Swizz Beatz thinks nowadays rappers should pay homage with their bag.
Music producer Swizz Beatz is reportedly letting it be known that he thinks rappers these days should pay “taxes” to hip-hop founders. Beatz said he wants to raise a million dollars for each of the co-founding fathers of the genre in addition to the dues he is suggesting.
Swizz Beatz was on his very own ‘Zone Radio’ on Instagram Live when he started discussing the pioneers of hip-hop deserving their fees from rappers who get to enjoy it now. “We can’t mix the hype with the reality of what this all started from. I want to raise a million dollars for each icon that started hip-hop… [DJ] Kool Herc on down,” Swizz said. “The fact that we’re not paying taxes to who started hip hop shows we don’t f***ing really love hip-hop.”
Swizz was speaking with podcaster and reality TV star Joe Budden in a dual Live session at the time. He continued, “The fact that we don’t pay taxes as artists to those icons that paved the way took the lower cut for the music that allowed us to feed our families,” Swizz said in a disappointed tone. “F**k the government. We need to be paying taxes to the creatives of hip-hop that gave us freedom of speech to go forward,” he added.
Some other greats he mentioned that he’d want to raise funds for are Melle Mel, Grandmaster Flash, and Sugarhill Gang. He added, “minium a million a piece.” Swizz himself has been in the hip-hop industry for a very long time. The fact that he is championing for the creators long before him to enjoy the pecuniary benefits of today’s rappers’ success says a lot about his appreciation for hip-hop music, and it’s core contributors.
Swizz Beatz and Timbaland started a weekly hip-hop music battle on Instagram Live called Verzuz in March. The series has been off to a wonderful start pulling in 6 and 7-figure audiences. The exciting virtual face-off pins some of music’s old favorites against each other in an educational and entertaining hit for hit session. The nostalgia alone is enough to keep viewers coming back — with the show’s founders presenting battles like Teddy Riley v Babyface, Erykah Badu v Jill Scott, and on this upcoming Saturday, Nelly vs Ludacris. Swizz has been promoting the latter on his social media platforms all week.
Swizz clearly has respect and deep gratitude for the creatives that precede him, but do you agree that rappers nowadays should be paying them some sort of taxes?
