Renowned American rapper, Kanye West has called on artists in the United States, both emerging and established, to adopt the business mindset and work ethic demonstrated by Nigerian musicians.
During a recent conversation with DJ Akademiks, West criticised the lack of business acumen among American rappers, pointing out that many struggle with understanding the legal and financial aspects of the industry and often depend on foreign expertise for guidance.
He emphasized the need for American artists to elevate their approach to the music business by taking cues from their international counterparts.
In his words, “Until motherfuckers can really get their stuff together like the Nigerians, the Chinese, the Jewish, or like the tech Indian or some shit, everything I’m saying counts.”
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The 47-year-old rapper expressed concerns about the financial vulnerability of many U.S. musicians, arguing that they rely too much on external management, lawyers, and record labels rather than developing independent control over their careers.
He further stated, “When you start, I administer pain, mentally. Because none of these niggas [rappers] are as smart as me. I can’t say for at least the tech dudes.
“That’s some other shit. But artists are dumb, bro. It’s like they can’t even fucking count, bro. Jewish people and lawyers run their whole shit—the contracts, the setups, etc.”
Challenging the industry’s structure, West added, “Okay, go and ask them to run a whole record label without a Jewish person. I will take back what I had to say. Go and set up your whole TV network, make it run, no Jewish investor—let me see how that works.”
