It’s December 4th so you know what that means. Another Song of the Week that has people calling me a stan because I’m wishing Jay-Z (The greatest rapper ever) a Happy Birthday. It seems “The Prelude” off 2006’s Kingdom Come is a good fit because of these lines:
I used to think rappin’ at 38 was ill
Jay-Z – “The Prelude”
But last year alone I grossed 38 mill’
I know I ain’t quite 38 but still
The flow so Special got a .38 feel
You remember back in the day when it was weird to be a 40 year old rapper? Matter of fact you remember this line for The Game’s “It’s Okay (One Blood)”?
You 38 and you still rapping? Ughhh
The Game – “It’s Okay (One Blood)”
I’m 26, nigga, so is the dubs
Crazy times. Jay-Z, who is 51 today, is still actively rapping at a good level (And doing yoga on the beach) and The Game dropped an album last year at 40 (And presumably retired). Ageism in Hip-Hop isn’t really a thing anymore.
Speaking of old niggas, can you believe I actually reviewed Kingdom Come back in 2007? I actually just edited it review to 2020 standards; I had typos in that article older than some of my children.
Enough of my old man ramblings. Happy Birthday, Hov.