What do rappers do after they're done rapping?

[Stan]

First time posting here, long time reading though.
I saw something about Jayo Felony and something came to mind that I think about from time to time.  What are rappers doing after they're done a short career or had mediocre success?  I mean what do these guys do for cheesE?  Some examples:
Jayo Felony
Ras Kass
Roscoe
Slip Capone
Suga Free
Goldie Loc/Tray Dee
Bad Azz
Crooked I (still relevant)

I mean what are these guys doin these days?  There is no way they are still earning a living from rapping, except maybe Crooked I.  Even still, if you dont' have an album out and you can't do big tours... how does shit get by?  I always wonder if you'd see them working retail or some shit like that.

[blazeindave213]

suga free the pimp hes a real pimp he just dosent rap about it he lives it

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

First time posting here, long time reading though.
I saw something about Jayo Felony and something came to mind that I think about from time to time.  What are rappers doing after they're done a short career or had mediocre success?  I mean what do these guys do for cheesE?  Some examples:
Jayo Felony
Ras Kass
Roscoe
Slip Capone
Suga Free
Goldie Loc/Tray Dee
Bad Azz
Crooked I (still relevant)

I mean what are these guys doin these days?  There is no way they are still earning a living from rapping, except maybe Crooked I.  Even still, if you dont' have an album out and you can't do big tours... how does shit get by?  I always wonder if you'd see them working retail or some shit like that.

Depends on who youre talkin about. Many of em can still get paid off features...doin shows here and there. Theyll be getting money the same way a younger rapper would who hasnt made a MAJOR name for themselves.  Hopefully they were somewhat smart with their money and saved some of that shit up. You never know, maybe Jayo has been investing.....

[Stan]

Well I'm talking about dudes listed plus dozens of others.  I doubt they do too many shows, but then again I don't live in Cali.  Still I mean you here a lot of these guys rap about the baller/pimp lifestyle but most of it is complete bullshit right? 
How does a young rapper with no deal or marketing make money?....  A dime a dozen doesn't even cover that one.

[Chamillitary Click]

Like Daygo said, hopefully they got some of that bread saved up.

Otherwise, good question.

[Triple OG Rapsodie]

I would assume they're doing the same thing everyone else on here is doing.

[Do Dirty]

First time posting here, long time reading though.
I saw something about Jayo Felony and something came to mind that I think about from time to time.  What are rappers doing after they're done a short career or had mediocre success?  I mean what do these guys do for cheesE?  Some examples:
Jayo Felony
Ras Kass
Roscoe
Slip Capone
Suga Free
Goldie Loc/Tray Dee
Bad Azz
Crooked I (still relevant)

I mean what are these guys doin these days?  There is no way they are still earning a living from rapping, except maybe Crooked I.  Even still, if you dont' have an album out and you can't do big tours... how does shit get by?  I always wonder if you'd see them working retail or some shit like that.

Well Suga Free is a Pimp first, rapper second. Crooked I has supposedly invested his money into business ventures. It depends on the rapper really. Some work as ghost writers

[acgrundy]

LMAO @ hopefully some of the were smart and saved up hahaha

The only investing those rappers have done is bought gold...a gold chain that is.

I'm sure most of them are broke and owe a bunch of money to creditors and the irs.  I'm sure plenty of westcoast gangsta rappers sell drugs, or do any kind of hustle to make some money.

[amazing25]

well, many of them still have a small, but relevant shows.

Like Talib Kweli,Diliated Peoples,Strong Arm Stready...They generate small crowds and get small money but enough to survive..

I assume some of them get loans and than pay it off.

But Many evade tax shit and get into trouble.

Like that Dumb Nigga from Ghetto Boys, Willie D or some Irrelevant 94 Bum that was Selling huge portions of Fake I phones scam or some shit..He got like 25 years.

The thing you gotta realise is that it has only been 8-15 years max since most rappers went selling(1998,2000 etc) for most. So they been living on the money they made so far, but what you gotta realise is that they are becoming completely irrelevant and they still have another 50-60 years to live.


So i would say in the next 20-30 years, in real future, say, 65% of all the rappers ever selling an albm will be working Fulltime in the factories.

The rest 35-40% will be good(Game,T.I,Luda, Jeezy,Cube,Dre,Em,Jay,50,Yay,Banks,Ross etc)...Huge Number of them

Even after the careers are over...People Like Cube,Game,Bone Thugs..They  still have and will have fans that would wanna see them perform live..Not as much but still getting some $$$.

I mean, I would say that Games career is now alltime low, and dude just been booked to Perform in Texas Colesium San Peso or something and it has capacity over 7000 people...

20$ a show, if the arena is sold out, thats over 100-150 000 generated from Tour.Whatever money Game gets, its his money.

Same with Cube...He been long gone and still tours AROUND TEH WORLD. Quite a nice capacity venues..

Same with Bone thugs..These are rappers that will allways tour.

Game allways tears up the crowd and gives great entertainment, so people will allways spend $$$ on his shows...Same with Jeezy and others.

[Stan]

Yea this shit reminds me of that song by Nas called "Where are they now".  I guess it would be weird to pull up to a Circuit City and have said rapper selling you a TV in the same store you bought his cd in 10 years ago, lol.

[amazing25]

in a few years, Ja Rule, DMX will go Broke...they have no investments or any of that.They are the rappers that sold 6-7 millie in USA Alone, had cake but didnt invest it like 50 Was doing with Gunit Shoes,Clothing etc..

Even Game, for what he was, he knew his brand wouldnt live for too long, but while it was hot, he made Hurricane Shoes, was here and there trynna earn as much.

specially in 2001-2002...Rappers were all selling like 2-3 millie each time..>Easy. And at that time, nobody even worried about creating a brand and investing..

50 Was the First one after Master P. Than after 2005, sales went low, rescessions etc....People went like WOAH. We Gonna go broke!

[Bananas]

Mooching off their mom.
Mooching of their girlfriend.
Mooching of their grandparents.
Selling weed, etc...
Living out of their car.
Get a job at a bar/nightclub.

Some ideas that stick to a few gfunk legends here and there.

[Jimmy H.]

Well, to be fair, it's just as easy for a rapper with millions of dollars to go broke if he doesn't know how to manage his finances properly. I mean, a lot of us like to act like we know all the numbers involved but the math isn't as simple as "Well, Jayo Felony doesn't have as many hit records as someone like Game so he must be broker". Thing is even if you're a rapper who had a huge album that went platinum, that really don't mean shit. Most rappers aren't making money off album sales. The only guaranteed money you get is the advance and that's where your smart artists are seperated from the stupid ones. If you sign with Def Jam and they give you $400,000 as your advance, that's yours. Whether you sell a million copies or the album gets scrapped before it ever hits shelves. The ultimate trap is for you to buy into the idea of your label as your family. "We all gonna ride together, you gotta show you down with us by wearing the label pendant in the video". I've heard quite a few stories about artists being shocked to discover those custom-made label chains actually get charged to them.

I think most of the people named are probably gonna be alright. Ja Rule? He gonna be fine. He got movie and music money coming in. DMX might be hurting due to legal troubles. Let's not be fooled by images though. Don't forget how big Pac was balling in his last year and then when they opened up the books after he died, he was in debt up to his ass.

[BiggBoogaBiff]

Rappers dont make money really.  When they do get it most invest in things, some big some small but most invest in something just good enuf to keep em on their feet.  Suga Free got pimpin and BG sells drugs or he used to, same wit all dem Hb niggaz, Wayne included.  but im pretty sure theres a broke nigga or two out there.

[BiggBoogaBiff]

E40 got fatburger too