How old, is too old?

[drex]

damn dudes is writin us off, I'm just gettin started
a couple wise ppl have said what I am about to say but here it is again, I gotta lend my voice to the crowd. DO YOU. make themusic you love and your crowd will find you. practice good business habits and they will never leave you. and when it comes down to it, even those in the over 30 set who claim to have quit rappin or w/e really do that shit when nobodys lookin... man, emceein is something Iwill never quit regardless of how much dough I get from it...
I don't have a lot of gear cuz I only buy music shit with money I make from music... my checklist is mad old (monitors-Yamaha Ns10...) but I refuse to quit.
you never know, one of my kids might crack open my rhymebook and purple rain that shit... I feel bad for dude cuz I know the feeling, but yo, that feeling is what put me back in school, nawmean? to each his own and he shall own his effort.
slow and steady baby...

 

[Relic]

I still maintain that there is a market for olde hiphop heads who really dont give a fuck how old an artist is, if they are dope.
I have NEVER asked how old someone was when I was listening to them unless thet sounded like a little tiny kid.
Im doing this till Im 80.

 

[dacalion]

Out front...naaah, unless they're already established...behind the scenes (producer,mix engineer,master), age is not a factor.

 

[Relic]

Dac...Like seriously? In the undeground?? Im never gonna tell anyone they cant do it.
I think there is a market for it.

 

[dacalion]

I would never tell anyone that they couldn't do it, and I would support them if they had good content BUT realistically speaking...I don't see any market for it based on my surroundings here. We can't even maintain adult JAZZ/R&B nightclubs here, the market just isn't there. Cats our age are at home watching kids and keeping wifey happy.

 

[UNORTHODOX]

damn dudes is writin us off, I'm just gettin started
a couple wise ppl have said what I am about to say but here it is again, I gotta lend my voice to the crowd. DO YOU. make themusic you love and your crowd will find you. practice good business habits and they will never leave you. and when it comes down to it, even those in the over 30 set who claim to have quit rappin or w/e really do that shit when nobodys lookin... man, emceein is something Iwill never quit regardless of how much dough I get from it...
I don't have a lot of gear cuz I only buy music shit with money I make from music... my checklist is mad old (monitors-Yamaha Ns10...) but I refuse to quit.
you never know, one of my kids might crack open my rhymebook and purple rain that shit... I feel bad for dude cuz I know the feeling, but yo, that feeling is what put me back in school, nawmean? to each his own and he shall own his effort.
slow and steady baby...

Exactly. If you have the talent and the will, use it, and the way will find you.

I still maintain that there is a market for olde hiphop heads who really dont give a fuck how old an artist is, if they are dope.
I have NEVER asked how old someone was when I was listening to them unless thet sounded like a little tiny kid.
Im doing this till Im 80.

I would never tell anyone that they couldn't do it, and I would support them if they had good content BUT realistically speaking...I don't see any market for it based on my surroundings here. We can't even maintain adult JAZZ/R&B nightclubs here, the market just isn't there. Cats our age are at home watching kids and keeping wifey happy.

(Good points Dac)

The way a 30+ y/o could do it is in a.. Gorillas or Weeknd sort of way. As long as he keeps his image mysterious or hidden, and has dope music that doesnt make him/her sound dated or outwardly old, it could be done. This is the era to do it. The real obstacle is not updating your flow or delivery so that it doesnt sound like you grew up listening to only who you listen to. Allow yourself to be influenced a bit by the dopest out today and stay updated and it could work.

Tell storys, stay away from partyish records unless one sticks out and calls for you. Bottom line: its all possible.

 

[dacalion]

Agreed, and I would luv to see it happen. I would be one of those cats that would never go to a show but I would support by buying merchandise and albums...then again, if they hid their true identity, age, appearance...and if I couldn't tell by their lyrical content, I wouldn't have any clues of their age which kinda defeats the concept. Right? lol, my head is hurting now.

 

[UNORTHODOX]

Agreed, and I would luv to see it happen. I would be one of those cats that would never go to a show but I would support by buying merchandise and albums...then again, if they hid their true identity, age, appearance...and if I couldn't tell by their lyrical content, I wouldn't have any clues of their age which kinda defeats the concept. Right? lol, my head is hurting now.

Buying Albs and Merch is way more important than what net hype gets you (Downloads/views/blogs. Most people arent dropping dollars. Salute to you for that). Your spending $$$ makes people successful. ...and I dont think it defeats the purpose, a 30+ y/o winning in the music market is still constitutes a win imo.

 

[Relic]

Ok Dox.. lol I feel you .

Im sayin tho , its like yall sayin death is 24 or something.

 

[Ozmosis]

I think you can still do it as long as your true to yourself and realize you don't have to look or dress like the young boys. Just look at Dac's pic of Redman, dude looks way too old and corny to be looking like that LOL... Red looks like an old dude trying to look young. Even Snoop wears a suit sometimes and he dosnt have to be in court LOL...

 

[dacalion]

Red is 41 and still dope with it...but what little relevancy he still has I think is due to the state of todays Hip Hop. If the bar was as high as it was when Hip Hop was Hip Hop, Red would've been gone.

Here's a good read about this very topic and it's 2 years old... http://www.xxlmag.com/bloggers/2009/03/scratch-blog-what-is-too-old-for-hip-hop/

 

[UNORTHODOX]

Ok Dox.. lol I feel you .

Im sayin tho , its like yall sayin death is 24 or something.

lol all life ends at 12am the day after you're 24th birthday, you aint know??

I think you can still do it as long as your true to yourself and realize you don't have to look or dress like the young boys. Just look at Dac's pic of Redman, dude looks way too old and corny to be looking like that LOL... Red looks like an old dude trying to look young. Even Snoop wears a suit sometimes and he dosnt have to be in court LOL...

Yup, look at Jay, his subject material had to change with his age. Suits, reflecting on life, mingling with the youngsters (J Cole, Drake, etc.) etc.

I think Skidmatic could do something with the right tracks.

Red is 41 and still dope with it...but what little relevancy he still has I think is due to the state of todays Hip Hop. If the bar was as high as it was when Hip Hop was Hip Hop, Red would've been gone.

Here's a good read about this very topic and it's 2 years old... http://www.xxlmag.com/bloggers/2009/03/scratch-blog-what-is-too-old-for-hip-hop/

I agree.

Also, Red and meth are still adjusting to who they are in this new environment. they tried the autotune thing and all their real fans almost threw up. They need to find their comfort zone and they could be what Snoop is to Cali (Making music, but putting others on and furthering their legacy through mentorship, and sponsorships, a web series or 2, etc). They're still funny and can still spit when they want to.

Checkin the article

 

[dacalion]

Overall, I guess there's room for it but I couldn't see an overaged newcomer being anything near a 'sensation', I could be wrong but I just can't see it. Rob Base, Rakim and Doug E. Fresh are still touring today so yeah, theres a market for good vintage rap. I dont even think Kool G Raps latest joint certified gold...Ed OG put out a dope album but his sales were horrible. I guess it's just one of those things where it depends on what a person deems 'successful'.

 

[UNORTHODOX]

Def, success is just that. I mean, if you're kids are eating off you doing what you love day in and day out, I salute you a thousand times. How can you be considered a failure.

lol and no, i wouldnt say a sensation. Of coarse this is hiphop, anything is possible, and it was started by 30+ yrs if Im not mistaken (?)

 

[Sucio]

Snoop and Jay can afford to live like that with the suits and all that shit...those guys are paid...

Redman is still a hood dude.....it's not his style to switch it up....

Snoops style is easily adaptable, whereas Red's style is not.. Yes he may look silly wearing what he's wearing in the picture at his age, but if he wore anything else, it wouldn't be Redman...

 

[wmsproductions]

you will NOT be a top 40 artist at that age, but you CAN have a very good career in the music business at any age!

I agree. He might not make it as a top 40 mega start but he could still make a comfortable living off show money, ghostwriting, and record sales plus a million other hustles if the music is good.

 

[Pressurebox]

i mean 30 should be the cap for me, but if u started rapping/producing at a young age u r good. i suggest you try to get behind the scenes, sorry 49 a lil too old if u wanna be a rapper, R and B could be possible tho




check me out http://soundcloud.com/pressurebox-jones

 

[skidflow]

you can make beats well into old age...well at least until it starts affecting your timing.

 

[Sucio]

Rick Ross started extemely late... Port of Miami dropped in 2006, and he was 30 years old....the game is getting older....

 

[slik da relic]

makin beats dont get old... if ur a songwriter in any genre, ur gonna always do it... but producing music has no age.. u dont hafta be seen.. and alot of people wouldnt want that headache anyway.. Em hates and he's not the only one.. Kwame changed his name to K1 Mil and never looked back.. there's a way of goin about it.. never get discouraged.. im prolly the oldest on here, but im still doin what i do... peeps at shows are always askin me, "where u been?" and "yo. i need a verse from u".. so, fuck wat anybody says, do it bcuz u love it.. my beats are timeless imo, and i can still lay a verse down.. now the verse might not get me paid, but im pretty sure the beats will! and thats wat i love doin!

da relic