Hip-Hop: A Hobby or Profession?

At what point do you become detached to the very same thing you love? Mr. Sobek says that we all have become attached to various aspects in our lives. The effect of such attachments often leaves us confused. What am I talking about? In this case, I'm referring to hip-hop.

For instance, at what point do you stop chasing dreams and start focusing on reality? This is an invisible problem that I am beginning to notice in the hip-hop industry.

There are a disparate number of musicians who have spent a good portion of their lives trying to "make it" in the hip-hop industry. At the end of the night, all they have to show for their efforts is their music and a job (just over broke).

I have an associate in the industry who has his own studio, a nice house, and even has an independent album he just cut. The sharp contrast is that he is a pharmacist. He has recently joined a hip-hop band; moreover, he enjoys entertaining patrons and kicking his old school, organic brand of hip-hop. When he's not on stage, he's working twelve hour shifts at the local pharmacy, sleep or in the studio. However, it seems evident where his main focus is (on his profession, not his hobby).

On the contrary, we have plenty of hip-hop artists that have college degrees (i.e. money spent and owed), but spend more time enhancing their hip-hop careers than the career they spent 5 figures into. Do you think Sallie Mae cares about their insatiable desire to "blow up?"

Now, if you have no degree or viable profession (and no kids), you can afford to go full speed ahead in your quest to become financially successful in the industry. Such is not the case for me.

I graduate in May and told my music constituents a long time ago if nothing gave by the time I graduated, I would be putting all my chips in my Bachelors of Science in Legal Studies. In addition, I have aspirations to attend law school next year. Sure I'll have a studio, and sure I'll be banging out tracks in my spare time. The main point is this: It will be a hobby at best.

Some of you artists are spending tons of money, entering contest, rocking free shows, and have aspirations to "blow," yet in the end, it is no more than this: "An activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation." You could try to say you're a professional musician, but if you have a 9-5, and you mainly rock free shows, you're not fooling me.

Bottom line is some of you have confused a hobby for a profession. Thus, an educated man with a 4 year degree could easily be found working an average job (not even in the field of his degree) but rocking the mic passionately at the local night club. You are not a celebrity my friend. You are attached to something which doesn't give back as much as you've put in. If this blog applies to you, the question is: What will you do now that someone has held you accountable? Don't forget, at the end of the night, Sallie Mae wants that cheese back, and no matter how dope your rhymes are, it will not fulfill your debt so far as you can see. In the words of KRS-One, "You must learn."

The Life of a Musician: The Gift and the Curse

There are many advantages in having artistic talents. The inspiration of creating music is invaluable, and playing music in front of people who enjoy your tunes is priceless. But it does seem that there are disadvantages also. We often here of the life of a "rockstar" and several negative attributes can be attributed to this kind of lifestyle. For instance, drugs seem to come with the territory and being a musician often produces an incredible ego.

I speak from first hand experience. The rush of having an incredible show subsequently leads to free shots, groupies, afterparties, more beer, more women and the list goes on and on....

Moreover, it is very difficult to separate these musical "side effects" from the industry. In fact, the gifts and the curses seem very intrinsic. What is frustrating is it doesn't have to be that way for musicians. I estimate in the ethers of creativity, there must be some force that induces negative pitfalls that musicians often fall into.

Addictions often are just a price of being a musician. The wear and tear of gigging, the hard work that is put in practice, and the late nights in the studio often produces enough stress (even though it's fun) whereas one is more susceptible to substance abuse.

What I'm learning (a tough lesson indeed) is we as musicians have to run the music and not let the music run us. Perhaps it's our own thoughts that push us into these sticky situations and lifestyles. Furthermore, before we were musicians, we were humans and still are humans first.

If you really look at it, we choose what kind of lifestyle we want to live even if some occupations birth circumstances that may sway one to follow a said lifestyle. Musicians, please read the previous sentence again.

Finally, maybe we can learn from Eminem who stated in the Detroit Metro Times:

"I talk to Elton a lot. We became friends and I talk to him about things, career wise. And he had a substance abuse problem in the past. So when I first wanted to get sober, I called him and spoke to him about it because, you know, he's somebody who's in the business and can identify and relate to the lifestyle and how hectic things can be. He understands like the pressure and any other reasons that you wanna come up with for doing drugs, you know. Me and him have had similar lives and stuff. So I reached out to him and told him, "Look, I'm going through a problem and I need your advice."

Main point being, don't be afraid to get some help. As musicians, making music is what we do but at the end of the night, we decide who we are.