More than Entertainment
Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes
I know I got a lot of cats who listen to the R&G who are heavy in the entertainment industry. I know some of the stuff I write or say on a podcast pisses some cats off to the point where they think I don’t know what I am talking about. Well hey let me admit that you’re right I never made a song, never wanted to be in entertainment and never saw it as a viable way to make money. Now not because I am not talented in the arts but because I’ve seen 2 million cats on the street pushing their CD on sunset or in Vegas or in Brooklyn or in Baltimore or in Houston or in Atlanta. So while I know it’s money in the entertainment industry the way it’s overly saturated lets me know it’s even a bigger shot than me opening up a restaurant. But, I know cats want to be part of the entertainment industry so I don’t knock it, well I don’t knock it as hard as I could.
What most cats don’t understand about entertainment is that its the ultimate in getting put on. No matter what road, what angle and what lane someone chooses all of them lead back to begging some major to give you a shot. So like a hoe looking for a good pimp the same game plays out over and over. Man, I live in LA and I’ve been around some of you out of towner cats from music to acting to poetry to art and they all end up the same BROKE! In my neighborhood we even made our own record label and completed a whole video that was aired on BET! Now this is from a couple of kids in Compton with no expensive equipment but a hell of lot of hustle!
Maybe it’s my own personal wish that most Black Men would wake up and try to takeover all things. As a kid I thought I would play basketball in the NBA as a Man I’d rather own the team. I swear I have been listening to people’s music for damn near 20 years. Cat’s don’t want to think about managing and owning as even their dreams of owning involve still being cool and guest starring on their artists music like Puffy. This is why I always stress that most cats want to be famous way more than they want money because afterall is said and done most of the rappers are broke or they still owe the majors.
There’s more to this world than entertainment as even some cats like Steve Stoute got up out of entertainment and went straight into marketing. Even Russell Simmons left Def Jam to move onto Phat Farm and Argyle Culture. Jay-Z made more money from the selling of Rocawear than he did trying to Rape Def Jam until he is the 100 million man. 50 cent made more money on being part of Vitamin Water than any CD under Jimmy Iovine with Dre. Even Puffy moved on from music to Sean John and Ciroc! I would bet my bottom dollar that the cats make way more money on their non-entertainment related businesses. These businesses could’ve been started by each of these cats without the music money and most could’ve been started by any savvy cat with a little bit of education on that certain area.
So what am I saying? There’s not only more than entertainment out here, damn near everything else with money doesn’t entertain anyone. How many billionaires do you know who are in the entertainment industry? Even if you can name a few ask yourself are they the talent or the owners. How can the cat who never sings or dances or creates or produces make more money than you?
Cats have to learn the major thing about money which is the more steps you need to go through to make it means the less you’ll probably make. That’s all I’ll say about that from this point on as I think you know what I think about someone with talent letting everyone else make more money off of them and exchanging that for being buddy buddy with the devil on your shoulder.
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This site is on a message board I check out telling me to check it out so I did and here I am. You have more info than my college job board so thanks for all that you do.
Damn ok is entertainment all that bad? I mean doesn’t everyone want to be famous when they are young? What did you want to be the head of Morgan Stanley or something? I understand what you are saying as people don’t think anything can make money if it isn’t tied to some form of entertainment.
I don’t know if you wrote this post talking to everyone or talking to a certain age group. I think it’s more than just us wanting to be part of entertainment. I tell you what though you got me thinking but I still want to be a entertainer.
Hey, some people just want to shuck and jive for the crowd. Like the clown at the circus…
This is one of those “monkey see, monkey do” that goes in almost every industry/hustle. You got cats who only see people on BET/MTV flashing six-figure cars and big homes and they chase the image they see on TV.
This is a telltale sign that a person is a follower when they try to emulate what they read and see and hear instead of actually learning how the money really works. Cats need to learn how the money really works.
In entertainment, the real money comes from the manufacturers and distributors because they don’t have to sing/rehearse a damn thing and get a cut regardless…
Entertainment seems to be thought of as one of the highest forms of self expression and alot of people have a deep need to express their feelings and a need to be felt in return. If I can make u dance or sing aloud, then u feel me. If u feel me, then I’m not alone. If I’m not alone in my feelings and I can move ppl, then my life has meaning because I inspire, I comfort, etc. It’s a whole psychological thing behind it more than just being a follower, in my opinion.
I say, do what u do. Just do something that’s legal and something that’s profitable. If you aren’t profitable then you aren’t being felt and it’s time to try something else.
Writing is entertainment so are u telling me to shit can my dreams cuz it aint happening patna! LMAO
Its a sad thing but its true! The ones that make the real money in entertainment are those making moves in the background. Unfortunately an entertainer is an employee who will have to show up at shows and events and actually produce. What happens when your song or CD flops? The label drops you instantly! How many entertainers have been hot one day and gone the next while the guys in the back make more money on your work while you are gone. SO to me being an entertainer is a job and not a business venture unless you are one of the guys in the back who tell you what to do. Learn to handle your money! Stop buying six figure automobiles so you can floss. Invest that money in a business or real estate dont blow it! And if you gotta buy a house buy a modest one in a nice area. At least that is what i would do.
And whats wrong with wanting to be the CEO of Morgan Stanley. The funny thing is when i was a kid thats what i wanted to be!
A kid can dream!!
@Entertain – Welcome! – Sure people want to entertain but the other side of the coin is that they get dicked out of their money. And, it’s a voluntary dicking at that!
The issue is do you only think of entertainment as the way to make money. Also, are you analyzing the people who make the real money. I am not against people capitalizing on their talents as long as they are. Also Nope didn’t want to be the head of Morgan Stanley I wanted to have my own! There’s a big difference.
@Ed – People know the truth it’s just they are admitting that they are weak and can’t find a way to do it for theirselves. They don’t want to be the pioneer who finds a way to sell a million records without a major backing. They don’t want to manage their money and actually create a business. Remember all they want to do is sing!
@Keish – Patna Mayne – It’s simple as you creating a way for your writings to remain your own through copyrighting and finding your own new distribution channel. The entertainment game is the same all the way around and that is whomever is in charge of distribution makes the money. The talent gets a book signing and some Q&A at Barnes & Nobles so I guess I’ll see you there huh?
I disagree that entertainment is the highest form of self expression. No one in history who expressed theirselves lasted long through song. MLK didn’t sing nor Malcolm nor Jesus for that sake. They expressed theirselves too. If someone feels alone they should do what other people do when they feel alone and that is go out and meet people.
In our community there is a BullShit premium placed on expressing ourselves like we just have to get it off our chest. So what do we do? We go and beg white folks to let us get our songs out to the public. That by far is the stupidest angle one could take. If you wanted to be heard you would go tell it on the mountain but everyone wants to disguise that they really want to make money. So since they want to make money NO ONE likes that I bring up that they are suckers. No one is stopping anyone from expressing theirselves especially since the advent of the internet. So do people really want to express theirselves or do they want to make money when they do it?
@JR – Entertainers are in a system that squeezes everything out of them like a turnip. They sing, dance, perform, sign autographs and plow the field to make money for their masters. At the end of the day they are on cocaine, didn’t see their kids, sleep in hotels and sacrifice their youth and vitality which in the end doesn’t sound all that appealing.
Never forget people want to be in front of something. The system is set up for the average person to want to be put on instead of owning things. The system creates suckers and customers and most people are very happy taking pennies on the dollar cuz they add up to millions.
If Black people stop singing and rapping and dancing tomorrow a lot of companies would go out of business. The devils would have to find someone else to exploit. But, since we have people feeling it’s somehow part of GOD’s gift to them they don’t even pay attention that the devil is their manager.
The thing about Master P was that he always owned his own ish.
When he decided to cash in, it was worth close to $500 mil..
The thing is to own your ish – even if it starts out as a street hustle.
Most people don’t want to do the business behind entertainment they just want to entertain. How many youngins spend the majority of time thinking about the parties and the groupies without thinking about getting ass raped by the labels. Even if they know they are going to get dicked they voluntarily keep going. I’m not trying to make insane people sane as much as I’m trying to make the followers of the insane notice the twitch in the insane person’s eyes.