GRANDGOOD

This article discusses a topic that’s come up a few times at the grandgood watercooler. Do rappers’ careers have the same potential for longevity as the careers of other musicians/lyricists/singers from other genres? Is there a cap off age for MCs? Seeing as how we released a record with an artist many folks would deem “old school”, our perspective on this should be somewhat evident. But to make things clear, we do not believe an artist’s worth, on any level, should be based on their youthfulness or lack there of. The worthwhileness of an artist (note: I said worthwhileness, not marketability), as has been determined by history, is based on the relevancy of their work. What has made Rap somewhat different, in my opinion, is the looming notion that Rap was a fad and the intense connection between artists and rebellious youth. This connection is so strong that when I’ve asked people to describe what they visualize when they think of Rap and/or HipHop, time and time again they will describe a stereotypical (teenage) fan instead of an artist. But that’s another story. Think about it, would you ever question the dopeness of Marvin Gaye if he had lived to 60? Then why question a rapper’s dopeness just because he is becoming middle-aged? Is Ghostface starting to lose it now that he’s 35 or is he better than ever? Link: Cube, Veteran Rappers Aren’t Melting Away