cash money millionaires
The following is an excerpt from the forthcoming book, 'Black American Money,' set to be released on July 15, 2009.
Many people think entertainers have power. Their power is virtually non-existent relative to the corporations who finance their products. Fame is manufactured, and black people do not own the factories that create megastars. So, while many people blame artists for the flawed portrayals in commercialized hip hop, the truth is that the solution is far more complicated. The following is an example of the kind of conversation that would occur if hip hop artists suddenly chose to empower themselves and stand up to the corporate pressure to create socially damaging music.
Artist (the rapper "Cash Money"): I have this great idea for something that is going to be even better than "Booties, Hoes and Beyatches" my last album. It's also going to be more positive for the Black community. I am going to call it "Books, Homework and Better Grades".
Artist: Yea, well Oprah said that this kind of music is bad for the community, and I did graduate from college. So, I know the value of making good grades in school. I want to provide inspiration for Black people and do something good with my life.
Mr. Executive: That's nice Cash Money, and I "feel you dawg," really I do. The problem is that Black people aren't the ones buying your records. Our survey data shows that White kids from the suburbs are buying your music, and they see you as the guy who gets it "poppin" (holding two fingers in the air, resembling quotations) in the club. Our projections say that this new idea of yours probably won't sell nearly as well as your last album, so we've got a problem. We gave you your big break and kinda need you to stay focused here. I know you want to save the world, but if you make a style of music that causes you to lose your fan base, there is always going to be another kid from the projects willing to take your spot. So, not only are you not going to make a difference, you are also going to lose your deal, your fame, your money, your bling, your house, your fine-ass women, and all the other things that are near and dear to you.
Artist: Ah-ight man. You right. I'll get to the studio.
Dr Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and this was an excerpt of the forthcoming book, "Black American Money", set to be released on July 15, 2009. For more information, please visit www.BoyceWatkins.com. If you would like Dr. Boyce commentary delivered directly to your email box, please click here.
Comments: (21)
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By: monique on 6/07/2009 9:53PM
I love this! I have to get this book. I was just explaining this to my friend the other day. You are right on point, and I think that we need to understand business before we start criticizing the artists too much.
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By: Reggie Bullock on 6/08/2009 3:37AM
great comments, those thoughts are further projected in the 15 min. free internet film "A WAR FOR YOUR SOUL - Birmingham", this film backs up everything said in comments, google it check it out, kudos to Dr. Watkins
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By: kcn9971 on 6/08/2009 11:41AM
You can write all the books you want. The bottom line is, as long as Rappers continue to aid in the destruction and demoralization of Black people for the sake of gold teeth, a big house, and a BMW, nothing will ever change. This notion of blaming the Coporate power structure is complete nonsence. Blacks( both Rappers and the community) need to stop giving into this madness of always blaming somebody else for a problem that WE are responsible for! If we truly want to put a stop to this exploitation, just remember this basic economic rule... "If you don't buy it....they can't sell it...If they can't sell it....they won't promote it"!!!
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By: jay on 6/09/2009 12:56PM
its amazing how quick we forget; hip hop and rap artist did not create the inviorment they were raised in(this is were the songs come from)...pay attention to the projects like you pay attntion to pres.obama and you will begin to see the truth, we condem rappers yet the girls that choose to be porn stars along with the men we say nothing, i mean we say nothing about our goverment etc....YOU WANT TO STOP THE NEGATIVE? REMOVE IT FROM OUR CHILDHOOD!IF YOU THINK FOR TO SECONDS THAT JUST CAUSE A COUPLE OF BLACK FOLKS SAID BURY THE WORD NIGGER THAT WHITE AMERICA IS NOT GOING TO USE IT WAKE UP!!!!! SOME OF YOU NICCAS NEED TO WATCH ROOTS AND STOP RUNNING FROM THE TRUTH BUT TRUTH IS YOU RICH NICCAS AN BLACK REPUBLICANS ARE AFFRAID OF REVOLUTION.
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By: CAHawk on 6/09/2009 4:45PM
Just another hustle. I love it when his 'make believe' Rapper says "Well Oprah said...".
Which is Total Crap. Orpah never misses a chance to promote Tyler Perry and his movies are just as
demeaning,stereotypical and 'socially dammaging" as any Rap song or Rapper. So she is the last person anyone should be looking at as far as promoting "socially redeeming" images of Black People.
So I say If Blacks can support Tyler Perry Movies then 'Cash Money'and 'KillaMack' and all the rest should make any kind of Rap Record thay can make a dollar from. What 'Cash Money' should be saying is : 'Well Oprah aint never turned down no MONEY and neither has Tyler Perry, why should I be different" - But you cant say that - Cause negros will get mad.
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By: JAY on 6/09/2009 12:59PM
TYLER IS SHOWING THE TRUTH!! MY GRANNY PACKED A GUN IN HER PURSE, BLK MEN HAVE BEEN TRAINED FOR YEARS TO BEAT THEY WOMEN(TAKE IT BACK TO SLAVERY),BLACK WOMEN WERE TRAIND TO BE WHORES(SLAVERY)MOTHERS AND FATHERS ARE OFTEN DRUG ADDICTS ETC.... TRUTH BE TOLD ALL THEY ANT IS WHAT THEY HAVE SEEN WHITE PEOPLE WITH FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS.....WE NEED TO CLOSE OUR MOUTHES AND DIG UP ALL THE FACTS ON SLAVERY,WE NEED TO TURN SPONGE BOB,HANNAH AND BET OFF AND MAKE OUR CHILDREN WATCH ROOTS(ALEX HALEY)THEN PUT IN MISSISSIPPI BURNING ETC.... NICCAS ON LINE ARGUING ABOUT DUMB SHT INSTEAD OF TEACHING ONE ANOTHER ABOUT WERE WE COME FROM ETC... MALCOLM WAS RIGHT FARRAKHAN WAS RIGHT AND REV.WRIGHT WAS DAMN SHOW TELLIN THE TRUTH BUT THEY HAVE TURNED YOU NICCAS INTO COWARDS CAUSE THEY LET YOU GET A LITTLE EDUCATION AND STOPPED BEATN YO TAIL(MASTA DID BUT THE POLICE DIDNT)ITS SPACE AGE NOW WAKE UP AND STOP LOOKN AT THE OBVIOUS PAY ATTENTION TO THE NOT SO OBVIOUS.... ---- OPRAH SHE AINT TEACHIN BLACK HISTORY AND TAVIS AINT EITHER AL SHARPTON AINT MY LEADER THEY ALL FULL OF IT SOMBODY NEED TO START A NATION WIDE MOVEMENT OF PANTHERS THATS WHATS UP BUT UNLIKE RAPPERS YOU STUCK UP HIGH CLASS AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE AFFRAID TO SAY IT! AND AS FAR AS THE BROTHER THA HAS STARTED THE NEW PANTHERS SLOW DOWN NICCA YOU SCARIN REAL BLACK FOLKS AWAY STOP CONCINTRATING ON TALKING CRAZY TO WHITE FOLKS AN BUILD THE MOVMENT UP GET TO BE TWO THREE MILLION STRONG PROMOTE EDUCATION AND TEACH THEM THE TRUTH SHOW THEM THE FACTS THESE KIDS ARE GONNA TAKE THAT S--T YOU SAYING TO FAR AND YOU GONNA END UP DOIN LIFE(YOU KNW HOW THE FEDS DO IT)I WOULDNT BE ALL ON DVD SAYING THAT WILD ASS STUFF BROTHER YOU NEED TO GET BACK TO THE CORE OF THE MOVEMENT TAKING CARE OF KIDS AND OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ETC...
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By: shakesome on 6/09/2009 1:57AM
This is retarded. This is laughable. Rappers REALLY want to tell kids to stay in school.. but THE MAN won't let them drop it like dat!
What about Suge, Luke Perry and all the other people in the business that can do what they want... what have they chosen to produce?
Until Black kids learn to stop picking on other Black kids for "acting White" when they are trying to do well in school, etc, they wkill be no shortage of negtaive messages in Black popular culture.
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By: monique on 6/09/2009 10:50AM
You obviously don't understand business. WHITE KIDS ARE BUYING HIP HOP. They don't want to hear positive music. So no matter who is in charge, the market tells them to make music that is going to be bought by their customers, which are white college kids who love all that gangster crap.
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By: DAVID on 6/17/2009 6:31PM
WOW, MY MAN , YOUR RIGHT ON IT, I'M A WHITE MALE, 48 YEARS OLD AND I THINK IT'S A DAMN SHAME THAT ANY CHILD HAS TO FOLLOW IN THE STEPS OF ANY STEREOTYPE. I REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT WITH THIS EPIDEMC, THAT IF A YOUNG BLACK MALE DOES NOT WANT TO PERCIEVED AS A RAPPER OR STREET KID, BUT YET A YOUNG MAN WITH HIS HEAD AND EYES ON BECOMING SOMETHING SPECIAL IN LIFE THAT HE GETS BRANDED A SELLOUT. IT'S SAD AND MORE TEACHERS NEED TO APEND TIME ON STRESSING THIS ISSUE IN SCHOOLS. LIFE IS ABOUT CHARACTER AND NOTY COLOR, BEING ABLE TO BE AN INDIVIDUAL AND NOT FOLLOW THE PACK IS A RIGHT AND NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED. I HOPE THE YOUNG BLACK YOUTH IN THIS COUNTRY FIND THE FORTITUDE TO REALIZE THAT BEING SMART OR TALKING CORRECTLY IS NOT ACTING WHITE OR ANYTHING ELSE. BE YOURSELF AND IF YOU SEE SOMEONE BEING PICKED ON FOR BEING THEMSELVES, STEP IN, YOU'LL BE SUPRISED WHEN SOME OF THE SO CALLED COOL KIDS TELL A BULLY TO STOP ACTING LIKE A JERK WHAT HAPPENS. OPEN YOUR MIND AND DREAM, YOU CAN BE WHAT YOU WANT TO BE, REMEMBER, THE MORE SPECIAL THE DREAM THE HARDER AND STRONGER YOUR GONNA HAVE TO FIGHT FOR IT .. GOD BLESS
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By: RonPaulForPrez on 6/09/2009 5:54PM
To Monique-
you wrote: "WHITE KIDS ARE BUYING HIP HOP. They don't want to hear positive music. So no matter who is in charge, the market tells them to make music that is going to be bought by their customers, which are white college kids who love all that gangster crap."
Looks like you missed the point the article was trying to make. Setting aside the issue of who's BUYING it, the article was trying to excuse the messages contained in rap music as being the product of evil (white) business people. This is hogwash, and it's dangerous hogwash, because until the Black community takes ownership of Black culture, it will not change. Takes ownership, not by blaming or pointing the finger at others, but by saying "this dangerous garbage is what our children are producing, this is what our children are consuming. This will not be tolerated in our homes or our community any longer".
White kids buy it too, but aren't as affected by it. But it's ludicrous (or Ludicris, for the benefit of rap-educated posters) to say Black kids don't buy rap. And clearly, it's the Black community that is being destroyed by the negative messages of narcissism, self-centeredness, violence and selfish sexuality. These messages are not only found in rap/ hiphop, but they are the essence of it.
After all, it isn't among White college students that the epidimic of fatherless children is found. We're not hearing about white-on-white crime, but we hear about black-on-black murders and drive-bys daily. (there's black-on-white crime too, but it would be politically incorrect to mention it).
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