Hip-hop has long been one of the most prominent venues in the world for conspicuous consumption – but ASAP Rocky knows that can’t be everything. In the midst of a recent interview, the rapper and burgeoning mogul focused his attention on money management, dropping some gems you can view above. Hip-hop, much like athletics, is filled with troubling stories about artists who seemingly had it all at one point, but run into financial woes for many reasons – most sadly because they can’t leave the “f—k up some commas” lifestyle alone. From tax woes like DMX and Nelly’s, to bankruptcies like Jazze Pha’s, the list of hard on their luck hip-hop personalities expands every year.
Looks like Rocky, who’s involved in fashion and other ventures with his own AWGE brand, learned from Harlem predecessors like Cam’ron and P. Diddy – it’s not just about spending money, but keeping it with smart investments. “Nothin’ wrong with ballin’ but learn how to save,” he advised rappers. He also noted that it’s not just about MCs investing in intellectual property or sponsorships, but it’s important to save liquid cash for a rainy day. Typically, the only time rain and money are in the same hip-hop sentence is on a strip club record, but Rocky is right. There’s nothin’ wrong with flexing your stacks or money phones, but just make sure there’s something in the bank for tomorrow.
Rocky also cosigned Jay-Z, adding he “didn’t like” the criticism thrown Jay’s way for his perceived condemnation of wasteful spending and flaunting on 4:44 from rappers like Drake and Future. As long as one artist took away a lesson from Jay’s financially savvy advice, some good was done.
