Times Article: Kool Herc Is in Pain, and Using It to Put Focus on Insurance

[Shonsteez]

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2...-pain-and-using-it-to-put-focus-on-insurance/

“People who are not performers think that the musicians they love have a big house, lots of cars and more money than they’ll ever know. The reality is that the majority of people who choose a life in the arts make a tough economic choice. They’re almost choosing voluntary poverty.”
-Bill Adler, Former Executive for Def Jam

 

[UNORTHODOX]

Wow, and thats real. beats and Bars dont come with a 401k and benefits

 

[dacalion]

I hate to play the bad guy here but thats something that needs to be addressed from the start. It's simple money management imo. Same thing as TLC filing for bankruptcy back in the day or Redd Foxx loosing his home because he couldn't pay his taxes and so on... Herc's issue was kidney stones. The music industry may not come with a 401k but anybody can open one, he just didn't. Anyone can have an health insurance plan as well. I think this article should be directed at up and coming artist as proof of what NOT to do -vs- what they are doing (using it primarily as a fund raiser to help Herc). I just couldn't imagine someone like Jay-Z not coming to the rescue for Herc, but at the same time, Herc needs to come up with a plan for the future.

 

[UNORTHODOX]

Money management is key, But so is knowing you may not be making enough to handle all these things correctly and adjusting your budget accordingly. This whole topic is highly untalked about at all.

 

[Fade]

I agree with Dacalion though.

I feel bad that Herc is sick and if people can help him out that would be great. But on the other hand, Bill Adler is saying that artists choose to be broke, so right there that means artists will not have money to pay for these things, so who's in the wrong here?

 

[Shonsteez]

Im not really sure the main purpose/focus of this article was to put Herc in a better light for being a broke pioneer of hip-hop though???....What I gathered from it moreso was that the author was trying to help shine some light on how flawed our health care system is for people that exist in his tax bracket. That, and potentially raise some interest for others that may want to help him out with donations...

 

[Relic]

Bill is wrong- Fade