Is It Too Late for a Hip-Hop Career To Flourish in Your 30s and 40s?

Tracey Morrison, Contributing Writer

Hip-hop has been a global phenomenon since its origin in the Bronx. Alain-Philippe Durand states in his book “Black, Blanc, Beur: Rap Music and Hip-Hop Culture in the Francophone World” that hip-hop is more than music; it’s a culture composed of various elements such as disc jockey (DJ) mixing, graffiti, rhyming, and dancing.

Flash-forward to the present time, this musical genre closely approaching its 50th anniversary, has had a cultural and artistic influence on society. According to Headphone Addict, “Rap/Hip-Hop Statistics, hip hop is the most popular genre among 16-24-year-old listeners from black communities. This powerful form of expression has encouraged aspiring artists to pursue hip-hop careers.

Andrew Watson, Stage Name: Geniiie

There’s a famous saying if one desires to become a mainstream hip-hop artist in their 30s and 40s, to hang it up. Not for local Andrew Watson. Watson, 36, feels he’s in the best position to flourish in his career. He’s been rapping and producing music since his collegiate days at UNC Charlotte. He released two albums last month; the Jukebox Project on April 7th, a fun sound mixed with dance and hip-hop, followed by Rich Hits Vol 4 on April 28th. He noted that his stylistic wordplay and punch lines are relatable to hip-hop mogul Lil Wayne. Watson promoted his music through digital music streaming services and performed at local bars. He travels to California, Milwaukee, Detroit, and Chicago to build his network.

Despite pushing his music and strong Instagram followers, he shares the struggles of independent artists, particularly in North Carolina. He mentioned the need for more funding resources for artists like himself. The support in North Carolina to him is much different than in other major cities like New York, LA, and Atlanta. North Carolina is usually a bypass for industry music executives.

In a 2009 article from XXL Magazine, titled “What is too Old for Hip-Hop?”, writer Scratch states, “I think it’s scientifically impossible for a 43-year-old man to have “swag,” much less covet endless scallywags, shoot up enemy tour buses and relieve third world Kingpins of their product. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger stopped blowing up robots and murdering alien headhunters once it was time to “Just for Men” his salt & pepper coiffure.” Havoc, from the 90s musical group Mobb Deep, stated in an interview with Vlad TV that any artist over 30 aspiring to go mainstream should hang it up. When told how artists like Eminem and Jay-Z experienced heightened success in their 30s and 40s, Havoc claimed they had already been in the limelight in their 20s. For the sake of argument, artists like Two Chainz, Rick Ross, and DJ Khalid rose to fame in their 30s with their musical hits and cultural influence.

I will discuss how two Fayetteville artists (J. Cole and Morray) went mainstream. J. Cole’s secret formula for fame was merely based on his decision to relocate to a bigger market, network, and grit attitude. J. Cole flourished in his career after graduating from St. John University in New York City. He worked a minimum-wage job and built his network, which led to him meeting Mark Pitts, an American Record Producer with industry connections. Pitts’ connections positioned Cole to meet hip-hop mogul Jay-Z. J. Cole shared some advice he received from Pitts in an interview with Source Maga   zine;

“You play the game to change the game, play the politic of the industry.” Since his fame, J. Cole started his record label, Dreamville.
Morray, on the other hand, stayed home – working various jobs to support his family until his notoriety. He shared in an interview with Big Facts that artists must be authentic. He was a marketing genius – singing about his experiences relatable to his fanbase. He had many songs through Spotify, but Quicksand was his major break. He, too, shared the struggles as an aspiring North Carolina rapper before his fame. Morray also discussed in an interview that the talent is here, but North Carolina doesn’t have a listening ear for local artists compared to other major cities. There were times he wanted to give up, but he kept pushing.

How to Rap YouTube video commentary shares the pros and cons of working with major record labels and going the independent route. Independent artists have a lot of creative freedom, but the downside is they must independently do the logistical and operational work. The downside of artists working with major labels is they don’t have any ownership of their material. However, signed major record artists will experience a considerable profit loss but have a competitive network advantage.

Watson states that he’s not giving up. He’s determined to succeed, unwavering in his goals. He continues producing music, performing, and networking until he makes it.