Music is Gambling

For years, I’ve faced criticism for saying that music isn’t a hustle—it’s a gamble. Selling tomatoes on the street is a more reliable hustle than making music. Let me explain: when you sell tomatoes, you’re going to earn some money, no matter how small the amount. Music, on the other hand, is a different ball game. Just think about it: how many hits has Zahara had? What about Zola? Right now, the artist behind “Biri Marung” is in Nigeria, struggling and abandoned by his team. That’s the gamble of music—it can pay off, but it often doesn’t. Anything that works like that can’t really be called a hustle, which is why so many artists end up broke. There’s no guarantee that you’ll make money from it. In contrast, working as a cashier provides a level of assurance. Just look at how record labels can vanish with artists' money, leaving them financially stranded. But if you work at Shoprite, you can count on receiving your salary. A hustle means you put in the effort first and see a return. Music, however, can have you working tirelessly only to find yourself lost in Nigeria.

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