As the culture progresses to a new decade; we have seen changes constantly in Hip-Hop. Trends have fallen and revived, styles have been altered or improvised, but one thing has yet to change--our affinity for money.
And while we all love money, no matter who we are, or where we are, I must say, us as a culture is is borderline obsessed. And why shouldn't we? Many of us live in urban areas where the cost of living is enough for a person to yell "Hey, stop throwing your money in my face....before i rob your ass. Bitch!".
And for others, especially the youth who have to experience what it means to "budget", are constantly reminded whether through media, through their peers, or through entertainment that money is cool, fly and seductive, and being broke is for the weak and for suckas only. Not considering that one true observation exists among many people who are out there "getting money", your still broke.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, while getting money is one thing, being wealthy is STILL the impossible. And really, it starts by being smart with what you have, whether it's a full time job, or 2 part time jobs, many people especially close to me have yet to master the superhuman ability to save and to be smart with their income. And truthfully, no one out there is that rich to not give a fuck about their money. Matter of fact, the richer you are, the harder it is to let go of it without knowing it's coming back to you tenfold!
And don't get it wrong, it's hard...especially when you have the mentality that with money, comes shit that I can buy that may not be any use for me! It's simply said than done, so here's some suggestions:
Plan - It's something you should often do with everything in your life, whether it's for a career or for a vacation, plan everything out, so you know what your dealing with in terms of cost and in terms of income. Fuck that sporadic spending, or the shopping because there's nothing else to do, if you plan on doing some stupid consumer shit, give yourself some time to know what you want to buy, and if you can probably get it cheaper elsewhere. Know what you are doing because sometimes what you want and what you need will differentiate you from the ignorant.
Budget - Make a budget for yourself. Don't know what your working with? Then write down what you spend in a week and work from there. It's tedious, and it's hard work...but so was making that money.
Save - It boils down to this, because without it, you have nothing to build on. Do what you got to do to save. It's as simple as that. There are no secrets to this, just save. It's a hard thing to do, but it's very very realistic. Everyone has trouble with this, even I'm still learning this shit, so expect to constantly change your methods on how to save.
Open Up a Bank Account - Your rapper's favorite rapper has one. I don't care how many times you heard 'em say otherwise, or seen them wads of cash being pulled out their pocket in a video, they have accounts...don't be ignorant, your income that's stashed under your mattress is not accruing interest and not doing you a favor. Do your research when it comes to banks around your area, and also learn the difference between Credit Unions and Banks.
Debt - Pay your bills on time. Stay away from credit cards and loans if you can't afford to pay them back. Personally speaking, stay away from them in general unless your in the upper echelons of the social class pyramid.
Invest - Look into this, make it a reality for yourself, and more importantly, own property. Investments and owning property is the first sign that you have an understanding of wealth.
I'm pretty sure there are more things to consider, and to sum it up, I can basically just say do your research. Pick up a book on money, or google/yahoo the hell out of your questions and inquiries. Be obsessed with the foundations of making money because working for it is just the beginning.
And trust me, for those who think they are in a good position in life in terms of income....you're never too rich to be smart:
