You wanna talk money call Chris Lighty

A line from the great Dilla/Busta album that Mick Boogie mixed and posted up on his site for a free download (thanks Mick!)

As a former artist manager I love it when artists shout out management or anyone on the business side. Why? Because I feel like we are underappreciated. Everything from politics to film to television to music is based on the cult of personality. Very little credit is given to those who provide the infrastructure. Well maybe until the artist wins a Grammy or Oscar.

I also love the fact that after all these years Busta is still in business with Chris Lighty and Violator. I love that their fundamental relationship has remained fruitful and functional after all these years. It is a rarity in Hip-Hop.

Often times the spirit of entreneurship breeds self reliance which often mutates into arrogance. That arrogane often leads the artist to take on responbility they are simply not trained to handle. Responsibilities like booking, marketing, contracts, merchandising, etc.

An artist who does all the aformentioned duties loves to fancy himself a renaissance man. I call him or her naive. Your primary job is to write rhyymes and songs. Inspire and be inspired. Be the icon. The candidate. Of course you must have a working knowledge and/or supervise the nuts and bolts but that is not what you are built for. No more than I am built to kick 36 bars to a crowd in Dusseldorf.

In theory it is just as silly to see Chris Lighty on the Ayo Technology remix as it is to see 50 at the Glaceau final negotiations.

Play your position.
Let the plumber fix the pipes and let the exterminator kill the roaches.

And maybe you can last in the game as long as Bussa Bus.