Why it’s important for musicians to invest their cash outside music

Fame is a fickle thing. And all those whom it has embraced have nothing but underlying disgust for it. Although it generally blesses whoever it smiles on with financial gain for a specific period, its beneficiaries despise it for the curses that come along with it.

It draws you in slowly, takes you to a very high mountain, kicks out all of your trustworthy friends and family, leaving you blessed but alone, with hawks picking at your from every corner, and vultures waiting for the hawks to draw blood from you, so they can swoop in and pick at your carcass.

The fame from the music industry is the most fickle of them all. One moment you are here, the next moment will see you pushed away and into obscurity. People who follow your art, and bask in your celebrity do not truly love you. No. They only appreciate you for what they can get from you.

The moment you begin to show any sign of weakness, and your influence wanes, you are rudely shoved away from high society, friends become foes, your idols become rivals, and smiles turn into scowls.

It is at that moment, that a bright light shines on your brain, and it dawns you that you, my friend, are fucked.

But artists don’t have to fall down completely when their time is done. They don’t have to die in obscurity and poverty. They can lead healthy, financially stable lives after the fame leaves. And the only way this can be achieved is via investing into other businesses while the cheque still comes regularly.

Nigerian music industry is littered with numerous sad stories of artists who failed to diversify their earnings at the height of their powers, and when the time came for them to exit the stage, they didn’t have a leg to stand on. Blackface is a great example of a sob story who failed to utilize his time in the sun. And over time, has reduced himself and his brand to a drunken troublemaker who hounds modern creators for their originality.

But for every Blackface, there’s an eLDee, who has moved from performing the art, to creating tech solutions to assist the industry. He currently owns, Playdata, which is the only industry chart for determining the amount of airplay musicians enjoy on local radio stations.

The sole aim for musicians is to leave the art when their time is up, and switch up their fiances, so they can make the majority of their income outside the music, and not rely on having a hit record to eat.

The music industry and its fame chews up and spits out artists, who at the end of their time, have nothing to show for it, and all of their efforts. At the top, an artist gets countless opportunities to make money and use their brand to champion other endeavors. If this is done right, they will have a long and fulfilled career after the music.