Its moments like these that make me proud to say that Killer Mike is my favorite rapper because is one of the most intelligent rappers to pick up a mic, pen, etc. He is guest blogging over at my old stomping grounds, XXLMAG.com this week. While most rap cats use that avenue to babble and spew worthless information, Mike took the opportunity to really drop some game about the power and relevance of money. Not necessarily how to "get" it but how to "keep" it, which is just as, if not more important. You can check out the blog here and leave comments, or you can check it out after the jump and leave some comments here...either way, its a must read. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I haven't really heard any rappers drop jewels like this since Ice T and Too $hort. I mean really, what rappers you know gonna name drop Clark Howard and Neil Bortz like it ain't nothing...
M.O.E “Money Over Every Thing.” I know the world credits the homie “Chopper” aka “Young City” with this saying now but the 1st time I actually heard this saying it was from a Houston Texas rapper 50/50 Twin (what up my Ni**@). When I heard it, my 1st instinct was “ohh sh*t” that’s hard! It sounded like a Gangsta’s morning Mantra. I can imagine Italian Dons and Capos, Black Goons and Thugs, Asian and Spanish G’s alike waking in the morning and instead of prayers they all would sit on the side of their beds, light Cuban Cohibas and slowly repeat M.O.E dozens of times gradually speeding up like Angela Basset doing Buddhist chants when she played Tina Turner.
They would spin these words into motivating song before getting up. Money over everything. Money over everything. Money over everything. Money over everything….climaxing in a quick abrupt silence and a focused glassy-eyed stare. After they arose and did the morning rituals: sh*t, shower, shave, they would hop in there G mobiles and descend onto the streets like James Galdolfini as Tony Soprano and “Carpe Diem” or Seize the day. A day in which nothing mattered except the “color of money” the “good fella” codes and how many “dead presidents” one could amass in a day.
Now because I, like most young males, I know have been indoctrinated by our culture to know the rich guy ALWAYS gets the Playboy Bunny, and broke guys get….well broke guys get what rich guys have had…ask the men currently dating Juanita Jordan, The former Mrs. D. Wade or any dude dating 50 or Rick Ross’s ex-girls. Coming behind a rich dude in games of love and sex sucks dick (no homo). Rich guys drive dope cars, broke dudes girls drive them crazy. Rich guys do what they wanna and broke dudes do what they can…sigh. We all know money is important. But how important is having lots of money??? Hmmmmmm. If the money over everything is truly the “way” …the “way” of the rich, the “way” to completeness and happiness, why the hell don’t other people work harder to get rich?
Because most of us don’t, we spend money on feeling good. Why spend ya last dollar on the club or even a gift for a loved one. If money is the Great equalizer and the almighty in a capitalistic society, “huh”, I ask? Because money don’t mean sh*t! It doesn’t. It never did and it never will. Paris Hilton knows this. So why do we squander it buying shit like gifts or get well cards or tithes to mega churches 4 Jesus, huh, huh? Paris had an opportunity to get a STOOPID inheritance from grandpa and she threw it away, partying, showing her snatch and sexing via night vision all the while charging a small fee (couple mill here couple mill there) so that she could live like the rest of us and enjoy the dispensable years (the 20s). She gave up an inheritance and earned her own money (1 itty bitty titty flash at a time) so she could LIVE.
Money is a tool used to keep taps and measure debt. The less debt you have, the more money you can save, the more money you save, the less stressed you can become, the less stressed you become, the more your life can blossom. Say you make 100k a year, the old money model says you can afford a home that is worth the value of 2 and 1 half years of work. That’s 250k. That’s a couple grand every month for 20 or 30 years or so. Basically you become a slave to the house you “own”, cant miss a day of work, can’t retire, sure as hell can’t quit! As dope as it is to own a good looking home, when will you get to enjoy it and the people you bought it for (your family)? Now may I propose that there is a way to defeat the money matrix? Beating the matrix involves you adjusting your focus less on money and more on Life, Love and Happiness. What the F*ck?!!! Oh yes, I hear you now “this ni**@ Mike is crazy. And yup I am..like a fox. Here’s my answer to money over everything……
LIVE BELOW YOUR MEANS and you will have everything (travel, leisure, cars, clothes) although you must have game and get ya own girl doe. (Playboy Bunnies ain’t free sucka ). What exactly does that mean? Well it means that you adopt the M.O.B mentality” Money Over Bullsh*t.” Since money is a tool, you should use it as such. Remember that 100k salary we just talked about? Let’s say you choose to take half of that year’s salary and purchase 1 HUD home to live in. The government gives you an 8k tax credit (thank u Mr. Prez). Live there, repair the place, write off all expenses regarding that place. Wow, 1-year, 50k minus 8k tax credit and you own a beautiful ranch style home in a decent neighborhood and because you repaired it yourself, has gained value.
Also you never buy a new car, buy pre-owned and used only (most millionaires do) plus they put an extra 8k in the price of a new car. So you got a house, you own a nice, sporty 7 grand Honda and disposable income to start a biz (I suggest buying more homes and renting to former project residents), take trips or invest (now is a great time). This will also give you more money to bullsh*t in random clubs picking up the bar tab for your degenerate friends, etc. But always remember, keep the receipts, write it off as a biz expense.
Having control over your wants and your money will allow you to truly have everything: happiness, travel, adventure and more. If you can forgo your wants of un-needed sh*t and save and spend with purpose, you can escape the rat race of “no money and debt.” If you are not in debt, you are RICH! If you own your property, if you have a small business, if you save money every time you can (even vacations should be planned for the best deal possible), you will always be able to do what you want when you want (with proper planning). When I ask people why they want money they usually tell me so they can do what they wanna do. I feel’em that’s why I rap. Couldn’t do the regular gig sh*t and wouldn’t wanna sell dope forever.
I propose most people can already do all they want to do if they stop chasing money and trap the money they already earn. If you control your immediate and usually un-needed wants, you can save more and spend less (Clark Howard’s line), then you can do more and stress less (my line).
Here’s a simple exercise I learned from (Neil Bortz) as a kid. Take 5s, 10s and 20s out with you when you leave the house. Every time you break a bill, put the 1s away in another pocket and save them. Not only will you save at least 50 to 100 dollars monthly, you will think about every purchase more b4 you fluke a 20 on a swisher, tater chips and a Faygo. Now you can treat yo self to a nice dinner at the end of the month (at a real restaurant) or save $600 to $1200 hundred and take an off-season vacation to Jamaica (girls are great at this sh*t). I promise you if you try this, it will work and you will adjust the way you think about and spend dough. With all that said, I gotta go do a show and make sum paper. I saw a house I wanna buy in an empowerment zone. I’m a few shows away. So everybody spend more time saying love, Fam, adventure, even life over everything and use money 4 what it should be used for, a tool to buy cheap tickets for travel and leisure and paying off student loans.
Extra special “thanks” to Clark Howard, Dave Ramsey, Neil Bortz and Paris Hilton for helping me see the way. I’m out this beyyyatch. I got $$$$$ to make! But $ don’t make me. GTRG…BBB
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment