With the release of Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3, the internet and the streets have been asking the same question over and over again – is Jay-Z too old to be rapping? This isn’t a new question at all in hip-hop. Whenever someone that’s deemed to be old school (LL Cool J, any of the WuTang Clan members, Rakim, etc.) releases a new project, the hip-hop community always tends to pit them against new, younger rappers. While determining whether or not an older rapper is still relevant and still has their chops is still a valid question to debate, I wonder why our community isn’t looking more at the rapper’s skills and chooses instead to look at their age. Let’s debate, shall we?
Jay-Z, to many, is considered to be one of the best that has ever done it. To some, he’s THE greatest rapper of all time. Now while that is a matter of public opinion and countless debates, what isn’t up for discussion is his longevity in the game. Mr. Carter has influenced the masses (two-way pagers, Ace of Spades, clothing choices, etc.) in ways that no rapper has been able to since he first dropped Reasonable Doubt in 1996. And while some feel that he’s quoted Biggie in his lyrics too often, it’s undeniable that after 13 years in the rap game, his lyrics and songs are still better than ones that get constant radio spins and/or club play. So if we’re looking at lyrics alone, and assuming Jay-Z is still able to produce quality lyrics, then why are folks asking if he’s too old? Since when has there been an age limit in any genre of music? If you look at rock music, groups like The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith have been recording since the 1960′s and ’70′s. In country music, Willie Nelson has been recording for close to 60 years. And all 3 of these examples still tour to this day. Now, while there may be some fans in those genres that feel those aforementioned (and probably other artists) are too old to release music, their criticism of it is not as extensive as it is in hip-hop. No matter how little or much it sells, ALL of those artists still successfully tour, making millions of dollars when they do, because their fans still support them and will continue to do so.
So why does hip-hop insist on putting an age limit on our entertainers? Is it a form of hating? Is that the only thing that folks can think of to say when they’re in a beef? “He’s too old to record…he needs to hang it up and get a day job.” (Mind you, it’s always a younger rapper that says this AFTER he’s proclaimed that he looked up to the older rapper and was influenced by him). Is it because of hip-hop’s fair-weather fans? The fact that you HAVE to keep impressing them, you can never have one single misstep or a bad song before they denounce you and proclaim that another rapper is better than you, even though your track record may be better than any other rappers? Or is it because the hip-hop community values youth over everything and they’re just scared to grow up so maybe they don’t want their rappers too either? There really is no clear-cut answer as to why OUR genre of music believes that once you get a certain age you need to hang up the mic. Maybe we need to take a look at the way other genres of music handle it and just believe that as long as our rappers still have the gift – the lyrics, the stage presence and ability to rock a show, as well as the capability to grow within hip hop and influence others to do so as well – that we should value and support them to the fullest.
In the words of Aaliyah, “age ain’t nuthin’ but a number.” Keep that in mind next time this argument comes up.
Elsewhere on the Web:
Hip-Hop Needs to Grow up [About.com]
