How LATE do you think is TOO LATE for a Rapper to blow?

Really depends on the target audience.

For radio music nobody (generally) wants to listen to someone if they aren't talking about partying, thus the younger rappers make sense.

On the underground lots of hip-hop heads are getting older and evolving, thus looking for music that is relevant at their age. People like Kam Moye come to mind.
 
MR_D said:
The headline in this thread said make it, I interpreted that to mean mainstream make it, not local rapper who has to work a day job to subsidise his hobby make it. And the chances of that happeniong post 30 is very slim.
Click to expand...
Yeah, to clarify, I still jump into cyphers with friends to this day. Still jump on tracks with artists I produce if they request it. I was referring to the term "blow". As in still chasing dreams of "making it" in the sense of being a household name.

As for all the "don't do it for money or hoes" talk. Anyone over 30 shouldn't be in it for that shyt anyway. back when we started, all this got you was props for being sick and an outlet to tell your story. We're the generation who LOST respect for cats who got money off music and were so weak they needed it as a conversation starter with a bych, y'all forgot in ya old age? Just jokes.

As for people mentioning guys like Jay Electronica(who IMO, already peaked and has already been forgotten, could be wrong)and Curren$y who falls into the category I spoke on earlier(Plies, Jim Jones, ect)who has been around forever(remember how long he was on Cash Money?)...Neither of those guys have even had the run of an artist like 2 Pistols or Yung Berg as of right now and again, IMO, both of them have peaked. Yung Berg and 2 Pistols have bigger followings(going by sales, billboard charts, ect, not necesseraly TWITTER) and a chance to make big comebacks that can place them in the potential runnings to be hip hop ICONS by the time they're 30. None of that is based on music quality, I firmly beleive with age an artist becomes more polished.

But establishing yourself and gaining a fanbase in the realm of hip hop is a young mans game. Artists like Fabolous, Luda, T.I., Jay, Nas, Em, Beyonce, Kanye, Wayne, even Rick Ross been around since the 90s to establish themselves as a polished product in current years. Rihanna's had a run to be so young, but she's put in years! You don't have that time in your 30s, so no business(label)is gonna invest in that potential development. That would be a stupid investment from a business standpoint. They'll tell you to start writing, producing, engineering, and playing the background. You should be finding the future of hip hop in a young artist you take under your wing, your time to be the future pasted you.
 
Last edited:
back when we started, all this got you was props for being sick and an outlet to tell your story. We're the generation who LOST respect for cats who got money off music and were so weak they needed it as a conversation starter with a bych

Wow!I think this is the effects of the cataclysmic split between hip hop and rap.
There was a time when the music was so small and contained, you had both in the same venue and occupying the same stage and place in your mind.
I've been at all Emcee shows where you wish someone would perform a full song or at least something you've heard before.
I've been at all Rapper shows where you wish someone would kill it live and everyone didn't lip-sync their hits.

Hip hop had no age barrier and in actually the older the style, the more respect you got. But maybe that was because those dudes were legends simply by being pioneers.
Rap sounded weird when you had an unknown dude rhyming about riches. Now, not so much. It's part of the swag.

I understand HOW it happened and why sample-based beats had to fall back to make way for the easier-to-exploit 'composed' beats.
I understand why the IMAGE of a rapper beat out the SUBSTANCE of an emcee.

In the end money (or the money-generating aspects) turned the tide.
I can remember back to when a drug dealer was the worst thing in rap.

I guess we're saying it's all about the baby-face in the tight jeans now.
 
i dont even know why clicked on this stupid ass topic...... if ur rapping to "blow" theres more then enough room in SODMG with riff raff and soulja boy, no pun intended...... *leaves thread*
 
Dudes seem to be catching feelings.

Let's ask this, how late is too late to "blow" as a fashion model? Not a hand or foot model, not a plus size model, not Lois from family guy doing ads for Mort's Pharmacy, but a real model...you know, that shyt Tyra's sexy azz is "too old and fat" to get a job doing?

How old is too old to be a pro Athlete, not pick up a game at the park, not throw the ball around at a picknick, not go semi-pro overseas like Alan Iverson had to when he still got a few good years left in him, not sit the bench like Terrell Owens when he could outrun avg. 16 year old who just made varsity and outmaneuver avg 20 year old in the NCAA with dreams and hunger, but I'm talkin' NBA/NFL?

Want real reality? How black is too black to rent a condo in the Hamptons nomatter what your money like? Not P. Diddy "we all know he's a star black", not "overly proper-speaking high yellow prize winning surgeon with an overly white wife who baked a cake for everyone in the neighborhood when they were the ones who moved in", but I'm talking "who's that n**ger down the street with braids and how does he have money to be looking at that beach house BLACK?"

As harsh as reality is, there are people you have to answer to in life, and they are gonna be close minded on things. If you want to "blow" as a rapper, those execs in suits have to give you the green light and a budget, they won't when you don't fit into a certain bracet, and your age is gonna be a huge part of that. So will your musical content, style, overall appearance, and attitude, they can make you adjust everything except your age. If you're willing to adjust everything else and can play out the part of a "25 year old party animal with swag who smokes purp all day underneath the newest bych" when you're really 34 with a wife and kids, and convincingly look the part, you may have a chance, hell, keep following your dream. But to have a dream to be that fake in your 30s speaks highly of who YOU are. By our age you shoulda done enough to understand what I'm saying with all that.

This is shyt I knew at 16 when i decided won't no label gonna tell me how to look and act. Guess i grew up too fast?
 
*comes back to thread*.... no feelings caught at all bro i just dont see what the hype about being the pawn of a record label is...... im 23 now but i was a young immature 16 year old when i got turned off by how businesses exploit the skills and passion of people to make money off them.... unfortunately i had to learn first hand but im glad i learned young...... its like u sign and automatically become a mannequin or puppet..... an easily replaceable one at that.......

i feel like business and passion dont mix...... if ur inspiration behind doing anything is to "blow" then ur not coming from the right state of mind, thats that western culture ideology makin people think ur only worth how much u make, which is FALSE...... dude around my way just commit suicide trying to "blow" off this rap shit...... RIP J BLACK

*leaves thread again*
 
Last edited:
it cant be too late. Limits are always there to be exceeded. bruce lee said something like "there are no limits, only plateaus, we must not stay there we must go beyond them" everything in life is limitless, every boundary can be pushed, whether thats a usain bolt beating 100m or a jayz beating age related mainstream rap artist. Or eminem being one of the most succesfull of all time and be white...who would have thought that 15 years ago...the only limit is you, and your desire, theres always a way...never accept failure because how can you fail if you dont quit? If you still trying youre always a winner
 
I'm sorry to burst your little motivational bubble but in the real world, your philosopies do not apply! there are sooooooo many artists who have dedicated there whole lifes to this shit and have gotten nothing in return. It get's to a stage where it is sad to see, people who truely believe they can make a living out of this industry and dedicate everything they have in order to make it happen, and still nothing. It's a sad fact of life but not everybody can acheive there dreams, society would not survive if all it took was desire and and the drive not to quit in order to succeed.

Unforunately there is only room for a select few to make it in this industry and the chances get slimmer the older you get. Yes it's not impossible but you can't be found if no one is looking for you. Record companies are not looking for older artists because the key demographics i.e the people that buy music will not relate in the slightest. No Bruce Lee quote is going change that.
 
MR_D said:
I'm sorry to burst your little motivational bubble but in the real world, your philosopies do not apply! there are sooooooo many artists who have dedicated there whole lifes to this shit and have gotten nothing in return. It get's to a stage where it is sad to see, people who truely believe they can make a living out of this industry and dedicate everything they have in order to make it happen, and still nothing. It's a sad fact of life but not everybody can acheive there dreams, society would not survive if all it took was desire and and the drive not to quit in order to succeed.

Unforunately there is only room for a select few to make it in this industry and the chances get slimmer the older you get. Yes it's not impossible but you can't be found if no one is looking for you. Record companies are not looking for older artists because the key demographics i.e the people that buy music will not relate in the slightest. No Bruce Lee quote is going change that.
Click to expand...




Of course the philosophy applies.
Of course people will work their ass off to get nothing in return, thats life in any walk...theres thousands of people jobless with masters degrees etc. Life sucks in that aspect, however to write something off as impossible is defeatest is not the attitude to have in life. You can only be the best you can be and if you truly want to be a rapper over 30 its possible if you have the drive and determination, chances are you wont make it, but chances are you wont make it at any age, very few do...

Bottom line is its harder to find sucess the older you get, but thats no reason to not try if its what you want. I could sleep easier knowing ive tried than thinking what if..

You should always follow your dreams imo, otherwise whats the point in life? may as well draw the curtains and wait for death
 
A local artist once told me, it takes a minimum of 3 years of going hard, as in hustling hard everyday to really blow. That got me thinking like how accurate is that exactly?
 
seveneleven247 said:
I'd like to start of by saying whattt??!?!
Most mc's these days claiming to be gangsters and thugs aren't much more than mommas boys that grew up in white urban communities that turn the real streets into "closed courses" in their music videos....

Not trying to rain on chrisMOE's parade, I'm just ranting about studio thugs. much respect to chris moe though
Click to expand...

Get the FUGG outta here with that "you gotta be from the hood" bullshit. This is ENTERTAINMENT. If you make good music, you make good music.

Since when was Al Capino a cocaine king in real life?

People that like dissing on Ross cause he was a CO need to get a damn life. If you don't like his music, whatever. But just cause he was a CO he suddenly can't rap? GTFO. Music is just acting through audio, just like acting in movies and paining pictures n shit.
 
Last edited:
i feel like there's an age limit... but at the same time not. I definitely dont want to ruin anyone's dreams cause were all trying to chase them ((impossible is nothing))..... but i feel like if your in your late 30's an haven't seen any success or signs of success to come then there's a good chance your probably out for the count. as much as i dont like saying it.... i feel its true.


Mid 30's are what i would consider the line.
 
Last edited:
I'd say its never too late. Really depends on how you market yourself. If you come out at 40 and try to rap like Soulja Boy than it's obviously not going to work. Just rap your age and come from the right angle. Age is just a number.
 
Puppet said:
A local artist once told me, it takes a minimum of 3 years of going hard, as in hustling hard everyday to really blow. That got me thinking like how accurate is that exactly?
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it takes a LOT more then three years of "going hard"........
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top