30s. JAY Z was my first understanding fully of what a rapper was in my mind and first rapper who I was genuinely a fan of.
Like in my previous comment, the GOAT debate is super multifaceted and how hip hop, well music, is hugely subjective, I feel like GOAT conversations are somewhat redundant, but I enjoy the dialogue and hearing different opinions. It's not like sports where there are clear winners and clear losers based on the outcome of physical performance that can far more easily be measured and there are obvious, fact and data-based top performers and performances based on dedication and discipline an athlete put in the gym that usually translates on the field.
Point is, Jay Z did not age well, and is somewhat a victim of living enough to become the villain.
Just about every current hip hop artist using auto tune (yeah, T-Pain technically "introduced" it to hip hop far as a technical part of artistry, delivery and production but Future made it the staple it is rn whether you think that's good or bad) and whose beats are heavy 808-based, took
something from Future (he's not the GOAT to me but I feel he's downplayed because of non-music stuff).
I just dunno if I can say the same about Jay Z and being lyrical (maybe stacking entendres, but I feel that's as wild a take as the ones I've made on Future) and then when you consider he admits he dumbed his lyrics down to make more money, that's the Hip Hop GOAT?
Everytime he chose his capitalist interests over the black art form that gave him the opportunity to make that capital. Like another poster said, Jay Z comes across like he feels he's too good for Hip Hop except when it's convenient and this is who y'all wanna say is GOAT?
Him ducking 50 Cent and being super quiet during the 50 Bullies New York Hip Hop era too. I feel like we can keep going, but nah man, I'm done cause y'all won't believe me if I say I genuinely love Jay Z music despite saying all this