Rakim Discusses Rappers Retiring, "I Think We Should Stretch Our Age Limit"

PAP · 10-20-2009, 09:37 AM

With the recent announcement of Lil Wayne planning to retire by age 35, rap pioneer Rakim spoke with SOHH about his views on hanging up the microphone for good.

From Rakim's perspective, rappers should aim to stretch their careers out much like an R&B artist.

"Yeah, I think what's happening is, rappers are becoming, especially for people that love a rapper, rap and hip-hop come to party," Rakim explained. "You can't just put it down. It's not like sports where you know, you lose a step. You can lose skills in rapping of course, but it's a little different man and I think sitting back and watching the R&B genre, you got, at any awards show and you see brothers like Al Green come out and tear it down. It's longevity in R&B and I think if it's done right, to an extent, I think we can have a little longer gevity in hip-hop, it don't just have to be a young music anymore. You got people like myself, I'm in my 40's now, early, early early like real early. I just touched 40, but still, I don't plan on stop listening to rap anytime soon and I don't plan stop rhyming no time soon and it's that tug-of-war with the fans. Every time you see the fans or go to a show, they're like 'Yo, do another album,' so it's like that love between the two, the fans and your music. I think we should stretch out our age limit as far as hip-hop 'cause if that's the case, I think when brothers grow up they just want to leave rap entirely and listen to other genres of music so I think there is room for a little mature sound of hip-hop, for the older, grown and sexy, whatever you wanna call it." (SOHH)

The possibility of owning a sports team has caught Lil Wayne's attention and would be his next venture after rap.

"I always said I ain't wanna do this no more after 35, I ain't wanna do it no more," Wayne revealed in an interview with radio personality Tim Westwood. "So any time before 30 and 35, I might give it up. [But now] I gotta work as hard as I can so I ain't gotta look back. [When I retire, I'll] do something else, I'm gonna retire from this and probably jump into some ownership of some sports team or you know, I'm very heavy into sports. Any sport. [I'd want ownership] of the team. It doesn't matter, it could be basketball, it could be baseball, of course it wouldn't be baseball, there's too much money to own that, but it could be basketball or football, it wouldn't matter. I could buy into a baseball team with someone." (Tim Westwood TV)

Ghostface Killah also spoke on his perception of age within the rap game earlier this year.

"I'ma definitely be old in hip-hop," he said in an interview. "I'm not gonna be on the road. But this is a mental thing. You can write music till you 70. This is a hobby, B. Muthaf*ckas always act like they retiring and don't go nowhere. You know what it is, man. You can't get away from it, B. You don't think Michael Jordan wants to pick up the ball sometimes? But that's what it is. That's why a boxer always keep coming back, like Muhammad Ali, until he just kept getting his a** beat. Until you realize, I just ain't got it no more...I mean, yeah, you always worry about it. But that's what makes you great. It keeps you on your toes. The muthf*cka that thinks that he's not falling off, his darts start coming more weaker. Once you worry about it, and hope that this don't happen, then you're guaranteed to be around for a long time. Cause you're always trying to be on point." (New York Magazine)

Jay-Z, who turns 40 in December, recently addressed his stance on the age-factor within hip-hop and why he is unwilling to give up his spot for younger emcees.

"I hear it all the time -- 'Yo, he should let the young guys, the new generation of guys come in,'" Jay explained in an interview. "But you don't become the front-runner in music because someone lets you. You have to claim your shoes...If you grow up listening to hip-hop, you love hip-hop and that's the end of it. But if you're a 30 year-old rapper still trying to make music like you're 15, then you're making it narrow. At my age, I can't relate to a 15 year-old. I deal with mature and relevant topics for my age group -- it has to all be based on true emotions. The more diversity and the more mature we make hip-hop, the bigger the net you cast." (Reuters)

Kaspa · 10-20-2009, 01:00 PM

Longevity in hip-hop, crazy concept. LOL.

Few can really do this well, and keep lyrical concepts on point and something that heads can relate to. Props to Wayne, for keeping his eyes open.

KeepitthorO · 10-20-2009, 04:50 PM

only tha tru lyrical rappers hav long relavent careers & r rememberd long after their gone...

B.A.N.K.S · 10-20-2009, 09:46 PM

Yeah a great example: Jay-Z, Age 39

kingstyles3764 · 10-21-2009, 04:44 AM

yea only a select few, busta rhymes can still flow with the best of em

10-20-2009, 09:37 AM	#1
PAP Super Moderator Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: East London Posts: 11,678 Repped: 3 Repped 2,206 Times in 371 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 5 Times in 5 Posts	Rakim Discusses Rappers Retiring, "I Think We Should Stretch Our Age Limit" Rakim Discusses Rappers Retiring, "I Think We Should Stretch Our Age Limit" With the recent announcement of Lil Wayne planning to retire by age 35, rap pioneer Rakim spoke with SOHH about his views on hanging up the microphone for good. From Rakim's perspective, rappers should aim to stretch their careers out much like an R&B artist. "Yeah, I think what's happening is, rappers are becoming, especially for people that love a rapper, rap and hip-hop come to party," Rakim explained. "You can't just put it down. It's not like sports where you know, you lose a step. You can lose skills in rapping of course, but it's a little different man and I think sitting back and watching the R&B genre, you got, at any awards show and you see brothers like Al Green come out and tear it down. It's longevity in R&B and I think if it's done right, to an extent, I think we can have a little longer gevity in hip-hop, it don't just have to be a young music anymore. You got people like myself, I'm in my 40's now, early, early early like real early. I just touched 40, but still, I don't plan on stop listening to rap anytime soon and I don't plan stop rhyming no time soon and it's that tug-of-war with the fans. Every time you see the fans or go to a show, they're like 'Yo, do another album,' so it's like that love between the two, the fans and your music. I think we should stretch out our age limit as far as hip-hop 'cause if that's the case, I think when brothers grow up they just want to leave rap entirely and listen to other genres of music so I think there is room for a little mature sound of hip-hop, for the older, grown and sexy, whatever you wanna call it." (SOHH) The possibility of owning a sports team has caught Lil Wayne's attention and would be his next venture after rap. "I always said I ain't wanna do this no more after 35, I ain't wanna do it no more," Wayne revealed in an interview with radio personality Tim Westwood. "So any time before 30 and 35, I might give it up. [But now] I gotta work as hard as I can so I ain't gotta look back. [When I retire, I'll] do something else, I'm gonna retire from this and probably jump into some ownership of some sports team or you know, I'm very heavy into sports. Any sport. [I'd want ownership] of the team. It doesn't matter, it could be basketball, it could be baseball, of course it wouldn't be baseball, there's too much money to own that, but it could be basketball or football, it wouldn't matter. I could buy into a baseball team with someone." (Tim Westwood TV) Ghostface Killah also spoke on his perception of age within the rap game earlier this year. "I'ma definitely be old in hip-hop," he said in an interview. "I'm not gonna be on the road. But this is a mental thing. You can write music till you 70. This is a hobby, B. Muthafckas always act like they retiring and don't go nowhere. You know what it is, man. You can't get away from it, B. You don't think Michael Jordan wants to pick up the ball sometimes? But that's what it is. That's why a boxer always keep coming back, like Muhammad Ali, until he just kept getting his a* beat. Until you realize, I just ain't got it no more...I mean, yeah, you always worry about it. But that's what makes you great. It keeps you on your toes. The muthf*cka that thinks that he's not falling off, his darts start coming more weaker. Once you worry about it, and hope that this don't happen, then you're guaranteed to be around for a long time. Cause you're always trying to be on point." (New York Magazine) Jay-Z, who turns 40 in December, recently addressed his stance on the age-factor within hip-hop and why he is unwilling to give up his spot for younger emcees. "I hear it all the time -- 'Yo, he should let the young guys, the new generation of guys come in,'" Jay explained in an interview. "But you don't become the front-runner in music because someone lets you. You have to claim your shoes...If you grow up listening to hip-hop, you love hip-hop and that's the end of it. But if you're a 30 year-old rapper still trying to make music like you're 15, then you're making it narrow. At my age, I can't relate to a 15 year-old. I deal with mature and relevant topics for my age group -- it has to all be based on true emotions. The more diversity and the more mature we make hip-hop, the bigger the net you cast." (Reuters)

10-20-2009, 04:50 PM	#3
KeepitthorO "Culture Gone Bad" Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Boston Posts: 906 Repped: 55 Repped 841 Times in 216 Posts Neg Reps: 31 Neg Repped at 25 Times in 13 Posts	only tha tru lyrical rappers hav long relavent careers & r rememberd long after their gone... __________________

10-20-2009, 09:46 PM	#4
B.A.N.K.S Veteran Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Cali is the place to be Posts: 1,297 Repped: 217 Repped 165 Times in 114 Posts Neg Reps: 57 Neg Repped at 27 Times in 25 Posts	Yeah a great example: Jay-Z, Age 39 __________________ I'm a fan of hip hop rap, but i DON'T give a shit about none of them niggas they ain't cutting me no check.. So i state MY opinions on shit from 50 Cent to Lil Wayne good or bad ... Rep me if believe what i say is right and if you NEG rep me then you caught feelings for a nigga you don't know pussy !!

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10-20-2009, 01:00 PM	#2
Kaspa The Friendliest...... Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: VT Posts: 106 Repped: 28 Repped 19 Times in 10 Posts Neg Reps: 2 Neg Repped at 5 Times in 3 Posts	Longevity in hip-hop, crazy concept. LOL. Few can really do this well, and keep lyrical concepts on point and something that heads can relate to. Props to Wayne, for keeping his eyes open.

10-21-2009, 04:44 AM	#5
kingstyles3764 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: everywhere from the south to the east to the midwest, college is a trip Posts: 344 Repped: 40 Repped 15 Times in 13 Posts Neg Reps: 6 Neg Repped at 3 Times in 3 Posts	yea only a select few, busta rhymes can still flow with the best of em