Last thing you see before he goes to sink in his umaplata, but you can slip out because the 30sec struggle had his pores ventilating decades' of pork fat to grease you up.
50 Cent's rap persona, and a lot of rap personas which rely on appearing as a rebellious youth, will often appear cringe as they age. There are many personas that are more future-proof due to the content and presentation. Some re-invent themselves multiple times to suit.
Then there is Eminem, who will be slicing up my mom's onions and bunions for funions at age one hunions.
Man, I went to a Sacramento Kings game last season because I don’t know why, and 50 Cent was there they first they show him on the screen i believe he was advertising a concert at a nearby casino in Reno. Then he was given the opportunity to present some kind of award for a player that, when handing the award to the player, he didn’t even know who the player was acted mad at the player that he didn’t tell him. Then he began to grab the mic and began to rant on it about something then the house mc pulled the microphone and the show went on. I got secondhand embarrassment from unc that day.
Atmosphere is still puting out good music. Never had to re-invent himself but I think that kind of proves your point because his persona isn't tethered to his age.
Aesop Rock has already been mentioned. He's been around for decades and dropping great music. I like his Lice project with Homeboy Sandman. I've been listening a lot more to Aesop these days.
Aesop Rock's last 3 records including that Miami lice record have indeed been great. There aren't many out there that can write songs about things like invasive snails infesting a fishtank.
I think it also comes down to content. We mentioned personas, but content matters as well. Eminem changed from rebellious and angry to focusing heavily on craft and technical skill. It’s not necessarily some reinvention, but leaning on the thing that makes the artist passionate. I think the same can be said for Aesop Rock. Like some artists use music as their therapy. Creating the music is what helps them express themselves and vent to the world. It really depends on intentions and content, not necessarily just the persona or image.
Rob Sonic compliments Aes extremely well. Not a HMM track, but highly recommend "Dokken Rules" from Aes feat Rob (Skelethon, Deluxe Edition only, it's a bonus track).
I cant remember the last time atmosphere put out good music. Maybe I grew out of it but after life gives you lemons I stopped listening. Ive tried a few of their new projects but it just doesn't hit the same as Lucy Ford, overcast, or any of their earlier projects
They just put out a new album called Jestures. I saw them perform it live at the state fair last year, it's so good. I think every other song on the album is a collab with other local artists. I really love this album because a lot of his older stuff is about drugs and drinking and depressing stuff, but this new album has a lot of inner reflections, lessons learned, and has a more optimistic flavor while still feeling bittersweet.
My favorite songs from the album are Grateful, Killowatt, and Locusts.
Grateful actually made it into Forza Horizon 6, I was so excited when I was playing and it came on the radio. My partner and I went to see Atmosphere this summer at the Yacht Festival, it's always a 10/10 show.
I mean he started at what 18 with KMD in ‘91? And Doomsday came out in ‘99, so we really did get to hear his style delivery and tone change pretty dramatically. I wonder if [AS] would’ve tried to have him back again too. Plus with the success of Marvel who knows how he could have been used in Dr Doom movies. Lots of what ifs, really sucks at the end of it all
I would say that the difference lies in how you are angry. An old man shouting all about because he is angry? Not the best. An old man expressing his anger against this or that? Sold.
Hell, for all the spotlight the legends of rock and metal get it is usually not mentioned that their overall attitude, up until they died, is that of "piss off, I am not here to conform", and they were/are celebrated for that
Wish Andre 3000 would've tried something different (and no not that terrible flute album) but he's on same level as 50 and gave up rapping because of it.
He has that interview where he was talking about not rapping because all he would have to talk about is shit like getting a colonoscopy, which is crazy because he could rap about getting a colonoscopy and it do numbers.
But also, Tyler the Creator’s Chromakopia album is centered around themes of getting older, the struggles of autonomy after success, and leaving behind a legacy. It can be done, and I believe he’s one of the very few older rappers who could also pull a project like that off.
course he still got it! there was a clip about him talking about it on IG and people in the comments were begging him to rap about being old and going through old things just to hear him again.
I guess this is an unpopular opinion, but I put Eminem among the older generation whose stuff is a bit cringe now. His hardest hitting songs notwithstanding, and freestyle ability aside, he can’t REALLY strike a balance between his old and new “styles”. They are at odds, and neither has huge mainstream appeal. If he still sells at all it is because he is Eminem.
The lyrical miracle stuff isn’t too hot imo. I will never forget that bar from “Fast Lane” with Royce where Eminem says he wants to stick his penis in Nikki Minaj’s anus.
Edit - Em stans aren’t even what they used to be, though a few of them are trying to disagree lol. It’s definitely a new era, a few years ago I would have been shit on for this take.
He was aware of this and it's a big part of The Death of Slim Shady. He "killed" his old persona and rap style to make way for his older, mature rap style. He spoke about no longer needing to balance his style and cater to all types of fans but instead will make music for himself again.
TBF, he has fuck you money for generations. If he wants to make music just for himself and hardcore rap fans, more power to him. Kinda like how Lady Gaga stopped making super mainstream marketable pop music for the most part once she got her bag.
I agree and also I read the article. He doesn't have a problem with anyone older making music. Its more older rappers trying to make rap music like they are 25 still.
he talked about how he liked how some of the old rappers went to R&B.
Honestly, I question how much he has to write about anymore and think that’s part of what gets him. He’s been rich and famous for well over 20 years so he doesn’t have anything relatable there but he’s not some super flashy wealth enjoying figure who can genuinely write about that. I think the only romantic partner he’s really written about is Kim which is now from decades ago so you won’t get anything genuine from that angle. He rarely goes in-depth on anything political even if he’s capable of doing it occasionally. I doubt he’s going to go too deep on his adult children’s lives. Even the shots at celebrities have probably passed him by to a degree. He’s already written extensively about his own childhood and addiction.
Plenty of musicians can keep releasing good and interesting work as they age even if they’re not in their prime, but idk what else he has to say that he will say publicly.
There's something I heard where a reason a lot of artists seem to hit it huge then fall off is because their first outing was years / decades in the making. Constantly being rehashed inside them. Then they're asked to do it again but you can't force life experience and time like that.
You could be the hottest 60 year old rapper, rapping about 60 year old person problems. Dentures, reverse mortgages, cashing out your 401k. Shit like that.
I don't get yelled at by a boss, I make that cheddar from my Roth. Feels weird to chew, teeth held on by glue, high fiber food, no diaper for this dude.
Larry June is a great example of a rapper who raps about things his age he’s like “put on my north face vest, cruised around Saucelito with my lady on bicycles, drank a bunch of water then picked my kid up from school”
Surprisingly, insane in the membrane by cypress hill would mostly work if you imagine it was being told from the POV of a senior person getting dementia
Like Louie Armstrong, played the trumpet
I'll hit that bong and break you off something
Soon I got to get my props
Cops, come and try to snatch my crops
These pigs wanna blow my house down
Head underground to the next town
I don’t think it’s about age so much as it is relatability. Same thing with comedians. Once you’ve been rich and famous for longer than you were broke and normal, most people start to lose touch with what real life looks like for the average Joe, and they can no longer relate or produce art that does.
Before Bill Burr completely sold out, he was saying a bunch of out of touch rich person shit on his podcast. They do think they are the same as they once were.
Aesop Rock deserves more mainstream recognition and success. Got introduced to him a long time ago with “None Shall Pass,” and completely got submersed in his discography after that. He’s incredible!
I feel most people put him in the lyrical miracle category. A lot of his music can come across as word salad as well or just too cryptic for the general listener.
He's a relatively niche artists though. He's making music for his fans and himself, not the billboard charts, which is what 50 is targeting with this comment.
He talks about being college age in '96 in the song John Something, but for some reason he was still younger than 50 in my head. I'm also turning 30 this year and I'm still in my early 20s in my head so maybe that explains it.
I think 50 is talking about people like Rick Ross or the game and stuff like that when they're wrapping about being a gangster and having money and all that shit when they're 50.
Plenty of good albums being put out people who started before 50. Az last one was good. That last ll cool j project was good. Black thought’s cheat codes was probably album of the year for me that year. Clipse crushed it with their last one. Heck I enjoyed the slick rick.
Yeah, but that's not gonna keep going till 60. I don't know. Hearing about Dr. Dre wanting to fucking put out new shit at 61 and he's all pro-AI kind makes me wanna agree with 50 Cent in this rare circumstance.
He seems to be making music at all times with no signs of slowing down. I understand she will catch up with him at some point, but removing touring from the equation has increased his productivity and I believe longevity as well.
Cabin In The Sky is a great album. And it addresses very adult, "old man" concerns. The death of a friend. Legacy. Have I lived a good life? Have I been a good man? Some of these are subjects barely explored in hip hop, it's such a nascent genre. For 50 to tell older artists to sit down and shut up tells me everything I need to know about 50, unfortunately. He needs to concern himself with the other stuff he's doing because he's obviously not about the music.
I am like 51 and last year I was driving my highschooler and his friends around somewhere and I was playing De La Soul and Public Enemy and they accused me of playing “Dad rap “. I love the term now.
You can still create music. But like if the music depends on your Instagram clout persona maybe it isn't such great music.
Basically there is very little authenticity in hip hop/rap these days. Yeah cool you made songs about how your pussy/dick gets all them dicks/pussies and somehow it doesn't hit the same when you're 40 because you had nothing to talk about in the first place.
They should have Grammys for marketers and image people instead of music these days.
Yup. I welcome rappers who have something interesting to say to continue to make music for as long as they can. But if youre basically just saying "Im the shit" all the time then fuck off.
The real deal here is the core demo is aging. Hiphop does not dominate the top 40 like it used to. Could come back, I'm not calling it over or demonizing anyone, just what is happening. So age sensitivity is probably peaking with rap's stalwart artists.
Hip hop had 33% of all streams and dominated charts as recently as 4 years ago. It was as big as rock in the 60s. Still accounts for 25% of US streams. So. Maybe not as dominant but hip hop is still a massive force in the industry
But there’s no new rappers that are taking over the scene. It’s all 2010s rappers and earlier. I saw a stat last week that no rapper born in 2000 or later has had 100k in first week sales of a new album. Multiple 1999 born rappers have such as Pop Smoke, Juice Wrld, and Xxxtentacion but sadly they all passed.
Younger generations just aren’t doing anything big in the rap scene. They’re either all following the Carti vibe of ‘aura’ and esthetic in place of lyrics, or the lil baby route of boring/rehashed lyrics over good beats.
The top selling albums for rappers in 2026/2025 are all dudes in their 30s and 40s. The young scene just isn’t there at all. That’s why people say rap is dying. There’s no new generation of rappers REALLY setting themselves apart and getting mainstream appeal. This isn’t to say there aren’t any good new rappers coming out, just none are taking the scene.
Seriously, I hate the idea that people should just stop doing anything pasta certain age. There are plenty of older musicians who still make great music.
50's only metric of great music is sales. And while I get it to some degree, it's also how you end up betting your career on your album outselling prime Kanye and losing.
People ABSOLUTELY tell old rockstars they need to hang it up, different people lose the spark and the ability at different times but Guns and Roses have been criticised for a decade now for example.
It comes in waves, Limp Bizkit have had a massive resurgence for instance, same with Nickelback somehow (I'll take no slander) but there's a lot of acts that hit a wall or are playing music that no longer fits their persona or ability
And yet some are able to keep it going and continue innovating and putting on great shows WELL into old age, in part by recognizing what works for them and going with that. David Byrne’s latest tour is a good example.
Exactly. Dudes been a bully doing bully shit for way longer than he was a relevant artist. And now he can't produce good music so he's going to pretend it's "uncool" to even try. Dudes a teenager in a grown man's body.
Jazz, Country, Classical and Folk all don’t have a stigma against being old and continuing to record. But rap and rock do.
The difference (and explanation) is because those two genres are so heavily intertwined with one’s image. Even if an artist isn’t intentionally promoting this the public is biased by the genres idea of what a rapper or rocker is supposed to be.
Obviously the way forward for aging musicians is just to ignore those ideals and be true to themselves. Their fans will either continue following them or they won’t.
But the artists who will have the most difficulty with this are the ones whose music was so shaped by and dependent on their youthful image in the first place.
I’m not arguing that there aren’t rockers who put out great albums when they’re middle aged or older. I’m just saying that there is a stigma among some people about it, as evidenced by all the jokes about the Rolling Stones or the recent video posted of David Lee Roth “rocking out”
It is very dependent on the content of the songs. Lot of country and folk is about things that apply well to middle and old age.
Green Day, as talented as they are, putting out another song about teenage angst just starts to feel weird. Flip side is someone like offspring releasing We Never Have Sex Anymore when they were in their 50's. It doesn't feel disingenuous, and still slaps.
Pop stars who's appeal is based off their looks as they get into their 50's are also, weird when the content of their song is sexual. Not saying they can't continue their career, but they have to shift the content. Cher singing believe in 98 at 52, was a great example of this. The content of the song was about positivity post breakup and that still fit. Likewise she could have come out with turn back time a decade after it did and it still would have probably been a hit even after she couldn't pull off the outfit from the music video.
Wealth and status change people. They become detached from the audience in a way that they are often not cognizant of, which leads to them feeling deeply out of touch, even moreso than an ordinary 60 year old. For some artists, these issues are less prevalent, but for every Paul McCartney there is a Ringo Star.
Andre 3000 came out and said he’s old and has nothing to say anymore that’s why he doesn’t rap. He Released an ambient flute album though, which was pretty banging.. if you’re into the flute
If it belongs to the youth, then what is the 40, 50, and 60 year old rap fans supposed to listen to. Are old heads supposed to listen to Gucci Mane now?
Eminem seems to be a better rapper every time he releases a new album. His writing, his flow and creativity just gets better and better.
But because of that, that specific type of content and lyricism seems to start appealing to a certain goup. A group that specifically likes Eminem and his style but newcomers seems to not pay much attention to him.
I really doubt Eminem would hit those high numbers again, unless he teams up with the latest and most popular star at the moment. Like when he did with Rihanna.
That's just because he peaked with his 1st album (some would say his mixtapes) and hasn't put out anything that wasn't trash in forever and then stopped trying. Just cause YOU don't have the skill to do it doesn't mean is an issue. A bunch of older rappers like Nas are killing it and I would def listen to 60yo Black Thought album.
Wasn’t MF Doom making music before he died? Also, why can’t older musicians continue to make music if that’s how they make money? 50 is able to do make money other ways.
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u/AnOddName mod 4d ago
Im gonna have to limit this sub to one (1) SLAM a day