Can you be 60 and pick up the mic?

Now this is an age old question (pun intended), but I can’t help but ask it. At what point do you become too old for a rap career? We’ve seen the success of JAY Z, Nas, Rick Ross, Common, Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Busta Rhymes. What do they all have in common? They are all over 40 and still rapping at a high level. Did we mention Dr. Dre, who is at 51 and just dropped his 3rd and supposedly final solo album Compton in 2015.

These rappers have been in a game for a minute now and built a solid fan base. But what about the guy or girl who is still trying to make their way into this industry. At what point do you give up or just find something else to do? Now this is by no way an article about giving up on your dreams, however it is a realistic question. All of us who have pursued a career in music know that you give up a lot of things to make it in this business. Failed relationships, family time, kids, financial gains…the list goes on and on.

So what can you do? I heard a podcast a while back of Romany Malco (the black guy in 40 Year Old Virgin) as he talked about his journey into the movie industry. He started as a rapper surprisingly, but he made his money selling products online. Now what does that have to do with what we are talking about here? He said something so important, that it blew my mind. He said that in Hollywood, people normally work small jobs like a waiter, valet, etc and they usually take the first job that Hollywood offer them. Well since he was already straight financially, he came in the game with the ability to say no. That stuck with me and got me to thinking. What if you came in the rap game with the ability to say no?

Things would be different right? You could do things the way you want to. No more waiting on other people. No more gatekeepers in your way. So with that being said, there is never a bad time to start rapping, but if you wait until you’re 50, then make sure you money is right so no one can tell you no.

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