Is 30 really the new 20? Not likely. At least not when record sales are concerned. Some of rap’s biggest stars have historically reached their commercial zenith shy of their 30th birthday. Eminem (The Marshall Matters LP) and 50 Cent (Get Rich Or Die Trying) were both 28 when they respectively sold 10.1 and 8 million units. Meanwhile, a 29-year-old Jay-Z sold 5.3 million copies of In My Lifetime Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life. Sure, there are exceptions. Kanye West, who turned 30 earlier this year, sold nearly 1 million copies of Graduation in a decaying climate. Common, who struggled with sales in his 20s, is now putting up career high numbers in his 30s. Still, records show that rappers historically hit soundscan slumps at some point after hitting the big 3-0. We’ve pulled records from ten prominent rappers, including Jay-Z, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Nas and others to prove our point. [Read Mid Rap Crisis Here] Speak on it!

–CChery