Last week I attended a Choose ATL event which involves multiple facets of techs, music, film and businesses in Atlanta, coming together figuring out how we can all work together or support each other. It was a nice event held at Spitfire Studios in midtown Atlanta. I met a lot of great people and had some pretty good conversations. When I went home that night I really started to think about the overall structure of entertainment business in Atlanta and my role as an artists and what I’m going to do with the multi-millions of dollars that I make. I think a person who makes great wealth in an industry has a certain role to play in keeping the industry thriving.
What I personally noticed in the entertainment industry is that there is a wealth distribution problem. Bottom line is that it stems from CEOs ect hording money to keep from properly paying people for their work and in turn it messes up that industry as well as adding a flux to the economics in the community. Sure I’m not making a bunch of money currently but I’m rich is wisdom and knowledge. I know when I get into my position of wealth, I know how I am suppose to treat it because I had a positive example to learn from.
I remember this producer I was working with looked me in my eyes and said you see this here Grammy. This Grammy paid for your whole salary. In other words because of he’s great work, he has opened up the doors and allowed me the opportunity to be great as well. I was a part of a steady line of exceptional people in music and it’s my job to be exceptional in everything I do. Because wealth distribution took place here, I was in turn able to pay different studios, videographers, graphics designers, ect keeping the money flowing in the industry. I think when you have people interning forever, people just working solely for credit, or paying people pennies of the dollar messes up the entire sustainability of the industry. When I get in a lucrative place, I’m going to completely revive that #OnTheRoadToEightGrammys. But until then let’s continue to be transparent in conversations and keeping coming with solutions that will benefit us all.