individually, millionaires? I KNOW i'm violating by asking, but are they?

I'm sure they aren't like most of us "freelancers", hustling - i mean I beleive they hustle(tours, etc) just like the next bruh, but I'd assume the numbers are on anotha level.

nah or yeh?

Somebody has to know at least a little something about them on a financial level.........

riq g's posted on here one time about how all the money they make goes into one big pot for the benefit of the the whole roots crew. or somethin like that. by now im guessing they all are doin ok

shit who really cares if they're rich. as long as they continue to make good music its all good

>shit who really cares if they're rich. as long as they
>continue to make good music its all good

that has nothing to do with the question though. he just wanted to know if they were millionares.

- - - - -

"ask beavis, i get nothing but head" - big l

peace & love

that was in no way helpful to the conversation. plus i dont think it changed anyone's thinking on the subject. way to go.

we would be but...

(and this is less bragging and more reality check...the reason why i built this place)

so buckle up....

1) goverment gets a cut
2) manager gets a cut (the leader)
3) business manager gets his cut (money man)
4) must pay the staff:
i) production manager get his
ii) tour manager gets hers
iii) sound designer gets hers
iv) band members not in the "core circle"
v) assistants who schedules our day to day bullshit
5) lawyers
6) publisher takes they cut
7) label takes they cut
8) publicist

then bills

roots related

1) hotels for 12-14 people
2) airfare for 12-14 people
3) renting whatever transportation that will pick us from airport and to hotel and to gig (most college shows provide the school van. but if its a house of blues gig then we spring for it)
4) tour bus rental for 12 people, 2 buses
5) two drivers for said buses
6) the uh...cabrini "green" factor (tales from the ?rypt)--which when last seen could put about 10 of yall through school on some "okayscholarship" fund.

real life shit

1) mortgage
2) cell
3) electric
4) water
5) gas
6) credit card bills


family shit

1) ma dukes (all the real life shit) + allowance
2) pa dukes (all the real life shit) + allowance
3) 3 college tuitions
4) someone always hits me up for some "help" about once a month

personal shit

1) record shopping habit (i been good....i think i own all that i need)
2) my stylist (for a flat rate i get about 10 bapes a month about 6 months for the world gets it)---other than that besides my tshirt collection....shit is free
3) my engineer at my studio
4) my assistant

side gigs i invest money in from roots stuff like:

1) sqaure biz
2) okayplayer.com
3) soulin t's (im my only client)
4) randy watson llc

vices

1) sixers courtside seats
2) concert films from 70s


well...

take all this away and im sure that i could be holding about 7 figs.

but the shit that takes you over the top is charging 80 bucks a concert ticket and us grossing 300,000 a show (low if you ask me....sting gets 900,000 a show)

but to answer....no i do not make 7 figures.

but my pay is great for my lifestyle...

i get on the guest list
i get free shit
and there is only 24 hours in a day.

sometimes i will kayne some shit and spend more than i make---

but as of late (credit this to gf) i am more future oriented and now i dont need 20 BAPEs by next tuesday.

(well...maybe i do)

for being honest and not acting a fool by bullshitting about Lambo's and cristal (or however you spell it)

damn, yeah that is a lot of expenses people don't really even think of. For some reason the other day i was thinkin about all the things u don't really see that need to be takin care of. Like it's not all straight profit....
"sometimes i will kayne some shit and spend more than i make---"
U mean Kanye? I know if he saw it he'd get mad another person spelled or pernounced it wrong.("I'm Kanye not Kayne/ But to you, I'm Rick James - bitch!")lol.just playin...I've done that before, then wondered like, where the hell did all my money go? Did i just not get paid the other day?

Yeah I was just about to post the same thing!

?uesto has spelt Kanye's name wrong before in another post (many months back). I'm sure they cool and all but it's just funny. It's funny that even in Alicia Key's latest album "Diary of Alicia Keys", Kanye's name is STILL spelt wrong in the liner notes! Even after he hits huge with the mainstream, cats is still spelling his name wrong!

I just remember in the song "Neva Gonna Stop Me", at the end he's talking about how "I did about, 'bout four or five beats for Nas, this *igga dunno how to pronounce my name because they always spell it wrong...".

But in this case, I can't blame ?uest, usually he's typing this stuff up on like a Blackberry or somethin, or in a hotel rushing to type shit.

And awesome post ?uest, I concur with all the rest of these OKPs. It's great to hear this kind of thing from a major artist. You don't get to hear about spending habits and hidden costs of a music artist everyday you know?

BTW, is a BAPE the merchandise made by Nigo? If so, what kind of stuff do you buy ?uest?

damn... i always wondered how well-off the roots were, great post

as a musician... that sounds more than pleasant. that seems to be the real millionare shit right there. the free shit and touring can't hurt either. good shit.

- - - - -

"ask beavis, i get nothing but head" - big l

peace & love

?uestlove, that was a great post. I never thought about all the behind stuff. Thanks, it opened my eyes.

But, you didn't write money spent on food. Do you get free food or do you not eat ???

I know with all them places you travel to, you must be saying to yourself, I can't wait to go the Cali for some In n'Out?

Much respect for even answering that.

I'm a pretty open person about stuff but I think if I was in your shoes that would've gotten a big NO COMMENT.

Besides producing and stuff like that I think recording all the performances and selling most of them periodically maybe after the Roots are no longer performing live would be a good retirement plan.

Not like anybody needs my advice.

I know in my business I'm struggling this year so you know just about everything possible is getting written off on taxes.

>(and this is less bragging and more reality check...the
>reason why i built this place)
>so buckle up....

>personal shit
>3) my engineer at my studio
>4) my assistant

..........just ta be an assistant engineer understudy, if I had free room & board (hint hint); I can be one of ya pre-production ghost producerz juz for da experience of knownin' my way around a mixing console, compresserz, & mic settingz.

Damn...I must say, this is pretty accurate ?uest.

I must be doing a good job...at least you pay attention and know what goes where. (more than I can say for some of my clients)

restock the OKP store. there some ill shit in there i want and i know for sure other okplayers will cosign on this

>3) 3 college tuitions

even more props to you man

I didn't know that you have so many expenses ... I'll stop asking you for money now. :) (joking)

Props for being upfront about it. I'm beggin' for work at this point, how do I become an assistant? j/k. But really...

the honesty - what's most impressive bout it is that YOU know where the money's going - don't seem like many artists pay attention like thy should. this way you keep reality in play...

yeh, seems like ya don't HAVE to be 7-fig's to be LIVIN, & hell, this Aquarian over here always saw LIFE to be EXACTLY that - just BE, comfortably - now, if i can only get my loot to catch up to my thought/philosophy...

Its posts like yours that keep me lovin you guys as people and keep me buyin concert tickets.

that's why I come back to the site.
It makes you real people rather than icons.

I wonder if he speaks like an ordinary guy?

and he does.....LOL. Sorry, I couldn't resist.









"No dissrespect bruh........but don't overthink the music...
That last statement you made was concise, but this is HIP-HOP...

This is what we do:
Spray paint on walls
Scratch records
Chopp samples
Emcee"
-9th Wonder

i got a dollar for ya

Good lookin out
3 college tuitions damn
like someone else said restock the okp store I want some stuff 4real


------------------------------
I'm not like you and I cannot pretend. Cee Lo

I Will Not Lose! S.Carter

Shit on that Shit! ???

Don't compare me to you nigga you ain't this! Malice

Sit your five dollar ass down before I make change!
-Nino Brown

Where you at? If your mind is somewhere else then pick your ass up and take it over there and keep it company. I'm not having my time wasted by some half-ass, fish cake opponent today.
Samuel L. Jackson
...........Fresh..............

When you see you're playin' a man who feels naked without his lady, use her. Jump in there and take her, tease her, threaten her and he won't be able to think about his game anymore. That's when you make your real move.
.......Same as Above..........

You ready to be the king!
.......Same as Above..........

I appreciate everyone that comes out to see me at the club and at shows cuz it goes far beyond them paying for a ticket to come see me, they might have to get their hair done, get a new outfit, they gotta buy drinks when they get into the club, and artist need to know that. We’re not doin them a favor, they’re doin' us a favor by coming to see us.
Kid Capri In a recent article from hiphopdx.com

great post - very interesting - thanks ?uesto
you know they are well off, they can afford superbowl tix!!!