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Raekwon Gets Real About Why Older Rappers Struggle to Keep Making Good Music: ‘Some People Just Stop’

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21.04.2026

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Raekwon Gets Real About Why Older Rappers Struggle to Keep Making Good Music: ‘Some People Just Stop’

Raekwon looks at the state of the old guard in hip-hop and admits that a lot of them struggle to consistently make good music.

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Hip-hop is frequently considered a young man’s sport. When you’re younger, you’re beaming with fresh, new ideas and the energy to act on all of them. The further you age, the more you might settle into routine.

The curiosity and dedication leave a little bit, and it almost becomes obligatory. Nowadays, this idea is hard to tell. Older rappers like Nas, Raekwon, and Clipse are operating like it’s still their prime. Still, that’s not reflective of everyone.

Not every rapper from the 90s is still going strong today

So how come there’s such a gap in quality? Well, according to Da Chef, it’s just a natural transition that happens with age. In a 2015 interview with The Quietus, he said that it’s very easy to run out of steam the older you get.

“It’s all about dedication,” Raekwon stressed.........

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