Why It’s No Longer Too Late For Rappers in Their 30s

[TheDarceKnight]

Thank Jay and Nas for this...

Im not bullshytting when I say this...

They made it cool to rap over 30..

No doubt. It used to be a mark of shame. Remember when Eminem said "before the fire in me inside dies and expires at 30" or something like that? I also remember Jadakiss saying (when his 1st solo album dropped) that he wouldn't be caught dead rapping after 30.

Times have changed. For the better too.

I think a lot of it thankfully is that that hi-hop is now accepted mainstream as a legitimate art form and not just seen as a passing fad for the youth. I mean for sure, mainstream music is all still targeted towards the youth, but I've heard more and more rappers in interviews the past few years have more the attitude of, "fukk it. Why would I ever retire? As long as I've got something to say and as long as I'm paying the bills, this is what I do."

I'm pretty sure most if not all of the AOTY contenders for 2020 are rapped and/or produced by people in their 30's or 40's.

This was my favorite freestyle of 2017 and it's two older heads holding down the fort. Just googled and Thought and Meth are both 49 here in 2020.

 

[THE 101]

My dream is still alive

 

[Awesome Wells]

I'm sure there were several people who wanted to be a rock star in their 30s and started playing music at that time. I don't know why someone can't start rapping in their 30s.

If they want to be a successful, mainstream rapper, they might be out of luck, but just doing it for the art? Wanting some nice side money, building a respectable fan base? It could happen.

Truth.

Labels shaped what they felt was acceptable for Hip Hop artists, in regard to their age. So now the fans do it too. It's more about what can be marketed, than who's actually talented. So the idea is that the older you get, the less "marketable" you become. Which is whatever because the focus should really be on the music and not all that other nonsense.

 

[CrimsonTider]

I don't see why anyone cares either way.

Music is art. There ain't a timeline for art. In fact every age in life is the ideal age for expressing certain thought and feelings. We're able to get perspectives from older emcees that we wouldn't have been able to get from them at 18. And we get perspectives from young cats that we'd never be able to get from even the best old vets at this point.

People can be a family man AND be an artist. It's the streaming era breh. Phonte and Big Pooh recorded the last Little Brother album in Phone's house. Both those guys are family men.

Right now you can go record an EP in 3 days and get it up on a streaming platform by the end of next week if you wanted to.

If people don't wanna listen they don't have to. Let's let everyone live out there.

Caring about the age of artists is the dumbest fukking thing I've ever heard of.

13-22 year olds decide what’s popular

 

[xiceman191]

13-22 year olds decide what’s popular

Who gives a fukk the world doesn't stop at 13-22 years old

 

[CrimsonTider]

Who gives a fukk the world doesn't stop at 13-22 years old

It actually does with entertainment and pop culture

 

[L. Deezy]

It actually does with entertainment and pop culture

This is true..we decided it at that age.

We certainly wasnt elevatin Moe Dee in the 90s..lol

 

[CrimsonTider]

This is true..we decided it at that age.

We certainly wasnt elevatin Moe Dee in the 90s..lol

Chances are if you’re not hot locally by 23 then you won’t reach mainstream,

people like Ross, Jay-Z and 2chainz had deals in there early 20s

 

[Magnum P.I.M.P.]

13-22 year olds decide what’s popular

What’s popular to them, of course they do. And I decide what’s popular to me. There’s room for everyone to eat so it’s a non-issue. Roc Marci is doing just fine. Tons of other older cats are too. Lock it up and toss the key.

 

[I AM WE ARE]

My thing is, if you 30+ coming into the game


Act your age


You too damn old to be NBA youngboy and nle chopper etc

 

[Marlo Barksdale]

Most rappers who pop off in their late 20s/early 30s are almost always the most successful in the game

Hov, Em, 50, Chainz,Gotti, Gucci, Ross, Future etc.

They have the maturity in order to maximize their momentum and moment and flip it into longevity and long term cash.

That's false because all of them had major deals and/or were poppin with major buzz and connections when they were in there early to mid 20s.

If you're 30 and haven't made any major connections and stats to your resume, you really need to focus less on being a star yourself and more on breeding other stars behind the scenes.

The reality is that even older rappers now gravitate towards the younger artists and sounds to stay relevant. That's if they want to have more than a small niche audience.

 

[BaRRyG]

No doubt. It used to be a mark of shame. Remember when Eminem said "before the fire in me inside dies and expires at 30" or something like that? I also remember Jadakiss saying (when his 1st solo album dropped) that he wouldn't be caught dead rapping after 30.

Times have changed. For the better too.

I think a lot of it thankfully is that that hi-hop is now accepted mainstream as a legitimate art form and not just seen as a passing fad for the youth. I mean for sure, mainstream music is all still targeted towards the youth, but I've heard more and more rappers in interviews the past few years have more the attitude of, "fukk it. Why would I ever retire? As long as I've got something to say and as long as I'm paying the bills, this is what I do."

I'm pretty sure most if not all of the AOTY contenders for 2020 are rapped and/or produced by people in their 30's or 40's.

This was my favorite freestyle of 2017 and it's two older heads holding down the fort. Just googled and Thought and Meth are both 49 here in 2020.

My fkkin guy this shyt tough

 

[Finesse]

That's false because all of them had major deals and/or were poppin with major buzz and connections when they were in there early to mid 20s.

If you're 30 and haven't made any major connections and stats to your resume, you really need to focus less on being a star yourself and more on breeding other stars behind the scenes.

The reality is that even older rappers now gravitate towards the younger artists and sounds to stay relevant. That's if they want to have more than a small niche audience.

Connections sure.

But none of them nikkas was popping or buzzing like that until their late 20s

Hov was running around new york rapping in the street and radio stations in his early 20s

He signed to Def Jam at 27/28. Ross dropped his first album at 30. Future dropped Dirty Sprite at 28.

 

[Playaz Eyez]

Did the rappers you’re referring to start at 30?


The hottest rappers, the ones that have the youths ear are not 30

we can count on 2 hands the amount of rappers that have broke into the mainstream at 26+ years old

you have to make music that 13-22 year olds are feeling and a 30 year old can’t do that

Or you can simply make music that sounds good that strikes a chord with a lot of people. I’m 33, and I’ve recently enjoyed Blocboy JB and Craig G’s albums, who are 24 and 47. If you make music 100% for kids, they won’t be there as the time passes.

 

[Marlo Barksdale]

Connections sure.

But none of them nikkas was popping or buzzing like that until their late 20s

Hov was running around new york rapping in the street and radio stations in his early 20s

He signed to Def Jam at 27/28. Ross dropped his first album at 30. Future dropped Dirty Sprite at 28.

Yo Gotti has been poppin since he was in HS. 2 Chainz was on Def Jam albums at age 23. The rest had major attention and major deals by their mid-20s. You're not just finna come out the blue at 30+ years. That's a complete outlier.

Study the background of rappers. You missed the groundwork and buzz that they built up in theit teens and early to mid 20s. They didn't just wake up at 30 and get on.