Yeah man all I'm saying is when I started getting into music they made it sound like you COULDN'T do it with a day job, and now at 29 I realize how many artists I listen to have one or have some other source of funding that keeps the dream alive

Love your perspective

why couldn't god make me good at something that actually makes money

Hmm, honestly it depends on the kind of music they make

If they try too hard to be Tony Montana only to be working at McDonald's...which hey, that's actually how Tony got his start but yk what I'm trying to say

its different for me a lil because most people never bothered to know how musicians make their money, everyone looked at metallica and them assuming you can just tour forever and rake in millions from sales. the innocent times of thinking sales -> what an artist gets on their account each month

Yeah I think that's really interesting, the type of music really does color how the fans are going to see it

Kinda off topic kinda on topic but it's kinda crazy to see Chris Patrick where he is when this was my introduction to him

He's been at this for so long super cool to see it paying off big now

I'm friends w / or know / know a bit about a lot of crazy talented artists and tbh it's more that I look at them a lil different when they don't have a day job lol. cause that usually just means they have rich parents and are privileged enough to not worry about money.. but some of the most amazing ppl and artists just happen to be privileged but are still extremely generous in using their privilege to support ppl around them and just generally are super legit about the art.

a good example of this is PC Music... I can tell u that many of the most notable ppl in or associated w that crowd are ppl that went to elite colleges in England etc lol and def come from money. I don't think AG Cook, SOPHIE, Arca ever had to worry about money. an exception afaik is Sega Bodega. but yh tbh we'd never have all this crazy sound design in our current pop landscape without the time/ freedom and access to all the best equipment and software...

actually in this case I think they all do have a capitalistic streak in them and do want to become famous and popular and make money, I also know of many examples where this isn't the case tho. and for me it doesn't detract from them being among the most important artists of our time, I do think it's something that should be taken into account tho.

Well said, as someone who is at work rn it definitely affects the way I see some artists, even though I also come from a pretty upper middle class background myself it's a night and day thing to be just chillin at home getting to focus on art all day vs having to try and do it after a long day of work

When I really learned how it was in the industry I think so highly of rappers who will have a regular job. Like Kid Cudi at the Bape store, Bryson Tiller at Target, that makes me like their music more

Artists just weren’t as savvy as they are today. Jay, Master P, E-40, Too Short, etc made a lot of bread

yh for me I'm also very privileged upper middle class but still need to pay my own bills and figure out how to get money while I try to do the journalism thing and it's already got me into pretty severe burnouts multiple times now...

it's hard af to stay afloat and still find the energy to be creative or contribute to an industry which ruthlessly exploits damn near all labour as volunteer work, it's especially bad when you're dedicated to underground/ experimental/ not-profit-oriented music

Good.

Weed em out fast.

Tired of these rappers lying.

Was the j slur in the title really necessary

idk why this is the case but my producer friends (with placements) don't have day jobs but my artist friends (even with bigger songs) have day jobs @op

but generally yea i'll still listen. i respect the craft at the end of the day. a day job shouldn't take away from my enjoyment of that

good point

I’m pretty sure he’s a sports writer for the Baltimore sun rn, and I think deakin does contracting?

the modern day howard hughes laughs at y'all for having day jobs

Artists who have day jobs or have worked careers offer a different perspective than those that don't. I want to hear songs from the artist who teachers part time too

Lids worker thread

That's me, and one of my coworkers here at work is an underground rap legend so that tracks for sure

lots of ways to make money as a producer—selling beats on the internet, ad revenue from beat pages on youtube, sync stuff is easier than from the artist side because a lot of brands only need instrumentals, producer fees on the placements themselves, backend money from publishing, selling sample packs, running sessions and charging artists, signing a pub deal to get an advance, etc etc etc

I don't wanna say it's "easier" than being an artist it's just different. artists can make money on the road much easier, for example. most producers besides the kenny beats / metro boomin types can't tour

but you gotta be a certain level of artist to be able to tour in the first place

being a musician and performer isnt enough anymore you have to be a streamer on the side lol