41 Best Rappers Over 40

Common

Born: March 13, 1972 (age 51)

The award-winning Common (previously known as Common Sense), got his start in 1992 with Can I Borrow a Dollar? His subsequent releases would help him gain a better standing with the critics.

Through the 90s, he had an underground following but would eventually find mainstream success because of his work with Soulquarians. Common would only experience modest commercial success in the early 2000s, but he finally reached new plateaus with his 2005 release, Be.

Common’s last studio album release was in 2021 – A Beautiful Revolution (Pt. 2).

Rick Ross

Born: January 28, 1976 (age 47)

Rick Ross was a hot commodity even before ultimately signing with Def Jam Recordings, as he got offers from multiple labels, including Bad Boy Entertainment.

His debut solo release, Port of Miami, would debut at the top of the charts, and his subsequent releases didn’t do too shabbily either.

Ross’ last studio album was 2021’s Richer Than I Ever Been, but he also had a collaborative album release in 2023 with Meek Mill titled Too Good to Be True.

Jadakiss

Born: May 27, 1975 (age 48)

Jadakiss would kickstart his career in the 1990s as a member of The Lox until embarking on a solo career in the early 2000s.

His debut solo album was 2001’s Kiss tha Game Goodbye, and since then, Jadakiss has released four other studio albums, with the latest being 2020’s Ignatius.

The Lox reunited in 2016, and their popularity has soared thanks to Verzuz battles.

André 3000

Born: May 27, 1975 (age 48)

André 3000 would rise to prominence with Outkast, alongside Big Boi. The duo released six studio albums, all of which were quite successful, and helped establish André 3000 as one of the greatest rappers ever to live.

Outkast would call it quits in 2007, and André would mostly focus on making guest appearances. Big Boi has remained more prolific by comparison.

We’re told André 3000 has been diagnosed with social anxiety, and wonder if that has had an impact on his output.

Pusha T

Born: May 13, 1977 (age 46)

Pusha T originally found fame as one-half of Clipse. The duo would release three studio albums with Star Trak Entertainment, though their 2002 single “Grindin’” would prove their most prolific.

Pusha T signed with GOOD Music in 2010 and was featured on Kanye West’s “Runaway.” A string of Pusha T releases would follow from 2011 onwards until he decided to cut ties with West in 2022, mostly due to misaligned political views. We suspect that this won’t be the last we hear from him, though.

Sean Combs

Born: November 4, 1969 (age 54)

Sean Combs (aka Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, or Diddy) founded Bad Boy Records in 1993 and played an instrumental role in bringing the likes of Usher, Mary J. Blige, and The Notorious B.I.G. to the masses.

More than a mere A&R rep or record producer, though, Combs would prove his worth with his 1997 seven times platinum-selling release, No Way Out. Comb followed it up with several more albums up until the mid-2000s.

Diddy’s latest independent release, The Love Album: Off the Grid came out in 2023.

Rakim

Born: January 28, 1968 (age 55)

Rakim is credited with being one of the most skilled rappers to ever walk this green earth. Rapper Kool Moe Dee even called Rakim the inventor of “flow,” saying there was no such thing as flow below Rakim.

Rakim would get his start in the late 80s with Eric B. & Rakim, who released four studio albums between 1987 and 1992. Their first album, Paid in Full is considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever to be made.

Rakim has also had three studio albums as a solo artist – The 18th Letter, The Master, and The Seventh Seal.

Q-Tip

Born: April 10, 1970 (age 53)

Q-Tip garnered attention for his jazz-influenced hip-hop productions and philosophical lyrics. He got his start in the late 1980s with A Tribe Called Quest. Q-Tip earned his stripes as one of the greatest rapper / producers ever to exist.

In 1999, he released his first solo album, Amplified, which was gold-certified. His 2008 release, The Renaissance would earn him a Grammy nomination.

Q-Tip reportedly has several projects in the works waiting to be announced. We can’t wait to hear how they might turn out.

Method Man

Born: March 2, 1971 (age 52)

If it wasn’t enough that Method Man was a member of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan, his status would only be further elevated as a member of hip-hop duo Method Man & Redman.

Method Man has kept busy both as a rapper and as an actor. His solo release schedule has remained steady from 1994 to 2022, with his latest release being Meth Lab Season 3: The Rehab. No doubt there’s still more to come from Method Man.

Busta Rhymes

Born: May 20, 1972 (age 51)

Busta Rhymes is among one of the most nominated artists (without a win). Rhymes was an original member of Leaders of the New School, which found some national attention thanks to their opening spots for Public Enemy.

Appearing on A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario” would help Busta Rhymes gain exposure, and at that point, the stage had been set for him to go solo. He would make several guest appearances before releasing his debut solo album, The Coming, in 1996.

Busta has released 11 studio albums to date, with his latest being 2023’s Blockbusta.