At what age do rappers play out? Snoop, Jay-z near 40.

Between late 30's around 38, 39. to early 40's. If you're over 42 and rappin' you need to stop.

Jay-Z is played out, Snoop is still cool though.

Well this can applied to any form of music pretty much. Age is always an issue, its not like the old days, when everyone could get airplay, it now seems that airplay is for the young and albums/sales are for the old, the main reason? Kids, the target audience of labels dont buy music, at best they might buy a ringtone, but they arent investing in albums, so rappers like Jay and Snoop are dead to kids, I heard someone the other day refer to Beyonce as "OLD", wow yeah i guess youre right she is 26, shes over the hill.

If Public Enemy came to town, I would go see Chuck D...

I think it depends on the rapper myself.

Rhondab said:

I'd still see Rakim.

It depends on the type of rapper

Graycap23 said:

Interesting question. I really don't know. There may be some old school rappers from the 80s, perhaps even late 70s that could give these rich rappers a beatdown AKA run for their money. It would be interesting to see Eric B and Rakim give Jay-Z a battle.

LL Cool J vs. Snoop Dog

Melly Mel vs. 50 Cent

Stymie said:

stymieeeee

if he grew up in my era I can see it. I have been amazed at how many of them don't look old. (maybe I have to see them up close). Now if a rapper keeps doing a style that is played out and not try to bring it up to date, then that is a problem. I am used to seeing them in rap gear and I don't see the age in them like I should. not even ll, who always looked older than his age anywhay.

shoot even jay z looks a bit youthful from a distance and with the right clothing on. m c lyte, salt and pepa and queen latifah who has made it through looks pretty good and a bit younger acting. JMO

Heck all the other forms of music go into 60's

now if curtis blow or sugarhill were to try to come out then I would be like okay yall need to stop. tribe wu tang, roots, souls of miscief, etc could wing it. I am surprised common broke through, maybe thanks to kanye, talib, and def
[Edited 1/9/08 12:46pm]

birth

LittleBLUECorvette said:

no..Jay came out with a banger

LittleBLUECorvette said:

sosgemini said:

co-sign

paisleypark4 said:

american gangster is wayyyyy better than Kingdom Come..that cd sucked.

lastdecember said:

LL Cool J, Too $hort, Master P, Baby The Birdman, KRS-ONE (ouch!), Rakim (ouch!), & E-40 had overstay their welcome at old age.

But Jay-Z, Nas, & Snoop Dogg at still making hits. And they're close to 40+.

I think the DJs/producers/beatmakers are a factor more so than the MCs/rappers.

Rhondab said:

Sure did...Blueprint2 was better than that mess....

I think snoop is hanging on because of his personality. he hasn't done that snoop style really since doggy style and the chronic.

too short just dropped a cd. scarface just dropped a cd, I think short is too old. he acted old back then too. like wise old.

ll cool j needs to come out banging one more time like I'm bad. he has been lucky because he hasn't and he unnecissisarily grimes too much at his live shows.

will had to come to grips.

what about red and meth?

what jay z was doing when he first started just happens to be what is still selling. plus he found him a young girlfriend to keep his jigga figga career going.

do you think dr. dre is over? what about ice cube? all the ladies who rapped pretty much have moved on.

horatio said:

co co-sign

Rhondab said:

Hey mama.

It's like what someone said here: it's not about their age, it's about whether they can still bring it even when they're older. But obviously if they're 60+ we might consider them too old.

I guess since Hip-Hop has always been a type of music made for and by the youth and has a young spirit about it, it's hard to keep it going after a certain age. But some still pull it off well like the Beastie Boys, Melle Mel, Kurtis Blow, Big Daddy Kane, etc. They can still rock the mic and rock the crowd like in their old days.

But yeah, it's like with any kind of music that has a youthful quality to it. Look at Punk Rock, for example. There's a youthful spirit and quality about that. And it's almost embarrasing to see some of the old farts go out there and play like it was still 1977. That's why a band like The Jam was smart enough to end it when they did. However, if you can still rock out and still have that magic that you did in your youth then it's all good.

I saw Television last year and, even at their old age, they were still rocking it like they were at CBGB's in 1977. And plus, they're at the point now where they actually know their instruments, so they can play their songs properly and with skill now.

So there are exceptions.
[Edited 1/9/08 14:22pm]

sosgemini said:

Lol.....can't argue that one.

One's "MC Age" being too old arrives when the MC's work is repetitive, uninspiring, and derivative of his/her past work or other artists.

MF Doom is in his mid-thirties and is one of the freshest MCs out there. Ditto Kelvin Mercer.

Sometimes, "MC Age" can depend on the number of years he/she's been dropping albums or number of albums dropped. There are MCs who've flooded the market over the years and peaked early, so in terms of "MC Age" they're too old.

Seems to me an MC is "too old" when his/her stuff begins to suck. When I engage hip hop, I do so for musical/lyrical insights as with any other form or music, and that is not determined by youth. I recently saw KRS-ONE drop some stuff on TV, and I was still like d*mn!

...Now, if I was into hip hop to discern who will be my personal role models, pop cultural peers or gurus of cool, I suppose age would become an issue.
[Edited 1/9/08 15:25pm]

no artist is ever to old to indulge in their art. whether we (the viewing public) enjoy what was never entitled to us or not, is different.




would ya'll be asking the same question about authors/poets? cuz that's what we are you know...
[Edited 1/9/08 17:02pm]

TonyVanDam said:

I don't think marky mark had any credibility as a rapper. He was basically
a one hit wonder during the snap and C&C music factory era.
He was smart to get into acting before he suffered the vanilla ice syndrome.

phunkdaddy said:

Exactly, and Mark Walberg is a better actor anyways.

phunkdaddy said:

That is true. But at least Mark was way better than VI in regards to telling the truth about his real hometown (Boston). VI was from Dallas & still lie by claiming Miami.

missfee said:

Of course he's an actor. Marky Mark was his first major role!!!

You think LL's too old?

He turns 40 next Monday.