Surprise, surprise. The Dipset reunion that just about everyone expected to go down at Hot 97′s Summer Jam yesterday didn’t happen. Despite persistent rumors the New York crew was set to close out the show, Jim Jones reportedly couldn’t get into the stadium. So instead of seeing Dipset come together like Voltron for the first time in years, the crowd at the New Meadowlands Stadium was treated to a solo set from [DrJays.com's current "model"] Juelz Santana and a Cam’Ron performance that was tacked onto the end of DJ Khaled‘s set. Not bad, but…bleh!

We can’t say we were stunned to see it go down like this, though. Hip-hop reunions like the one Dipset is trying to pull off usually sound really good in theory. But when it comes down to the groups actually getting back together, they typically don’t work. Just look at A Tribe Called Quest, The Fugees, Naughty By Nature, Goodie Mob and the Hot Boys. All groups that split up at one point, reunited for a short time, talked about doing another album together—and then ultimately never did. There are a number of reasons these reunions don’t work out like they’re supposed to. Here are five of them.

1. There’s a pretty good reason the hip-hop group broke up in the first place.

It hurts to say it, but Cee-Lo got too big for Goodie Mob. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef couldn’t coexist anymore as members of The Fugees. And Lil Wayne became an international superstar, while his fellow Hot Boys cooled off. These things happened and the groups that these artists belonged to took a hit because of it. Every now and then, the artists mentioned above might think back to their early years and ponder what it might be like to try their hand at being a part of a group again. That’s a little bit like remembering all the time you spent with an ex and wondering what it might be like to get back together with them. You could do it, but didn’t you break up with them for a reason in the first place?

2. Hip-hop groups are just like regular people—they grow apart!

If you’ve been out of high school for more than five years, you probably don’t talk to most of the people that you graduated with. Sure, you might see them occasionally around town and you might even catch them at an annual reunion. But you probably don’t eat lunch with them everyday, see them in the hallways at work or even party with them on Saturday night. You’ve grown apart and you’re into different things now. Even best friends can become strangers. That’s life!

3. Money, money, money…MONEY!

When a hip-hop group first starts off in the game, money may be the main objective, but it’s not guaranteed. So everyone does their best just to try and keep the group’s name out there, regardless of the financial situation. Once money starts rolling in, some tensions may rise, but most groups can sustain them for a while in order to keep the momentum going. But when it comes to reunions, everyone in a hip-hop group has a pretty good idea of where they stand and what they’re worth. And if they don’t feel they’re getting what’s owed to them, they’re not showing up for a reunion. Bottom line.

4. The individual members of hip-hop groups get old.

No matter how old they get, rock fans still love to see Bruce Springsteen reunite with the E Street Band. Most hip-hop fans aren’t like that. They want to see fresh faces and new acts. So even if someone like A Tribe Called Quest did reunite to put out an album, would it sell? Probably not. Just take a look at the first-week sales for Reflection Eternal‘s recent reunion album, Revolutions Per Minute. The music is great, but the demand for it isn’t.

5. If a group is thinking about reuniting, their best days are almost always behind them.

If Cam’Ron, Jim Jones, Juelz Santana and the rest of Dipset can get back together and put out something that sounds even remotely close to Diplomatic Immunity, their reunion will be considered a success. But there’s a good chance that won’t happen. If it does ever drop, something tells us it’ll be filled with AraabMuzik beats, Vado guest appearances and a bunch of stale New York anthems. There’s nothing wrong with that but it won’t sound anything like the Dipset of the early 2000s. And if a group doesn’t deliver the same sound that made them so popular in the first place, do you really want a reunion?

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