I know Common's three albums combined have not gone gold (sold 500,000 copies), so how is this man paying bills? I know a lot (most?) of cash flow comes in from tours, but he's not exactly Ruff Ryders or Cash Money. He can't be making that much doing "Special Guest" appearances. So what does he actually do for a living? Is Com baggin groceries or what?<P>I mean, I know a lot of emcees (especially underground) have other occupations while they're dropping albums. Like, Mad Skillz used to be a parking lot attendant in Virginia a couple years ago (probably still is). So what did the Roots do for a living before the hip-hop cash flow became steady?<P>---------------------------<BR>"when science finally locates the center of the universe, some people will be surprised to learn they're not it."<BR>- unknown<P>"words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them."<BR>- nathaniel hawthorne<P>"whatever happens it was written, meaning God meant it..." <BR>- nasir jones

if the average man can survive a year on 30,000-up per year bracket. money is easy to get.<P>-advance from label when you start a record<P>-working with others for mc to producer is $5,000-50,000 a track.<P>-acting $2,000- $20,000<P>-endorsing $5000<P>-shows $ 250 to $75,000 a show<P>-do white labels $25,000<P>do any of these things 1nc to 4 times a month and you'll be straight.<P><P><P><P><P><P><BR>THE SOULQUARIANS<BR>chewy (quest).....jan<BR>luke (d)........feb <BR>lando (jaydee)......feb<BR>cp30 (james poyser).....jan<BR>r2d2 (jazzy jeff)......jan<BR>hans (chaos)........jan<BR>anakin (lil mike)......feb<P>honorary members:<BR>kelo- soulacorn.......jan<BR>common- soulcies......march<BR>erykah- soulcies......feb<BR>zack- soulicorn.......feb<P>(AFTER SEEING MY PERFORMANCE FOR THE FIRST TIME, MY IDOL STEVE FERRONE EMAILED ME THIS LETTER.....)<P>Opening fill from "person to person". ....... $100.00<BR>Cute fill betwween hi hat, bass drum and snare ....... $1500.00<BR>Horn line from "Love Your Life" ..... $10,000.35<BR>Breakfast with Ferrone.... Gratis<P>The reason you are being charged for the horn line is that it was probably your idea to use it!<P>You da man! Great show! Really nice pocket! Call or e-mail sometime, and take care out there.<BR>818-***-****<P>God Bless,<P>Stephen Ferrone.<BR>

i take it this whole music biz thing isn't as desperate as most people make it out to be...

if you are jigga fuck yeah you makin 50,000 a show<P>.....but what if you are monch?<P><P><P><P><BR>THE SOULQUARIANS<BR>chewy (quest).....jan<BR>luke (d)........feb <BR>lando (jaydee)......feb<BR>cp30 (james poyser).....jan<BR>r2d2 (jazzy jeff)......jan<BR>hans (chaos)........jan<BR>anakin (lil mike)......feb<P>honorary members:<BR>kelo- soulacorn.......jan<BR>common- soulcies......march<BR>erykah- soulcies......feb<BR>zack- soulicorn.......feb<P>(AFTER SEEING MY PERFORMANCE FOR THE FIRST TIME, MY IDOL STEVE FERRONE EMAILED ME THIS LETTER.....)<P>Opening fill from "person to person". ....... $100.00<BR>Cute fill betwween hi hat, bass drum and snare ....... $1500.00<BR>Horn line from "Love Your Life" ..... $10,000.35<BR>Breakfast with Ferrone.... Gratis<P>The reason you are being charged for the horn line is that it was probably your idea to use it!<P>You da man! Great show! Really nice pocket! Call or e-mail sometime, and take care out there.<BR>818-***-****<P>God Bless,<P>Stephen Ferrone.<BR>

>if you are jigga fuck yeah you <BR>>makin 50,000 a show <BR>>.....but what if you are monch? <P>well, Monch obviously tried to do the jigga-esque thing with "Simon Says", having it dominate Hot97 for a quick minute...so obviously that helped him get a little recognition, which gets more people to show up for his concerts, which puts him more in demand, which gives him the opportunity to charge more for appearances. Plus, the noteriety will make him more wanted for cameos on other people's shit and possibly production on other people's shit. Ya know? hehe<P>ILLWILL<BR>--------<P>"Nick and Rhome gang up on me on the threeway."--Steve<P>"LOL..I dont get with yellow men"--Steve<P>"ok I really need to smoke a butt"--Steve<P>"It's all about me, me, me, me, me, and I'm Mya with a big dick though and you faggot like Sisqo"--Ras Kass<P>"What I don't understand is how can Sisqo, who's like 190 in gay years come out with a damn song about thongs and then title the shit 'thong song'?"--Mil<P>"Sisqo scored a 60 on the Gay Slam Dunk contest... I saw it on GaySPN."--Mil<P>"Sisqo is a 12.4 on the gay richter scale."--Mil

>well, Monch obviously tried to do the <BR>>jigga-esque thing with "Simon Says", having <BR>>it dominate Hot97 for a quick <BR>>minute...<P><BR>chill will. listen to that track. you honestly think that was an attempt to go commercial? and the way flex rules 97 with an iron fi$t (i'll let com tell you how many 0's are behind the 1, just to settle the beef flex has with mca records)<P>anyway. i think it's a hardcore track that appeals to the masses. it dosn't sound like swiss. nor could i hear any rapper but monch rhyme over a 6/8 meter godzilla beat.<P>but trust me. i talked to him, and this shit was definately not obvious.<P>THE SOULQUARIANS<BR>chewy (quest).....jan<BR>luke (d)........feb <BR>lando (jaydee)......feb<BR>cp30 (james poyser).....jan<BR>r2d2 (jazzy jeff)......jan<BR>hans (chaos)........jan<BR>anakin (lil mike)......feb<P>honorary members:<BR>kelo- soulacorn.......jan<BR>common- soulcies......march<BR>erykah- soulcies......feb<BR>zack- soulicorn.......feb<P>(AFTER SEEING MY PERFORMANCE FOR THE FIRST TIME, MY IDOL STEVE FERRONE EMAILED ME THIS LETTER.....)<P>Opening fill from "person to person". ....... $100.00<BR>Cute fill betwween hi hat, bass drum and snare ....... $1500.00<BR>Horn line from "Love Your Life" ..... $10,000.35<BR>Breakfast with Ferrone.... Gratis<P>The reason you are being charged for the horn line is that it was probably your idea to use it!<P>You da man! Great show! Really nice pocket! Call or e-mail sometime, and take care out there.<BR>818-***-****<P>God Bless,<P>Stephen Ferrone.<BR>

>i'll let com tell <BR>>you how many 0's are behind <BR>>the 1, just to settle the <BR>>beef flex has with mca records <P>Please tell me that's not RECOUPABLE!!!!!!!!<P><BR>"I only got paid one time to play a record" - Funkmaster Flex<P>"Riiiiiiiiiiiiight?" - Jay, ATL 2000 <BR>

J - "I'm about to fax an offer for Jigga."<P>Agent - "You know Damon wants the WHOLE guarantee up front"<P>J - "A'ight, In that case same offer, ___________ instead"<P>

> i take it <BR>>this whole music biz thing isn't <BR>>as desperate as most people make <BR>>it out to be... <BR>It depends on what you mean by desperate. That may seem like a lot of money to you but Common has the kind of respect that commands that kind of dough. Not any kid pressing up maximum of 500 records for his "Fat Beats" single can ask for $5000 to be on a record. Even with all that said record sales are still important because they can up the stakes. Do you have a clue how much they pay someone like Sting to breath on mics. Even some top notch studio engineers make more than that in one session. That's why its important that Common goes Platinum.He deserves more. Record sales improve market value. EVERYONE BUY 2 COPIES OF LWFC.<P>ONE LOVE<BR>"I’d rather go to the mall and encounter wanna be Barry White’s walking around than wanna be Snoop Dogg’s." okp Cappish <BR>-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-<BR>March 28th seems such a long wait.<BR>You know how albums get pushed back? Can they also be pushed "forward"?<BR>-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_<BR>

to the different hustles you can have within the industry- "guest" producing and colaborating is a definite way of keeping your stovk value up. Thousandsof dollars of publicity budgets (at a minimum) go into making sure that certain artists and/or producers are documented in their studio work together. i used to make some pretty decent sidemoney shooting sessions like (name artist) with Boys 2 Men at Stonecreek, or Rodney Jerkins working with whoever he happened to be fleshing out. Even the picture of D'Angelo and Riq/Ahmir is from one of those candid photo ops...<P>it pays to stay busy essentially... flossin don't pay the bills...<P>PoZi (;=

am i the only one who listened 2 the work he did 4 Chante Moore's new cd (particularly If I Gave Love) & heard the very same track he did 4 Jennifer Lopez (If You Had My Love)? I guess it's not enough that Chante has talent, she gets raped because she's backed by the same Sony giants as my boriqua sister, Jennifer, right? The industry sucks... some of it, anyway.<P>Atlanta<P><BR>'God help u if u are an ugly girl,<BR>'course 2 pretty is also your doom<BR>cuz everyone harbors a secret hatred 4 the prettiest girl in the room.<BR>God help u if U are a Phoenix<BR>and u dare 2 rise up from the ash,<BR>a thousand eyes will smolder in jealousy while u are just flying past..."<BR>- Ani di Franco

i saw some interview show with Chante Moore where she mentioned that...while she didnt't outright say Lopez bit it, she basically said something to the effect of "some people don't have artisitic integrity like myslef"<P><BR>"Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love.<BR>I like to work, read, learn, and understand life." - Langston Hughes "Theme for English B"

I hadn't thought about it in a while, but when I first heard Jennifer's song, I was thinkin then that she had bit off Chante.. What REALLY sucks is when people hear Chante, they gon' be like "oooh.. She's bitin Jennifer." oh well, such is life..<P>Hax.<P>"Why have a siggie twice the size of your post?" - me.

In an interview last year, Chante Moore stated that Rodney Jerkins produced the songs on her album first, then went to work on Jennifer's album, eventhough Chante's album came out after Jennifer's. So Rodney, is too blame for the very talented Chante Moore's bland song sounding exactly like talentless Jennifer Lopez's bland song.

I've seen artist's with $150,000 advances spend that money in a few months. I've seen $10,000 get stretched across a year. Don't think that money lasts forever, it costs so much to live nowadays. Especially if you wanna look "jiggy", you're in trouble. That's why I'm amazed with the number of artists' flossing and having to HAVE the latest designer digs. Eff that! Thrift store till I die! Outlet malls till I'm reincarnated. <P>Oh, and alot of people don't know that alot of your shit, if fronted by your record company, from advances to limo rides, are "recoupable". Translation, you gotta pay it all back! And they have CPA's on duty 24-7 making sure everything is accounted for. Do I really wanna be an artist?.........<P>BLING! BLING!<P>I AM BLACK MUSIC <P>"Won't you spend the night quit playing withn me" - Mint Condition<P>"Don't be lonely, you're not the only one who's heart's been broken too" - Cameo<P>"I imagine my heart with you, see what imagination it can do." - EarthWind&Fire<P>"Thoughts of pretty you & me, erotic city come alive" - Prince<P>"You can't fade me!" - Ice Cube<P>"Don't let your mouth write a check your butt can't cash!" - My Mommy<P>"Why does my negative change when I thought I would never" - Maxwell<P>OKAYPLAYER.COM, the meanest place on earth.

LOL. RECOUP, I hate that word.<P><P><P>

Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!<BR>Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!<BR>Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!<BR>Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!<BR>Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!<BR>Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!<BR>Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!<BR>Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!<BR>Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!<BR>Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!<BR>Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!<BR>Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!<BR>Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!<BR>Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!<BR>Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!Recoup!<P>BLING! BLING!<P>I AM BLACK MUSIC <P>"Won't you spend the night quit playing withn me" - Mint Condition<P>"Don't be lonely, you're not the only one who's heart's been broken too" - Cameo<P>"I imagine my heart with you, see what imagination it can do." - EarthWind&Fire<P>"Thoughts of pretty you & me, erotic city come alive" - Prince<P>"You can't fade me!" - Ice Cube<P>"Don't let your mouth write a check your butt can't cash!" - My Mommy<P>"Why does my negative change when I thought I would never" - Maxwell<P>OKAYPLAYER.COM, the meanest place on earth.

"What do you mean I paid for all those platinum plaques the label sent out?...WHAT!!!!!!!! I PAID FOR MINE TOO?"<P>"I paid for how many limo rides?"<P>"50% of my video budgets?"<P>

Congratulations on going platinum Jay. Here's your plaque, enjoy!....That'll just be fifteen hundred bucks and you can KEEP it!<P><BR>IM & AIM - Kash2099 (starving are-teeest)<P>Beware the fury of a patient man.<BR>John Dryen<P>The great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps the independence of solitude.<BR>R.W. Emerson<P>A thought....<BR>It is quite easy to say "love yourself or no one else will"....but if no one else does....how can YOU?<BR>Me - with too much time on my hands.

Just when you think fire knows everything there is to know about the music biz, there goes another one! You would think that they wouldn't be so low as to charge you for making them so much money, but thus the evil empire reigns supreme.<P>"you sold one million records. you've made $20 and the platinum plaque cost $19.95 plus tax and delivery. So that'll be $10 that you owe us." ........and Negros wanna walk around in new Gucci gear. Go head with your broke self.<P>BLING! BLING!<P>I AM BLACK MUSIC <P>"Won't you spend the night quit playing withn me" - Mint Condition<P>"Don't be lonely, you're not the only one who's heart's been broken too" - Cameo<P>"I imagine my heart with you, see what imagination it can do." - EarthWind&Fire<P>"Thoughts of pretty you & me, erotic city come alive" - Prince<P>"You can't fade me!" - Ice Cube<P>"Don't let your mouth write a check your butt can't cash!" - My Mommy<P>"Why does my negative change when I thought I would never" - Maxwell<P>OKAYPLAYER.COM, the meanest place on earth.

$***.** ain't worth your soul...Common<P>if knowledge be the key then show me the<BR>locks...Q-Tip<P>it is good to swim in the waters of tradition, to drown in them is suicide...MKGhandi

i read somewhere that quest makes a few extra dollars a week modeling "smack my ass -- pull my hair" shirts. is it true?<P><P>you better bring me some muthafuckin' cognac or i'll kill you -- supherb<P>words ought to be a little wild for they are the assault of thoughts on the unthinking -- john maynard keynes