The late songstress Aaliyah once sang the undeniable words, age aint nothing but a number, and Jay Z recently announced that forty is the new twenty, but a lot of Jamaicans obviously havent gotten these messages, clearly proven when one of the hottest topics in the streets of Jamaica and on the internet, is the age of some of our top entertainers and who should retire and who shouldnt. There is no denying that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but when ones opinion is shrouded by the blurriness of senseless analysis, addressing the matter is inevitable.
Vybz Kartel recently addressed Bounty Killer as a Dinosaur, carbon-dating him as prehistoric, (when he; Kartel, is a mere three years Killers junior), causing the Warlord to not only get cross, angry and miserable, but also forced him to literally go hard or go home.
Dancehall diva Macka Diamond seems to be the latest victim of the age discussion, with claims on the internet that she is fifty years or older, when nothing is further from the truth. What however is really funny about this argument is that those who are making these ridiculous claims feel as if music started with them, and will end with them.
So with that said, the obvious question seems to be, what is the retirement age in the Jamaican entertainment industry, because although some are talking, one look around and we can see that there are those inside and outside our shores who have continued working way into their twilight years, and are actually doing a wonderful job of it, so what is all the talk of age, and who is old and should retire all about, when all the real heavyweights in the entertainment industry are all grown, and still very sexy.
*Date of Birth FACTS:
LOCAL Artistes DOB INTERNATIONAL Artistes DOB
Bounty Killer - June 12th 1972 (37) Jay-Z December 4th 1969 (40)
Macka Diamond - January 12th 1971 (39) Mary J Blige -January 11th 1971 (39)
Lady Saw - July 12th 1972 (37) Janet Jackson May 16th 1966 (44)
Marcia Griffiths November 23rd 1949 (60) Halle Berry August 14th 1966 (43)
Beenie Man August 22nd 1973 (36) Puff Daddy November 4th 1969 (40)
Elephant Man September 11th 1977 (32) 50 Cent July 6th 1975 (34)
Sizzla April 17th 1976 (34) Snoop Dogg - October 20th 1971 (38)
Capleton April 13th 1967 (43) Lil Kim - July 11th 1975 (34)
Shaggy October22nd 1968 (41) Will Smith September 25th 1968 (41)
Buju Banton July 15th 1973 (36) Fat Joe August 19th 1970 (40)
Vybz Kartel January 7th 1976 (34) Gabrielle Union October 29th 1972 (37)
Tony Matterhorn March 9th 1972 (38) DJ Khaled November 26th 1975 (34)
Ricky Trooper January 16th 1965 (45) Doctor Dre December 5th 1963 (46)
Anthony B March 31, 1976 (34) LL Cool J January 14th 1968 (42)
Spragga Benz May 30th 1969 (40) Ky-Mani Marley February 26th 1976 (34)
Mr. Vegas December 29th 1974 (36) Tyler Perry September 13th 1969 (40)
Junior Reid June 3rd 1965 (44) Oprah Winfrey January 29th 1954 (56)
Now with most of the relevant ages on the table, maybe we can all agree that Aaliyah was right after all, because from the list above, its quite clear that age aint nothing but a number, wouldnt you agree?
*MACKA THANKS FI VERIFY UR AGE BUT MI NUH KNOW Y UNNO ALWAYS FEEL FI PUT UNNOSELF WID FARRIN ENTERTAINER... MI NUH RATE DEM MI RATE MI OWN PEOPLE DEM UNNO FI STOP IT CAUSE DEM FARRIN ENTERTAINER DOW KNOW NUTTIN BOUT UNO YET UNNO ALWAYS A MENTION DEM... A JAMAICA MI SEH*
ps...ppl Macka did waa clear up di age mattaz
DAT ME SEH TOO GEM ! 
