects, and in the midst of building his True School Movement.

The separation of DJs and Emcees, Producers and rappers, singers and musicians is not new to Hip Hop or any other genre. Only time will tell if Little Brother and 9th Wonder will be as successful separately as they were together. Here is a look at some other classic Hip Hop groups that parted ways, and what happened next.

The Beastie Boys and DJ Hurricane: The Beastie Boys started out accompanied by DJ Hurricane on the 1s and 2s. DJ Hurricane served as the Beastie's DJ from Licensed To Ill, all the way through Ill Communication, a span of close to ten years. However, after releasing his own solo album The Hurra on the Beastie's Grand Royal label, DJ Hurricane left the group prior to 1998's Hello Nasty.

What happened next? Well, the Beastie Boys were courted by Mix Master Mike, a skilled turntablist, who joined the group and added a new dimension to their albums and live show. Anyone who has seen the Beastie Boys perform recently knows that Mix Master Mike loves to throw Adrock, MCA, and Mike D curveballs by inserting other instrumentals into the mix. Meanwhile, DJ Hurricane continues to make music. He released Don't Sleep in 2000 on TVT records.

The Pharcyde: The Pharcyde came up through LA's dance scene, and created an original sound that is a staple of Hip Hop's history. Slimkid3, Fatlip, Imani, and Booty Brown released their classic debut Bizarre Ride II in 1992. The group followed it up with Labcabincalfornia in 1995. That album featured production from Diamond D, and Jay Dee, but did not reach the heights of their debut. Following tours with De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, fighting within the group led to an eventual split.

Fatlip was the first member of the Pharcyde to leave. He exited after his use of cocaine got in the way of his music. Fatlip rebounded somewhat as a solo artist in 2000, and released the self-effacing single, "What's Up Fatlip?" The group remained quiet throughout the mid 90's, and came back in 2000 with the EP, Testing The Waters. They followed it up with an LP Plain Rap. After the release of that album Slimkid3 departed from the group to pursue a solo career. He released 2002's Liberation under his real name, Tre Hardson. Remaining members Bootie Brown and Imani still plug away as the Pharcyde. They released Humboldt Beginnings in 2004, and are working on an album right now slated for release in 2007.

Jurassic 5 And Cut Chemist: Jurassic 5 also came up through LA's underground scene. The group was a mixture of two different posses, Unity Committee and Rebels of Rhythm. The guys met at The Good Life, an LA spot that hosted countless freestyle ciphers, open mics, and battles. In 1997 they released their self-titled debut, an EP that was hailed by critics and fans alike. They followed it up with Quality Control, and a massive touring schedule which allowed them to reach fans all over the country. To this day, J5 has a fanbase that will follow them anywhere, and is close to a Hip Hop version of "Dead Heads." Power In Numbers picked up where Quality Control left off, and further propelled J5 into the mainstream. Their single "What's Golden" was featured in multiple commercials, and there was even a contest for one lucky winner to serve as their intern. Despite the success, rumors circulated that Cut Chemist was somewhat unhappy with the group's song "Thin Line," which featured Nelly Furtado.

In 2005, Cut Chemist left the group to focus more on his own solo career. Both Jurassic 5 and Cut Chemist released new albums in 2006. J5 hit with Feedback, while Cut Chemist dropped The Audience Is Listening. While Numark still held it down for J5, no one can disagree that Cut Chemist's absence was noticed. In a SoundSlam interview, Chali 2na said that there were no hard feelings, which may leave the door open for a reunion...

Gangstarr The list goes on and on. Guru and DJ Premier built a legacy after Premier linked up with Gangstarr in the 80's. As a duo, they became known for a gritty sound, which is often used as the prototype for "real Hip Hop." Their classics such as "Hard To Earn," "Just To Get A Rep," "You Know My Steez," and others are still in rotation today. The group suffered through a few creative disputes, but ultimately parted ways amicably. Guru told SoundSlam that he wanted to preserve the legacy of Gangstarr, and also move in a different direction creatively. As Baldman Slick, he has released genre-bending records, and is also behind the popular series Jazzmatazz. In 2005 Guru linked up with the producer Solar and dropped 7.0 The Street Scriptures. Meanwhile, DJ Premier has had no shortage of work, as upcoming emcees and established artists alike seek out this producer. Termanology saw his star rise quite a bit after the Premier backed "Watch How It Go Down" caught on with fans and industry insiders.

Your Turn!: What do you think will happen with Little Brother and 9th Wonder? Post your predictions below. Also, tell us other groups that come to mind.