Is it more difficult for children hip hop artists to make it in the rap game?
No matter the industry, children ten want to follow in the footsteps one or both their parents. This trend is something that is prevalent in entertainment as the sons and daughters famous figures grow up to have artistic—and celebrity—dreams their own. In hip hop, plenty youngsters watch as their rap star mommies and daddies take to the mic as millions adoring fans hang on their every rhyming word, but just because their parent has a successful career doesn’t mean that hip hop kids have a sure-fire road to stardom.
In a clip Growing Up Hip Hop New York, Fat Joe tries to instill this into his son, Ryan, who has aspirations being the next huge hip hop artist. “A lotta people man, they don’t understand that it’s actually harder for a successful rapper’s] son or his daughter to become successful in the hip hop game,” Joe said to Ryan. “It’s almost impossible. All them tried it.”
Ryan refutes his father’s claim, noting that Jaden Smith just performed an incredible set at Coachella and has a successful career outside Will Smith. “You know that boy put out like, ten mixtapes before he popped f,” Joe responded. “I can tell you about fifty rapper’s sons that never made it.” Joe later added, “Every rapper’s son who tried to make it really fell short. This hip hop game is a constant hustle. There’s no way around it. No money is guaranteed. You have to continue to hustle.”
In a green-screen interview, Ryan called his father “delusional” and said that every rapper’s kid is successful. “It comes down to whether or not they’re determined and I’m probably the most determined person in the world,” Ryan stated. Joe continued to try and make sure that Ryan has some sort backup plan, but it doesn’t seem that Ryan is trying to hear it. “Have you ever thought about] if it doesn’t work?” Joe asked before Ryan answered, “I’m not worried about it.”