Aging in Hip Hop

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There was this sarticle I was reading about aging rappers:

"On the day before Valentine’s Day 2015, Drake told the world "If I die I’m a legend." As it was, he was probably right. With If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, Drake broke the record for the number of charting singles by one artist in the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Chart, simultaneously creating something critics and fans adored while allowing him to unceremoniously slip out of his Cash Money deal. Despite becoming more skilled with each passing album, Drake has suggested that once he turns 30 he isn’t going to rap anymore. In a 2012 interview, Drake admitted that he didn’t want to be making hip-hop at 35. He has been quite insistent that hip-hop revolves around being "young and fly," and that he looked forward to delivering "full singing records" instead of rap albums, because he knows that he can’t deliver his brand of rap past his twenties. He isn’t alone in that sentiment; recently Young Thug told GQ that "If you’re 30, 40 years old, you’re not getting listened to by minors. Like, Jay Z has some of the sickest lyrics ever, but I would never buy his CD, just because of my age and because of his age." To this generation of ascendant rappers, getting older means growing irrelevant."

"The hand-wringing hypothetical of whether an artist can make great hip-hop once they’ve blown past 40 is hardly notional in 2015. Drake’s fear is apt, he’s borne witness to the rise and fall of the great hip-hop titans of the '90s. In 2011’s "Dreams Money Can Buy", he asserts, "My favourite rappers either lost it or they ain’t alive." While the vitality of hip-hop isn’t necessarily tied to youth, there’s not much proof to the contrary—especially given even the genre’s most successful artists can’t seem to change the direction of their original, youthful narratives as they have matured. If hip-hop runs on a youthful ferocity then each rapper, theoretically, has a "use by" date. When this dries up they’re left figuratively impotent and chasing a moment that is long gone—it’s Michael Keaton running through Times Square in his underwear. For commercial rappers the options hardly seem like such: disappear at your peak and leave your legacy intact, accept that the best is behind you and cash in on nostalgia or become a parody of yourself."

I thought it was something interesting to think about. To me it seems like, as rappers age, they fall dramatically. It's very common for rock bands to have long lasting careers, even if they're not in the spotlight like they once were. For rappers though, it just seems like they peak, and just disappear or they just fall off badly. Examples for me include: Lil Wayne, Eminem, Jeezy (IMO), Snoop, and others. There are exceptions of course. The ones who comes to my mind are Jay Z, I guess Nas, and Ye is getting up there. I want to say Ye and Drake will have long lasting careers because they aren't pure rappers in a sense. Drake sings of course, and Ye has a different sound for each album and experiments with other genres. That leads me to believe that's why they have lasted as long as they have. However, it seems harder for just pure rappers. Why do you guys think that is?

http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/702-drake-and-the-problem-with-aging-rappers/
 
i've awlays said this on here, hip hop has always been predicated on youthfulness, what's new and fresh

the performers and the core audience are generally young, no other genre has a quicker output and turnover rate

part of the reason why we don't see as many older acts still as active as other genres I guess

Could it be that the intention of hip hop in it's beginnings was to always remain in front of constanly evolving trends

of style and language that tend to define the genre
 
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That Young Thug statement is just tragic and embarrassing for 2 reasons. The 1st, is cause it's that awful piece of **** saying it. The 2nd, is cause that sack of **** is very popular (I think) and there's a sad portion of rap/HH listeners that have his same sentiments. I'd much rather listen to a veteran who still has it over a young trash dude, or a young dude flat out making mediocre watered down music.

Sucks that hip hop has done that to it's vets.
 
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It's easy to just dump all the onus back on the fans percieved disloyalty but if you

examine the roots of the genre, can you really say it lends itself to much individual longevity and old age?
 
 
It's easy to just dump all the onus back on the fans percieved disloyalty but if you

examine the roots of the genre, can you really say it lends itself to much individual longevity and old age?
I think it's partly due to the fact that rappers barely change  musically throughout their careers. Not to stan on Ye, but every one of his albums sound different, and I believe that's what keeps him fresh and able to last as long as he has.
 
Thats because hip hop is a trendy genre

You literally have to follow trends if you want to stay relevant for a long time, which is sad

Even kanye "all day" sounds like a drake track
 
IDK what Drake you listening too but ok. :lol:

I agree with this:

I'd much rather listen to a veteran how still has it over a young trash dude, or a young dude flat out making mediocre watered down music.
 
Thats because hip hop is a trendy genre

You literally have to follow trends if you want to stay relevant for a long time, which is sad

Even kanye "all day" sounds like a drake track
All genres are trendy. Hip hop just has a somewhat homogenous sound. For rock, subgenres have their own subgenres.
 
Kanye is nearly 40. Why do 85% of Hip-Hoppers ride his sack?

At the end of the day, you have to make good music and stay in tabloids. Only way the kids will mess with you regardless of age.
 
i've awlays said this on here, hip hop has always been predicated on youthfulness, what's new and fresh
the performers and the core audience are generally young, no other genre has a quicker output and turnover rate
part of the reason why we don't see as many older acts still as active as other genres I guess
Could it be that the intention of hip hop in it's beginnings was to always remain in front of constanly evolving trends
of style and language that tend to define the genre
I have to co-sign this.
 
I think it has more to do with the fact that when fans people get older they listen to music less & less.
Most if not all 40+ people I've met through life dont listen to music, unless its in a social setting.
In conclusion music as a whole is a young persons sport. You stop caring as you get older
 
40+ people don't stop listening to music, they just listen strictly to the music they directly grew up on and not current stuff.
 
Hip Hop is def a young mans sport. Rappers that "grow up" usually don't fare well.


It's only a young mans sport because hip hop started in the 70's. Rock was once a young man's sport, and then it matured. Raps maturation has always been stunted, but it's finally getting there

Damn near every popular rapper who has a fanbase besides Kendrick are near or over 30. Most are near or over 40(Ross, Luda, Jay, Nas, 2 Chainz, Wayne, Em, TI...).

Plus the majority of the young rappers are terrible

When Run DMC released Down With The King, their last hurrah, they were 29. Which was considered old. Drake is 28, anyone consider him old? The majority of his fans are far younger than him.
 
40+ people don't stop listening to music, they just listen strictly to the music they directly grew up on and not current stuff.

How many 40+ year olds do you see wearing headphones/earbuds on the street?
Now compare that to the number of 40 year olds dont actively listen to music, its more of an afterthought as opposed to younger people who cant imagine their day without listening to music
 
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40+ people don't stop listening to music, they just listen strictly to the music they directly grew up on and not current stuff.
Exactly.

The older you get the less you add to your rotation.

I probably don't check for anybody who wasn't out before 2010
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Can't see myself falling out of touch with new music. But then again, I'm not an elitist who thinks the era I grew up in just ***** on everything else. I hate 90's rap worship SOOOOO much.
 
Hip-Hop is a culture. Not just a "genre" of music. 

It's supposed to be fueled by the youth and guided by the elders. But the balance is off...and now we have the old ****** trying to look and act like the young ******.

End result is you have a bunch of ****** stuck in young and dumb mode with no guidance.
 
Hip-Hop is a culture. Not just a "genre" of music. 

It's supposed to be fueled by the youth and guided by the elders. But the balance is off...and now we have the old ****** trying to look and act like the young ******.

End result is you have a bunch of ****** stuck in young and dumb mode with no guidance.
 
The older I get the less I believe it's a culture.

Do they have a rock culture?
 
Why wouldn't Rock and Roll be considered a culture?
Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts
Hip-Hop is undoubtedly a culture. Always was and always will be. 
 
40+ people don't stop listening to music, they just listen strictly to the music they directly grew up on and not current stuff.

How many 40+ year olds do you see wearing headphones/earbuds on the street?
Now compare that to the number of 40 year olds dont actively listen to music, its more of an afterthought as opposed to younger people who cant imagine their day without listening to music

Agree with the latter part about younger gens not being able to live about it, but older folks aren't walking around with headphones and ear buds listening to music cause they're in their cars and homes doing so.
 
40 year olds "not actively listening" to music is ******* ridiculous.
Like my man star said, "a culture has rules & guidelines, hip hop has none of that"
Says who?
 
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