https://www.tiktok.com/@hasanminhaj/video/7518778568139214093?_r=1&_t=ZP-8ykJ5QdlVPT
This struck a chord with me. Maybe because I'm a child of the sixties. When thinking for yourself and sticking it to the man were the ethos of the day. Or maybe because I'm the child of my father... He worked as an engineer during the war and after getting fired he said he'd never work for anybody again, and he never did.
It's a funny world we live in today, people are afraid to speak the truth. Sure, there are negative consequences, but even more are the positive benefits of kissing the ass of the man. Sure, we can go macro, think about the shenanigans in D.C., and Congress's obeisance to Trump is a great illustration of the paradigm in this video, but this aphorism is relevant down to the most intimate levels of life.
Conventional wisdom is you get ahead via relationships, the more you make, the higher up the food chain you go.
But let me tell you, if someone does a favor for you, you must be willing to do a favor for them, with no blowback, it's owed. They may have gotten you a job, or maybe it's as simple as getting you an invitation to an elite party, and then you'll get a message...could be a day later, could be ten years later, asking you to do a favor for the grantor of said favor. And in the music business, if you say no, you're done. You've broken the code.
Now there's a lot of largesse available to those who kiss the ring. Not only parties, but fine dining and flights on the private jet. Nothing is free in this world, NOTHING! And the sooner you realize this, the more successful you will be.
Now there was a change in the culture with the Millennials. Boomers, their parents, embraced individuality, letting your freak flag fly, and we saw this nowhere as much as in music... Music is a direct medium, straight from the maker into the heart of the listener...at least it was back then, that's what blew the business up. But then the labels became part of conglomerates and CDs and MTV came along and the amount of money involved was staggering and the opportunity risk was just too high, if the label signed and released your music, they wanted it to be successful, MEGA-SUCCESSFUL!
And the aforementioned Millennials? They were perfect for this world. Because Millennials were all about being a member of the group, you wanted to be included. If you were an a*shole you were excommunicated and shunned. All the advantages came from being a member of the group...shearing off your rough edges and coloring within the lines, offending no one.
Now concomitant with this was the rise of income inequality. Millennials with a brain, especially those who went to college, didn't want to end up on the wrong end of the income spectrum. That's why they went to college to begin with. As for this present B.S. about everybody not needing a college education... Sure, become a plumber or an electrician, you can get rich. But you've got to get your hands dirty. And if you don't have a specialized skill, you'll end up in an underpaid service job, falling economically behind by the minute. College is a ticket. Corporations want to see that you graduated, not what you learned in the institution. Drink and drug your way through school and as long as you get your degree you're ahead of the game. Don't doubt me. Don't be a pawn in the pontificators' game. If you don't have a college degree, you're most likely screwed.
So being practical members of the group Millennials were beholden to the man. Forget all this about their wussy personalities. Millennials don't want to get fired. They want the fruits of their labor/commitment. They didn't go to college to be broke.
This is very different from the era of the Boomers. When you could live reasonably on minimum wage, at least in your twenties. Which allowed you to think for yourself and create your own path. But that was back when you could go to a state school for bupkes, not graduating owing so much bread that you immediately had to get a high-paying gig.
So these middle class boomers...
They were brought up in an era of opportunity. You didn't teach to the book, everybody's opinion was valid. And if you were talented and spoke your truth you could be a star.
Not that anybody liked this, other than your fans and the profit participants.
History is littered with acts who became pariahs in the eyes of many in the public. The Beatles being bigger than God, Alice Cooper...people were truly pissed. And these people were always members of organizations where they were kissing somebody's ass, whether it be a religious institution or a governmental one or a corporation that could not be aligned with these dirty stinking scoundrels.
So...
Watch the above video. It delineates the line very clearly. Either you're beholden to the man or you are not.
And all artists are not.
This is the problem with those in the music industry today. People without released records bitching about Spotify payments... Believe me, if you're successful you'll make bank, it's just that few are successful, few were EVER successful!
And then you're confronted with input. The label wants you to work with cowriters, wants you to do covers, they want to meddle with the music. Can you say no? Very few young artists can...because they want that money and fame, they can't do without it, or the possibility of it.
And then there are the sponsorships, the brands... You're inherently compromised. Deep pockets don't get involved with you if they think you're a risk. There's a morals clause...one false move and you're done. And your goal is to be rich and famous, live the superyacht lifestyle, nothing can stand in the way of this.
But an artist's viewpoint is different, they have to be true to the art.
And please don't conflate money with artistry. Just because you are rich that does not make you an artist. Selling multiple versions of the same album? That makes you a mercenary rip-off artist. Artists can say no, very few acts in the music business today can say no.
Which is why music does not drive the culture. Outsiders drive the culture, always. Which is why even hedge funders overpay to show up in their leather jackets to see Springsteen and so many acts from the front row. Because money can't buy what Bruce has got, integrity.
Maybe you're down on the Boss, doesn't matter. How about Neil Young? These guys have had careers in excess of half a century. Why? Because they were true to themselves, beholden to no one, they refused to do what was expedient.
The problems in music today are the result of a rancid culture. EVERYBODY wants the perks. EVERYBODY wants a backstage pass. EVERYBODY wants to fly private. The goal is more important than the journey. They'll do whatever it takes to get to that goal.
An artist will not.
Which is why when you brag about who you hung with and what you did...
You can fly on the private jet, but if you're not paying for the flight, the seat choice is not yours. You end up compromising all your values for empty rewards, believing you're impressing others when you ultimately look hollow. Hell, look at the performers who worked for dictators...they want that paycheck!
Will you sacrifice your soul for dirty money? Throw out everything you believe in, work for exploiters and polluters just for an exclusive hang?
Not everybody can be rich and famous. But that does not mean you have to be a quiet mouse. What do they say, all politics are local? That when a butterfly flaps its wings in Japan it affects the weather in America? Change always starts small.
Don't underestimate credibility and integrity. All we keep hearing from the music industry is the audience doesn't care about sponsorships and selling out. HOGWASH! Music works best when it comes straight from the heart of the artist, when it's pure...if you're taking tainted money, don't think people don't realize it.
So watch the above video, and ask who you are.
Not only do I know a lot of compromised people, I know a lot of people who are fearful of more powerful people, like the king in the above example/video. You're as powerful as anyone, as long as you're true to yourself. You can be a leader, and it doesn't take money, but personality and thought. The power is within you. Don't be a tool. Look inside and be unique. Then you and your work have a chance of truly resonating with the public. Or you can play the game and be just like the rest of the disposable minions.
It's your choice.
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