S. Samuel
West Coast rapper Game recently talked about his failed attempt to retire after the 2008 release of L.A.X. and explained why hip-hop keeps calling his name.
Game said rap helps him pay his bills.
“Yea, I tried. That sh*t ain’t last too long, because you gotta keep the lights on, so you gotta get back out there and do your thing,” Game said in an interview. “I could, but it keeps calling me back. It’s not even really so much the music man. I just love the studio. When I’m in the studio, it don’t matter …. as long as it’s got this board. Like, this is my life. This is what I do. These buttons, these knobs … everything, the faders, the volume. This is my life. I love being in the studio, so every time, it keeps you coming back.” (Baller Status)
In 2008, Game said he would not release a fourth solo project.
The Game made some revealing news to the people about his third and final album following up the multi-platinum West Coast banger, ‘The Doctor’s Advocate.’ He said his new album will drop June 2008 and will be named ‘LAX’ not The ‘D.O.C.’ That’s straight from the horses mouth. (Los Angeles Times)
Last year, rap pioneer Rakim spoke with SOHH about when rappers should call it quits and retire.
“Yeah, I think what’s happening is, rappers are becoming, especially for people that love a rapper, rap and hip-hop come to party,” Rakim explained. “You can’t just put it down. It’s not likesports where you know, you lose a step. You can lose skills in rapping of course, but it’s a little different man and I think sitting back and watching the R&B genre, you got, at any awards show and you see brothers like Al Green come out and tear it down. It’s longevity in R&B and I think if it’s done right, to an extent, I think we can have a little longer gevity in hip-hop, it don’t just have to be a young music anymore. You got people like myself, I’m in my 40’s now, early, early early like real early. I just touched 40, but still, I don’t plan on stop listening to rap anytime soon and I don’t plan to stop rhyming no time soon and it’s that tug-of-war with the fans.” (SOHH)
Southern rapper 8Ball recently said his days as a rap performer were coming to an end.
“I definitely see some form of retirement in the near future for me,” he explained in an interview. “Of course I still want to be involved in music any kind of way I can but maybe as far as rapping and getting on stage and stuff like that retirement is one of the things that’s coming. Hopefully, I’ll be able to develop my label into something that can be a staple of southern music like a So So Def or Po’ Boy Records.” (XXL Mag)
Check out Rakim speaking about rap retirement with SOHH below:
