Russ doesn’t understand why Jay-Z’s lifestyle and career trajectory is not referenced as the framework to which the newer generation’s rappers aspire to model themselves after. Russ recently stopped by The Rap Pack podcast to promote his new album, Shake The Snow Globe, and got into a discussion about the differences between a rock star and a rap star with hosts Carl Chery, Trent Clark and Jon Tanners.

As the conversation started veering towards drug abuse in the hip hop community, Russ suggested that a major factor is that rappers are more attracted to rock star ideals, which heavily involves drug use. Rappers today have begun modelling themselves and their careers after the rock star image and lifestyle, which seeps into their sound. “The rap star archetype was not a drug user,” he notes. “It was a drug dealer.”

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“[There’s] no real rapping. It’s just screaming, and it’s more about the intensity,” he notes. “Which is turnt, I love some of this shit. But a lot of the rap now has been modelled off of those rock archetypes as opposed to the rap star archetypes.” Russ brings up Jay-Z as a primary example of a true rap star, who doesn’t promote indulging in those harmful lifestyles. “I don’t know how many young kids in their 20s…that are modelling their lifestyle and their rap career off of Jay-Z, which is sad,” he says. “It’s unspoken, but I think [he] is probably the goal for everyone who starts to rap…If you want the most money, how are you not trying to model [your career] after Jay-Z?” he asks.

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Russ acknowledges that a common critique of Jay’s music today is that fans think he’s “out of touch.” “He supposed to be the one running over the hill before all of us because he’s further along and telling us, ‘Nah, this isn’t it anymore,'” he explains. “Why do you want Jay-Z to be on what you’re on? I’ve never understood this…it should feel not relatable. Like, I can’t relate to a lot of shit Jay talking about. But I love that. I’m like, ‘Oh there’s room to grow here.'”

“More people are concerned with being rock stars than rap stars,” he declares. “We’re losing the essence that made it rap.”

Longevity in any career is admirable, but to have a lengthy, successful career in rap is a blessing for many artists. We’ve watched as rappers have rotated in and out of the hip hop limelight in our social media-driven culture as many artists catch waves and eventually fall off. Jadakiss has been a well-respected emcee for decades, and The Lox rapper caught up with HipHopDX to reflect on what it’s like to be involved in the industry for this long.

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“To have a career as a rapper is a beautiful thing,” Jadakiss said. “You can pull out the Great Wall of China list, probably longer than that, of dudes who have hit songs and had special moments in rap, but the career part, it might not be that long. It might just be the white picket fence. Dudes who had a lengthy, healthy, sturdy, career. It’s a beautiful thing.”

Jadakiss added that he recognizes that many artists have “moments,” but he likes the direction where hip hop is headed in. “We just gotta get to the next stage of what it’s gonna be. Get the authenticity back up. Lyricism, along with some of this new digital stuff that’s going on. It’s coming, though. It’s taking a little slow, cardio ain’t really there for it, but it’s coming.”

He continued, “There’s a lotta dudes that can rap, really rap. [YBN] Cordae, Russ, Drake, J Cole… a lot of these dudes is super nice. A lot of ’em. I like Young Thug. A lotta people might think I don’t like Thug. I listen to Thug more than I listen to a lot of them. You gotta listen to the music and absorb it. Some people are seeing him on a centerfold or something and just automatically judge him. You gotta listen. He’s saying some incredible sh*t.”

Jadakiss also noted that hip hop is the only genre of music that gets broken down into factions like West Coast, East Coast, Down South, etc. The rapper said that’s not done with country, R&B, or pop. “It’s not West Coast Pop,” he said. “They trying to figure out a way to put everybody against each other ’cause it’s growing fast.” Watch his clip below.