Should rappers ever be told they are too old for hip-hop?
Rick Ross and 50 Cent are on opposite sides of that debate after 50 recently discussed aging in rap during an appearance with Ebro Darden.
50 argued that hip-hop remains closely connected to youth culture and said artists should not expect to remain the hottest names in the genre at age 60. He explained that his own music output has slowed as he focuses more heavily on television, movies and business.
Rick Ross disagrees.
Rozay responded by pointing to Southern hip-hop legend Bun B as proof that fans will continue supporting veteran rappers if the music and connection to the culture are still there.
“The South won’t let Bun B stop rapping,” Ross said. He also argued that if the late Pimp C were alive, fans would support him releasing albums well into old age.
For Ross, the question is not how old an artist is. It is whether that artist still has something valuable and original to contribute.
The debate comes as many of hip-hop’s biggest stars enter their 50s and 60s, forcing the genre to answer a question rock, R&B and country music faced years ago: Does great music really have an expiration date?