FEATURED Andre 3000 Responds To Lil Wayne's 'Rapping Over 40' Comments

[Freeman]

Only in rap music/Hip-hop are artistes criticised or shamed for making music at middle age ... Every other genre you can start making music from youth till old age and it's fine


If your favourite artistes have problems elevating their musical content and subject matter as they age then that indicates poor artistic talent on their side ... In my opinion


I know you're a big Drake stan ... He's clocking 40 and his subject matter or what he sings/raps about hasn't switched up in over a decade at least to me


Will you cancel him if he continues to make music after 40 years of age?

Tell me you're not reading my posts and just looking for an argument without telling me you're not reading my posts and just looking for an argument.

I've addressed every single thing you've said and not once have I projected my preference on anyone else in this thread.

Nothing wrong with either of their standpoints both things can be true to them and who they are as rappers.

Seeing niggas rapping and seeking relevance past 40 has always weird and cringe to me. It will be interesting to see how my idea of this changes as my goat is nearing that age along with myself. I wonder if my energy will change.

I was then I asked why I felt that way and responded with...

Imo rapping is a young man's game. A lot of my favorite rappers have had trouble elevating their subject matter and aesthetic in their older years and the shtick gets dated. There was once a time where I only wanted to hear cocaine raps but that's not where I am today.

Also anyone can have something relevant to say my issue is with the constant pursuit of relevance and stature at a certain age in any arena or industry. I think there's a line where you age out for everything.

What's the issue?

 

[rip.dilla]

Rapping is a young man's game yes but believe me when I say these rapping ass niggaz in their late 40s to 50s tend to be more lyrically efficient than the younger cats in their 20s/30s ...


Y'all look at age as a number, I look at longevity and efficiency, flow, diction and more importantly brilliant writing

 

[IP360]

Yall better off holding ya breaths for Detox to drop. I stopped waiting for 3K to drop a rap album. I rather him not drop anything, than to put out some half-azzz shyt he was never interested in doin to begin with.

 

[Tayboo]

Imo rapping is a young man's game. A lot of my favorite rappers have had trouble elevating their subject matter and aesthetic in their older years and the shtick gets dated. There was once a time where I only wanted to hear cocaine raps but that's not where I am today.

Also anyone can have something relevant to say my issue is with the constant pursuit of relevance and stature at a certain age in any arena or industry. I think there's a line where you age out for everything.

While I agree that rapping about selling dope when one hasn't been in that life in 2 decades ain't the way to go, I don't believe in aging out when it comes to music. I think part of reason that rap was considered strictly for the young ones was because at one point hip hop really didn't have a large older audience, but that audience is now grown up (me and you) so the market is there.

 

[LexDiamond1995]

OG been holding it down this year Common and Pete just dropped album of the year. Get in the booth 3 Stacks

"Called my counterparts, I told 'em they gotta try this shit"

1-800 Nas & Hit

 

[Freeman]

While I agree that rapping about selling dope when one hasn't been in that life in 2 decades ain't the way to go, I don't believe in aging out when it comes to music. I think part of reason that rap was considered strictly for the young ones was because at one point hip hop really didn't have a large older audience, but that audience is now grown up (me and you) so the market is there.

For you. Respectfully.

 

[BlackRain]

Rapping is a young man's game yes but believe me when I say these rapping ass niggaz in their late 40s to 50s tend to be more lyrically efficient than the younger cats in their 20s/30s ...


Y'all look at age as a number, I look at longevity and efficiency, flow, diction and more importantly brilliant writing

Writing is a mental exercise. The longer and more you do it the better you get at it. JCole talked about this before he went on that feature run a couple years ago. You can hear when rappers are writing only when they're recording a project or if they're the type to always write in general.

 

[Knock_Twice]

I think with how the game is now, these season rappers can still maintain their core audience if they are putting out good content.

I am actually waiting for a new project by Juvie. My only thing is, is the production, I would hope that these season rappers choose more mature production. See a Mannie Fresh, or other producers that can give you a mature sound and also keep your material young/fresh. I'm not too concern about Juvie's lyrics, he's always rap'd in a way to either drop game or give you an insight on certain aspects of life. See the song Ghetto Children, these types of songs can really go for a seasoned rapper

I'm not trying to hear Juvie on 3 to 4 D-Rock beats, that's not him to me. I didn't like BG on those beats.

Those Freddie Gibbs albums are a prime example, smooth, mature production, minus a few tracks he had on there, but I understand that he had to place those songs on that album to attract a certain crowd.

But that production on Gibbs albums is great.

 

[Eyerone]

All I see in this thread is a bunch of fans saying what they want from an artist and said artist explaining exactly why it’s not going to happen.

 

[Knock_Twice]

To be really honest, the songs that he made in his 20s, lyrics he dropped, more older cats were bumping it. and saying it. I never saw a 16-year-old rapping his lyrics lol The cats I seen rapping stack's lyrics were older cats. To me, he never appealed to a "young" crowd

 

[nex gin]

I'd rather he not put out anything at all if the alternative is him putting out an uninspired weed plate for the sake of placating fans.

 

[Tayboo]

For you. Respectfully.

Are you respectfully telling me you said what you said?

 

[Freeman]

Are you respectfully telling me you said what you said?

I'm not sure if I should say something slick or just let it be.

 

[ZMaKEa]

Rapping over 35 is lame as shit.

 

[mike030270]

You may age out of certain topic matters but aging out of expressing them through rapping...the act of putting rhyming words together? There's no age limit for being a writer

Plus people listened to a damn flute album because of him

They'd listen to a rap album about life in his 30s, 40s, 50s, or 60s lmao

 

[AP3.0]

All I see in this thread is a bunch of fans saying what they want from an artist and said artist explaining exactly why it’s not going to happen.

I disagree

Andre was saying he don't know if people wanna hear his raps

We are saying we do wanna hear em

 

[Eyerone]

I disagree

Andre was saying he don't know if people wanna hear his raps

We are saying we do wanna hear em

Substance is part of the reason but he’s also saying it’s also a matter of styles and flows; he don’t want to go backwards and rap like he used to rap. His quest is in challenging himself to do something new and if he feels he can’t, he won’t.

That’s what I took from the totality of why he doesn’t want to rap, outside of the age comments.

 

[SeaSnake]

This has always been a weird take IMO because why?? I don't understand why people think an artist some how loses his/her creative juice at a particular age or no longer has anything relevant to say...

Singers will sing until they die. And people over 40’dont like new rap they like and and hov which I guess is middle aged mature rap. And I think that can be a genre.

 

[AP3.0]

Substance is part of the reason but he’s also saying it’s also a matter of styles and flows; he don’t want to go backwards and rap like he used to rap. His quest is in challenging himself to do something new and if he feels he can’t, he won’t.

That’s what I took from the totality of why he doesn’t want to rap, outside of the age comments.

I hate to keep using Nas as an example but while he did experiment with a few different flows to match the beat, it was still Nas to his core.

Not illmatic but definitely post life is good

Hell,3ks flow or whatever on players anthem is perfect. I would even take his flow from "benz friends"

I'm not trying to not validate his feelings but he definitely putting a lot of pressure on himself to hit home runs every time he steps up to bat instead of just hitting singles to get his form and technique together while he studies the pitcher to find the patterns and tendencies

TL;Dr

Put music out. It will come to him imo

 

[ZMaKEa]

Andre 3K is a true artist and purist.

His objection has never been about being afraid to do it or his lack of talent.

He's been not doing it because he just don't think it's cool.

Basically, he's saying, "There are new styles of Hip Hop that fit the spirit of youth that I once identified with. It's not for me to keep rapping to satisfy a market demand for my verses."

When Dre says I don't think anyone wants to hear my verses, he's not talking about his fans, he's talking about young people that shapes the sounds and images of Hip Hop today.

A real artist makes art for future generations to mimic and take as their own. They don't do it to satisfy the present audience.

The 14 year olds that grew up mixtape Future, are 24 now thinking, "Wait this nigga 30 plus, why he still rapping about this?"

LL Cool J doing the old nigga Hip Hop video with the black and white video and leather jacket and leather pants to satisfy his fans isn't artistry.