Don't Believe The Hype

The more things change, the more they stay the same. It never ceases to amaze me how most of us, in spite of our intellect, continue to fall for the same games and hustles. I guess deep within even though we know this is a business, fame and adulation can really be addictive drugs. Once you've experienced it at any level, it seems that you can't get enough of it and people use this addiction to pimp and exploit us at every turn. I recall a scene from Cadillac Records when Chuck Berry and Leonard Chess were in a meeting and the man told Leonard that he would make him rich and Chuck famous. Now Chuck then switched chairs with Leonard and said that he preferred the feeling of the money chair. LOL. That was a great example of what we still deal with today. DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE!!!!!!!! Fame does not pay the bills. Fame is an illusion or a distraction. While we are busy chasing fame, their are people using our talents to make money and most of the time they don't share that money with us. I'm not even speaking about it on a grand scale. I mean I get calls weekly from people telling me how great they think I am and how they want me on this tour or that show. Now they are selling me all this hype to stroke my ego but the minute we start talking about money, they start doing what we call "Po Mouthing". They explain how they can only afford this or that but it will be a great chance for me to get exposure and so forth and so on. What happened to my greatness? Yes, exposure is important and we all need it to grow our careers but my problem with these kinds of people is that they are not sincere. They really believe that it's fair for them to make fifty to seventy percent more than the talent. Even though without us, they wouldn't be able to make a dime. Hell I recently played a show with some friends and the sound man got a larger guarantee than the band WTF! This only happens to us because we choose to believe the hype. I'm not suggesting that we become jaded or bitter. I'm just saying that it is time that we utilize our wisdom and intellect. Sometimes we just have to say no or at least let people know that we understand their game and we are choosing to do whatever not based on their hype but based on our own business interest. I especially warn young artists. Don't get so caught up in the image and fame that you allow people to make you a dancing clown. Be sure to take care of YOUR business and don't buy into the hype. IT'S ALWAYS GOT TO BE ABOUT RESULTS. Enjoy the journey.

The Truth

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