HOL' UP!

I found when rappers referenced turning 30, there’s an aspirational bent–like “this what I’m going to accomplish by the time I’m 30.” But when rappers mentioned being 31, the tone was much more depressing–“this is not where I wanna be when I’m 31.”

Check out the database yourself

30
http://rapgenius.com/search?q=30+years+old+

31
http://rapgenius.com/search?q=31+years+old+

THIS IS A VERY EMOTIONAL SONG FOR ME!!

This is an interesting line since Lil Wayne is now 30 years old–he was just 23 when Tha Carter 2 dropped. He is a different rapper and a much better skateboarder, but he foreshadowed the end of the Mixtape Weezy era. He’s also announced his retirement from rap after he releases Tha Carter V, which would mean a different life for him.

The-Dream is a favorite of mine. The next time we do Rap Genius office karaoke, I’m gonna sing I Luv Your Girl

I played Man on Fire heavy last year. The next part of the rhyme is:

They killin' all my lil niggas
(Pray for the youth)
I’m thinkin' bout retaliation
(Pray for me too)

Which is similar to Kanye’s We Don’t Care, when he had kids singing about how they “weren’t supposed to make past 25.”

In the cab ride to Columbia, I mentioned the KRIT–we did verified annotations of his new album this week, so it was a meme–and Maboo, called him the “Kanye of South.”

• Conscious cat,
• Makes his own beats (soul samples with a twist)
• He can rap

Sounds like a solid theory to me.

LIFE EXPECTANCY IS LOW

Cartoon & Cereal is my favorite Kendrick song of all time btw

My birthday is June 19th, so I really identify with these lines..

I can’t wait to turn 28. I’m gonna listen that Danny Brown track everyday–just like I do now! Unfortch, The Weeknd never says the word 28 on his song, 28

My first college roommate was from Ventura California and he introduced me to late-era Ice Cube albums. I didn’t know Cube was still making music, but projects like I Am The West and Raw Footage are solid