Back in 2006, The Game made clear hip-hop’s sentiment regarding the aging MC. “You 38 and you still rappin’? Ugh!” the then-26-year-old lyricist scoffed on “It’s Okay (One Blood),” in a barely veiled shot at a still-dominant Jay-Z (who turned 37 that year). Around the same time, Cam’ron piled on, age-shaming Hov via his own Max B-featured diss record, “You Gotta Love It.” Those moving toward middle age were seen as fossils, washed-up legacy acts whose only possible fate was being surpassed by younger, hungrier competitors. Save for a few revered forebears still spittin’, the 40-year-old rapper was about as rare as the 40-year-old virgin, only without the big screen Judd Apatow treatment.
Hip-hop has since grown the hell up, and so have several of its greatest talents, many of whom are defying the laws of gravity and attrition in what’s long been deemed a young person’s sport. These artists are stretching their primes well into the twilight zone, still sharpening their spears and in some cases delivering the best music of their careers — all while sizing up fresh-faced counterparts. Sure, this shouldn’t be a big deal: As long as your shit is dope, who gives a fuck about the year printed on your driver’s license? But in an age in which three generations of fans have been raised on hip-hop, the fact that there’s finally something for everyone is a worthy cause for celebration.
This being hip-hop, this development demands a debate: Who’s had the most impressive post-40 run? Answering such a question requires some rigid boundaries and criteria, particularly omitting any material released by an artist prior to the age of 40 (sorry, Doggystyle; sorry, College Dropout; sorry, Illmatic), while rewarding output, impact, momentum, craftsmanship, and evolution or ability to keep a familiar sound fresh.
The 40 rap elder statespeople we’ve selected and ranked — whittled down from a pool of 100 candidates — represent every corner of the culture, from the forever-respected lyrical technicians to those currently running up streaming numbers. There’s even a 2020 presidential hopeful in there.
Once upon a time, this list would’ve been a history lesson. Today, it’s an appreciation of the wordsmiths who’ve taken their careers into double (or triple!) overtime, those who have proven that just because you’re over the hill doesn’t mean you can’t be at the top of the mountain. — John Kennedy
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