why do rappers do their best work in their 20s

[Money Be Green]

Good thing Banks is making the best music of his career in his 30s

:kobeshhh:

 

[DaveyDave]

we're only really now getting rappers making music into their 40's. over the next 10-20 years i think we will see more cats like Nas making great music well into their 30's & 40's & more. the biggest thing will be getting over the need to "stay relevant" and cater to the youngest audience. there's cats in their 30's now acting like they're still 23 or younger. somehow i don't think Cheif Keef is going to transform into Jay Electronica when he reaches his late 30's if he's not in jail.

there are a few MC's i would say are still making great music in their late 30's & into their 40's some are even making some of their "best" music, Tech N9ne, Nas, KRS continues to drop great music, some of the Wu, Redman is making great music, Big Boi, Pharoahe Monch, not all of them have to make "grown man" shyt but if they know their audience and what they want then they can make dope music.

 

[SpacelySprockets]

:kobeshhh:

 

[Trinity]

as a music art form its still quite young. most older heads be in their 40s and 50s, so it hasn't really gotten to the point where anyone really knows when its time to hang the mic up or if it can be a genre like most other forms where real old oldahs can still appeal on a wide scale to the young audience and help it evolve

we'll have to wait and see what happens with the demographics of it and how well age treats the emcee in skill and passion

 

[GiantGonzalez]

Cuz it's still art, and the best art comes from misery ex. Being broke

 

[Long Live The Kane]

I dunno... But it seems to me that even outside of the content of the lyrics, the actual physical skill of rapping seems to decline with time. .there's a certain fluidity and sharpness in flow that seems to peak in rappers in their early to mid 20s and depreciate from there ... Logically it would seem that shouldn't be the case, cause it's a mental exercise... Not like they're running backs or two guards... But just what I've perceived to be the case

 

[DaveyDave]

I dunno... But it seems to me that even outside of the content of the lyrics, the actual physical skill of rapping seems to decline with time. .there's a certain fluidity and sharpness in flow that seems to peak in rappers in their early to mid 20s and depreciate from there ... Logically it would seem that shouldn't be the case, cause it's a mental exercise... Not like they're running backs or two guards... But just what I've perceived to be the case

i saw KRS perform live a few years ago, he was dope as fukk, just as good as i would ever imagine. lots of rappers have gotten technically better over the years, Tech N9ne has always been getting better as far as flows go, Pharoahe Monch, Sean Price, Ghostface, as elementary as his style is Ice-T is still dope when he spits as shown by his little freestyles on Combat Jack a few weeks ago, he was spitting shyt he wrote from the 70s & it was some of the most gangbangin-est shyt you'll ever hear and the flow was ill. dude is in his 50s i think.

 

[Yoda]

*ahem*
Jay Electronica
*drops mic*
that is all.

 

[ThaRealness]

Cause hip hop is raw self expression. If you got the juice you got the juice. Other forms of art are more structured and refined.

 

[Cynic]

Youthful vitality and creativity are greatest when you are young.

20s energy levels >>>>> (besides toddlers and teens)

 

[Danny Up]

Rick Ross is in his 30's. Jay-Z's "best album" came out in his 30's. All Cormega's cd's came out in his 30's

 

[MrWillyWanker]

only rappers with good subject matter and a diverse range of content can last until their 30's. u cant rap about the same shyt for 10+years, and if u do its just sad....

 

[onelastdeath]

The hunger is still there. Which is why the earliest project is normally the best. Before their minds are tainted with money, and hoes, and it's just for the love of the game.

 

[same damn lo sweater]

i always wondered this too. like 95% of classics were made by artists in their teens/early 20s. even going back to ll, rakim, tribe, souls of mischief, etc

and when those artists get older, they always seem focused on getting their 'status' back, or reminding people of who they were. and that shyt aint fun to listen to.

reminds me of a slum village line "you take it too seriously like its a gamble"

 

[FreshAIG]

I dunno... But it seems to me that even outside of the content of the lyrics, the actual physical skill of rapping seems to decline with time. .there's a certain fluidity and sharpness in flow that seems to peak in rappers in their early to mid 20s and depreciate from there ... Logically it would seem that shouldn't be the case, cause it's a mental exercise... Not like they're running backs or two guards... But just what I've perceived to be the case

I think being out of shape has to do with this to be honest. A lot of rappers weight fluctuation, eating habits, effects their voice, breath control, delivery, fluidness etc...