Every genre of music allows artists to make music regardless of how long they have been doing it or age of the artist. That is one of the stigmas that plagues the hip hop genre. There is a false notion that hip hop artists have an expiration date which is just untrue.
I guess it depends on the listener and the consumption but each fan of hip hop may be a little bit different. Personally, I think the older guys in the music business have an upper hand. For one, if they are still relevant, they already have a large following and longevity that enables them to still be profitable. Some artists come and go and could be considered a one hit wonder. However, there are many artists that have that longevity and stand the tests of time. Some continue to refine their craft and may sound a bit different, but still satisfy the listener. Others may rebrand themselves into a podcaster or step into some other role within the business sort of like a Jay-Z or 50 Cent.
Each of the above mentioned guys, including the likes of Diddy and Dr. Dre, have created a vast success within the business. Not all of their fame and success comes from just being an artist. Obviously, guys like Jay-Z and 50 Cent have become more of a business mogul type and transcended the success of just being an artist. 50 Cent is also dabbling in creating series on television and has created yet another very successful venture. He just keeps recreating himself and stands out as a true entrepreneur and business man.
Other artists maintained a great career as an artist and may have gone independent. Artists like Nas and Killah Priest have been releasing a lot of music lately and they still have a huge fan base. It is an exciting time in hip hop and now there are newer artists who emerge and make a name for themselves as well. Although, some of the newer artists I feel may not have made as much of an impact yet. They also lack the experience that some of the older artists have because they have been in the business for a while and understand how to navigate through it and continue to be successful.
Another artist like Noreaga aka Nore and DJ EFN have created a very successful podcast called Drink Champs. Nore doesn’t make music as much but he has created a platform to give flowers to artists of his time and every period of hip hop. I personally enjoy seeing some of the artists get in depth about their history in the business and learn a bit more about how they feel about the state of the music today. Another very successful podcaster is Math Hoffa on My Expert Opinion where he also has many of the artists who we all know and respect on to give them an opportunity to promote projects and inform fans on what they have been up to.
Here are a few artists who are still making very creative music and sustaining themselves as successful entrepreneurs in their own right.