By Jamil Weeks

They say rap is a young man’s game. However, as the genre continually ages, there is also perpetual growth in demand for new material from veteran rap artists. Increasingly, older rappers are hitting the studio to supply this demand for eager fans over 30 while exposing themselves to younger fan bases. About a decade or so ago, it would be hard to fathom fans being elated over a rap duo in their 40s and 50s reuniting after a decade plus hiatus as a group. In the case of Clipse, not only was their long awaited album met with eager anticipation, but many have crowned their new work “album of the year” and an “instant classic”. The Virginia brothers’ new album, Let God Sort Em Out, defied the ageism narrative prevalent in rap since the genre’s inception. With their historic rollout, Clipse were interviewed by Billboard recently. Pusha credited Clipse for shifting the ageism debate in rap.

“I’ve always looked at rap and other genres, rock specifically, and I’ve never liked how rap always had the age ceiling where everyone else didn’t…I’ve personally always wanted to crack that ceiling, and I think the Clipse album did that 1,000%” - Pusha T, Billboard

Whether or not Pusha is correct in his assessment of the duo’s recent success requires a deeper dive into the past 15 years of rap. Does Clipse deserve full or partial credit, or were there others more deserving of that credit for creating a niche for the older rap artists to bless us with new material?

Roc Marciano

Any talk of Clipse being the sole torch bearers for old school hip hop is short-sighted. One artist who continually defied ageism in rap hails from Hempstead, Long Island. Underground king, Roc Marciano, inspired countless artists from both the underground and mainstream with his minimalistic approach to his music. As an independent artist, Marci amassed a core cult following by making music that paid homage to the original essence of hip hop while still managing to be innovative. Rapping with a sophisticated, fly, and luxurious charm over drum-less sample loops, Marci’s influence in the underground was so immense he was dubbed the Godfather of the modern underground. A dual threat as a rapper and producer while in his 30s and 40s, Marci’s elite skill set in both areas served as a blueprint for older rappers/producers on how to stay relevant in a youth-driven business. No contrived social media antics or controversies with viral aspirations to keep his name ringing. Just a never ending gauntlet of audio bar seminars catering to the sensibilities of a more mature fan base. If Pusha is correct in Clipse cracking the ceiling for older wordsmiths, Marci laid the foundation for them to do so during his career from the 2010s to the present. Rappers were forced to take heed of Marci’s relentless drive without a major machine behind him. Marci is the professor schooling his peers on how to seize control of their careers without trying to fit in to the current mold. Class has been in session for the past 15 years.

Griselda

Roc Marci walked so Griselda could run. Perhaps no single entity in rap has been more vital in preserving that 90s boom bap sound than the Buffalo, New York collective, Griselda. Griselda as a record label formed in 2012 by the unofficial leader, Westside Gunn, along with Conway the Machine and New Jersey rapper, Mach-Hommy. Over a decade later, Griselda is responsible for classic albums, mixtapes, and freestyles. Griselda members unleashed this incredible body of work while they were in their 30s and early 40s. Bucking the trend of older rappers being frowned upon, Griselda made their bones championing that signature East Coast sound older New York City rappers have been distancing themselves from in the 21st century. Griselda carried on the tradition of that regional New York sound working with Pete Rock, Buckwild, Rza, DJ Premier, and others. In chasing that vintage 90s vibe, they also added their own dark, sinister twist on the “no drums” trend popularized by Roc Marci. Gunn and Conway, along with Benny the Butcher, proved to the world that just because they were over 30 did not mean they could not move the needle in hip hop. Griselda resuscitated a style that was on life support for current and future generations of rap fans to discover. In addition, they also expressed their appreciation for the rappers who came before them through collaborations and name drops. In some cases, they named songs after legendary trailblazing rappers. Gunn and company opened the doors wide open for upstate New York, putting Buffalo on the map. Gaining a sizable audience in the process, their nostalgic ode to boom bap may have lured other middle aged rappers back outside before the Clipse reunion was even an idea. All hail Big Griselda!

Nas

“Single-handedly boosted rap to its newest place/F*** speaking candidly, I alone did rejuvenate/hip hop into its newest place/made it cool for Grammy nominated LPs from previous generation emcees” - Nas

No rap artist has fought for older heads to have a place in today’s rap scene more than Queensbridge icon, Nas. In his late 40s to early 50s, Nas teamed up with west coast producer, Hit-Boy, for two trilogies in three years. Bridging the divide in hip hop, the two trilogies featured Nas rapping over contemporary production and working with a range of artists from old to new. The collaboration extended the already illustrious career of Nas. Nas proved older rappers were capable of making relevant music without sacrificing their artistic style. Further proving his relevance, Nas teamed up with fellow “silverback guerillas” Wu-Tang Clan and Busta Rhymes for the New York State of Mind tour. On this tour, Nas was able to tour nationwide and worldwide to sold out big venues. Nas also leveraged his legacy status to make himself relevant as a businessman as well. As a board member and co-founder of the Paid In Full Foundation, Nas gave back to the culture that birthed him. With the foundation organizing the annual Hip Hop Grandmaster Awards, Nas was involved with honoring and providing financial support for legendary rappers. In doing so, Nas and the Paid in Full organization sought to preserve the history that is constantly being re-written on today’s podcasts and social media platforms. Nas has also made a splash as a music executive with ownership in Mass Appeal Records. Mass Appeal organized arguably the biggest Hip Hop 50 celebration in selling out Yankee Stadium in the Boogie Down Bronx. As a co-headliner for this historic show, Nas proved he could still rock a crowd on the biggest of stages. Just this year alone, Nas spearheaded the ambitious Legend Has It series, featuring new albums from seven iconic acts from the 80s and 90s. Each album that has been released gave hip hop heads a strong dose of the quintessential nature of hip hop’s beginnings. At 52 years old, Nas shows no signs of slowing down. With a highly anticipated collaboration album with GOAT producer, DJ Premier, on the horizon, one can argue that in the latter days of his career Nas is having arguably the best decade of any rapper.

Many other unsung heroes helped to revive old school hip hop in recent years. Planet Asia. Black Thought. Hus Kingpin. Sean Price (R.I.P.). Ka (R.I.P.). Masta Ace. Rappers like these proved their pen was still potent with youthful exuberance. The success of the Clipse album comes down to two things, timing and rollout. A Clipse reunion seemed preordained after years of rap veterans emerging from the dark clouds of irrelevance by continuing their musical journeys. The cumulative effect of the old head resurgence in rap the past couple of decades gave birth to the success of an album like Let God Sort Em Out. To their credit, Clipse released an all-time banger that met or exceeded many fans’ expectations. So was Pusha onto something in giving Clipse the credit for shattering ageism rules in hip hop? Yes and no. Clipse deserve partial credit but there are others who deserve as much credit, if not more. The lyricists that spent years laying the bricks for the path the Clipse walked upon with little to no recognition. While these pivotal artists may not have reached the same level of success as Clipse, their incremental victories ultimately fed into Clipse’s monumental win for the culture. Hip hop is aging, as are the fans who cherish the art form. As an old head myself, it is beautiful experiencing the maturation of the genre that has captivated me since my earliest memories of life. Do not be held hostage by discussions from the finicky casuals. The type of people saturating today’s rap ecosystem with propaganda of hip hop being in a dangerous place since their fall from Billboard charts. Hip hop is in a great place, with the older artists embracing their roles as ambassadors and cultivators of the culture.