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Reuters recently asked Jay-Z about how he feels about the young guys coming at him claiming that he is not letting the up-and-coming rappers shine.

Here was the iconic 39-year-old rapper’s response:

“I hear it all the time — ‘Yo, he should let the young guys, the new generation of guys come in.’ But you don’t become the front-runner in music because someone lets you. You have to claim your shoes. If you grow up listening to hip-hop, you love hip-hop and that’s the end of it. But if you’re a 30-year-old rapper still trying to make music like you’re 15, then you’re making it narrow. At my age, I can’t relate to a 15-year-old. I deal with mature and relevant topics for my age group — it has to all be based on true emotions. The more diversity and the more mature we make hip-hop, the bigger the net you cast.” I agree.

What do you think?

Follow me at Twitter.com/youngpharoh

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