Chasing the Rap Dream in your 40s
Velisa Woods"Got skills to open eyes, Same time blowing minds, Thats why I still rhyme"....... "Why I Still Rhyme" Iron Mic Coalition
Recently, my children and I attended a show of self proclaimed "King of Memphis" hip hop artist, Jason Da Hater. Now before you frown and wonder why would anyone call themselves a "Hater", hear me out. "Everyone likes to refer to others as a hater, so why not be the person everyone is talking about." Jason da Hater has been on the local scene for over 10 years. While opening for and performing with major hip hop pioneers such as KRS 1, Dead Prez, and Common, he is apart of Memphis hip hop group or Memphop group, Iron Mic Coalition. IMC consists of The Derelict, The Mighty Quinn, General MacArthur, Milkk, Empee, Dj Capital A, Jason da Hater, Duwu Black Face, and Avenging Wind (R.I.L.) . And Guess what! They are all in the 40+ club (or almost). So why continue to chase the dream of rocking crowds all over this country and others. Most would say, if you haven't made it by now why pursue it or better yet why continue to perform? If you ask Jason da Hater, he will jokingly respond, "Because I don't have anything else to do" (which we know is not true along with being an emcee, he's an educator and coach) and then reply seriously with, "Why is it a singer can sing for several years and not be asked why? Its not a physical sport where the body wears down. So, why not?" Why not is CORRECT! Who says that you stop pursing, stop listening, stop dreaming, or in this case stop rhyming at a certain age. And whoever that person is, Forget them! We have seen people wait until retirement to go off and do what they really wanted to do before life happened. Before the job, the kids, the mortgage, and car notes, you had dreams and aspirations of running your own business, acting, or modeling maybe even rapping. These cats just never stopped nor did so many others like them. Along with being an emcee, they are educators, business owners, blue and white collar workers, etc. The dream doesn't die with age. A person just kills it before it can flourish or mature.
Over the years, we have seen hip hop artists from the 90s reappear and do shows allowing us to relive those school days where hip hop was a huge part of our lives. Those artists continue to do it for the love of hip hop and a few dollars. Hip hop never dies. It lives within. The art continues to flow through the veins of emcees. As long as hip hop lives, so will the emcee....