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Originally Posted by brooklyndust

There is a reoccurring story with art, fame and pop culture and generally success. We all love the story of the person with the last $12 in their pocket sleeping in the back of their car. But on a closer look there are a lot of artists who have had some huge advantages that the others don't; Ben Stiller / Jerry Stiller, Anthony Kiedis and his babysitter Cher, Maya Rudolph / Minnie Riperton, Rashida Jones / Quincy Jones, Drake's uncle was in Sly and The Family Stone.

Dwayne The Rock Johnson
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But I think it's an important thing to note that not everyone had some of the advantages they were privy to i.e. having free studio access to record Cookie Puss because their parents friends were returning a favour. Knowing the right people to talk to or how to conduct themselves in those circles* when talking to those people. i.e. During the making of Paul's Boutique, Mike D casually mentioning to Joe Smith, the CEO of Capital Records "You bought a Brach from my father"

Not taking away from their talent and integrity but just another layer to their story that I have started to recognize that sometimes might be overlooked.
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Mike or the rest of the band has never really flaunted their affluence.

Absolutely. I have always respected their modesty. They're definitely down to earth dudes who always seemed to understand that their success is due to a combination of talent and work but also luck, timing and certain privileges. Who HASN'T wished to be the kid of wealthy parents. They could've done much less with themselves and brought nothing to the world, so I'm happy they lived the way they did.

*Holy motherfuck is that true and mostly overlooked. Practice makes perfect and sometimes you only get one shot.

Originally Posted by Sir SkratchaLot

It also doesn't appear that their money (or lack thereof) had a huge direct impact on their success in the music biz. They had the instinct/luck to gravitate towards Rick Reuben. Had that not happened they probably wouldn't have made it very far in hip hop despite their raw talent.

It doesn't appear that way, but it's a lot easier to let go and follow your heart when in the back of your mind you know family'$ got your back. RR, an NYU kid from well off family, needed them as much as they needed him. They were all better off as a group.

Originally Posted by tuc70021

It crossed my mind that if I wasn't working every day after school from age 14 on my family and I probably would have just died of exposure.
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But anyway, I'm glad their parents had their shit together enough to give those dudes the time and resources to become my favorite band.

Originally Posted by balohna

Yeah, even just having the money to go out. At that age I was lucky to have like $20 in my pocket that I could spend freely. I don't know what the prices were like at NYC clubs in the early 80s, but I doubt they were partying every night for free. I remember there being kind of a rift at a certain age where kids start going out more (for me this was around 18, so I had more than $20... maybe like $200 in the bank), when I had to say no to a lot of my friends because I didn't have the disposable income they had. Or I'd say yes and next thing I know I have like $5 to my name.

I remember this rift around this age too. Just getting around was a pain in the a$$. I definitely missed out on a LOT of fun from not having money or having to work.

It felt like the kids with money didn't need to think of their futures as seriously. Letting go and "enjoying" their youth came at a lower cost in the sense that being carefree isn't as easy when you know there is no safety net. Having encouraging and $upportive parents vs parents constantly brow beating you into making something of yourself. Or no parents. These things make a huge difference. Even if they weren't actually spending parents' money, just the absence of the kind of stress that struggling families go through is an invisible but very real advantage.

Originally Posted by 3stooges

It's the artist and the art itself that matters, and not where it came from or what happened beforehand.

Everyone agrees on that - the point is that it's a lot harder to 'become an artist' or to get out there for most vs the ones you've heard of.

Originally Posted by brooklyndust

I think it's just an important thing to note, especially for younger artist just starting out. Tell them the whole story to set expectations but not squash dreams.

I think kids should learn this too. Nowadays there are so many accessible ways to make art, it's totally possible to just make things for the love of it. It's just a fact that you see more successful people that come from privilege in the arts, as opposed to say, mechanics or even doctors. It's almost like telling a short person they can be the next Michael Jordan. Sure, it's possible and there have been short players, but it's just highly unlikely. Right now pro basketball is a game dominated by tall people. It just is.

There are many more attainable paths to happiness and $uccess. Shit, look at the lady the thread is about. Plus - we need like ten new good singers a year. Tops.

Originally Posted by BeesTea

I think what DID help the 3 is they each had at least one parent who was in an artistic field. Perhaps their parents were more accepting of following one’s dreams vs going to college at 17 and 4 years later be ready to embark on a lucrative, safe career.

Yeah, it could even be that we got what we got from them as artists BECAUSE their parents were creatively encouraging. Not everything is about money. My parents were also creative types. These influences are also privileges vs kids who dont have them. They had great parents that provided high-level exposure to things that made them who they are to us.


I imagine MCA's architect pop may've exposed him to things that had something to do with his technical and design abilities, and all those contributions to the band.

I imagine that Adrock's theater dad and artist mom had something to do with his humor, his outgoing and performative talents.

I imagine Mike's exposure to his parents' art and work had something to do with his to eclectic musical taste and abilities, eye for design and being the first entrepreneur among them.


Anyway, I liked this thread and wrote too much. In the end we are what we eat and milk does a body good.



PPPS: The comments on the nyt article dust posted above really are worth the read. She seemed like a very cool person, a life well lived: "Ms. Diamond said in 2017 they were motivated to acquire art solely by “the excitement of seeing it, and falling in love with it, and buying it. It was always all about love.”. Clear influence