Fame does not equate to money. I don't know when exactly this delusional mindset invaded the brains of our people, but if you are one of these men or women who thinks just because you don't see someone all over the Internet, television, or on MTV Cribs that they’re broke, then I have a stadium in Texas I just bought from Jerry Jones that I want to sell to you for the low...

I was moved to write this when I was reading tweets about my second favorite MC of all time, Mr. Nasir Jones, the other day. You heard the news by now that Nas has to pay Kelis over $290,000 in backdated support payments and legal bills blah, blah, blah. All I kept seeing was people saying Nas is broke. I was like, why?

People said because he don't have a reality show, or he hasn't been in a movie since Belly, or he doesn't own his own alcohol beverage. One person wrote something like, “I know Nas broke because he's never been on tour with Jay-Z.” I was like, huh? Is this how people’s pockets are measured nowadays?

Has it ever dawned on anybody that Nas has the money? Or y’all just assume he doesn't have it because he's not flashy? It's my understanding that they audit your assets when you’re going through a divorce. So the judge obviously thought Nas was paying within his means so he has money.

I'm not saying Nas is filthy rich but I bet he's barely broke. I bet if he had an iced out kufi, or his face on a chain, you would think he was caked the fuck up. Can you be mad at Nas for not wanting to kick all that money out to Kelis? Hell no! I'm a stern believer in spousal support because I believe if the mother of your child is happy then your child will be even happier, but let's be reasonable, Kelis…

But, I’ll digress, that’s another blog for another time so back to the matter at hand.

I want my people to stop equating FAME with MONEY. In life, it's usually the people you don't see who are making the real bread. Why do you equate camera time with cash? Why do you think the person with all the jewelry on, the person with the Bentley, or the people you see on TV every week have all the money? Some of you think the cast of the Bad Girls Club is rich. I bet you think Frankie and Neffe paid, too, huh? I bet if some of you Young Money-minded muthafuckas saw Yung Berg standing side by side with Warren Buffett in your hood you would ask Yung Berg to borrow some money.

I want you to go up to the average 21 year old in the hood and ask them whose money they’d rather have, Carlos Slim Helu or Young Jeezy? Now that question is meant to be rhetorical, but I bet if you asked it you’d get a bunch of kids looking at me crazy saying, Are you serious? They should be telling you get the fuck out of here I want Carlos Slim Helu's bread because he's the richest man in the world! Guess what, though? You won't hear that as much as you think because these kids never heard of Carlos Slim Helu, but they have heard of Jeezy. They see Jeezy in the videos on the Internet, with the cars and the jewelry, so in their mind that's who got the money!

We have psychologically trained people to chase an illusion. The reason there are so many kids who want to be rappers, reality show stars, models and athletes is because these kids think this is were the money is. They see these people as being successful and rich when we all know there is a small percentage of rappers and entertainers who are making money.

Reality show stars? Please, half of them live with their parents. Athletes? When it comes to the NFL only 2.4-percent of college players make it and the NBA, far less than 1-percent. Models? You can't be serious. If you think you are going to be a millionaire by being on the front of KING I suggest you kill yourself but I understand why you all chase these illusions, because this is what you see.

Imagine if on a daily basis kids saw how Carlos Slim Helu, Warren Buffett or Bill Gates live the same way they see how a Lil Wayne or Lebron James lives. In fact, imagine if kids just knew who these people were? It would open their minds to a whole new world of opportunities. They would say to themselves, who are these people? Then, they would get to Googling and see the things these people have contributed to society. That's when imagination kicks in and they start coming up with the new computer programs more advanced than Microsoft or alternative forms of energy for homes and cars—things that could make them the future billionaires of America.

How about a reality show for all the non-famous rich people? Show the doctors, lawyers, engineers and people who have invested in the right stock, and entrepreneurs who have started their own businesses. How about we showcase them and show their cars and their houses just to give these kids some other options and let them realize that Fame doesn't equate to money.

In closing, I would like to say don't assume the person washing the Bentley is any less well off than the so-called rich and famous rapper driving the Bentley because the person washing the Bentley might own the car wash. Nine times out of 10, the Bentley the rapper is driving is leased or even worse, rented because, for some reason, you negroes swear there is a future in frontin’.

Until next time,

Charlamagne Tha God

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