The artist expressed his desire for a healthier culture, one filled with diversity and patience from both fans and industry leaders. “My one wish for hip hop? It’s for it to be colourful again. Like I said earlier, I used to have like 10 favourite rappers, but right now it has become such a culty thing, like there’s like one person at a time or whatever. For it not to be aged so quickly,” stated Jay Jody.
“We should let our rappers grow inside of rap and express themselves as 30-year-olds, 40-year-olds, 50-year-olds. Other genres don’t age their favorite artists. So why do we do it? There’s so much we can offer as we grow. So, for it to be more colourful, have different characters, and for it to not age so quickly, so it can be there forever, and the people who grow it can express themselves in that growth,” he emphasized.
Jody’s remarks resonate as a call for a broader acceptance of varied sounds and artistic trajectories within the genre. He posits that the issue isn’t a deficiency of talent but rather a culture that often casts aside artists as they exit their youth phase. While other genres celebrate maturity, hip hop frequently regards aging as the decline of relevance instead of an opportunity for new creative ventures.
He advocates for a shift in perspective among fans, industry insiders, and influencers: to embrace a wider array of voices, recognize long-term contributions, and allow artists to explore their craft without the fear of being sidelined. Jody envisions a future where South African hip hop evolves as a lasting genre, one that retains its artists by allowing them to innovate and connect through various life stages.
