I was reading an article on a rock n’ roll website, where James Hetfield of Metallica (who have made an assload of money in their 30-year career as musicians) was quoted as saying, “any band out there would rather fly on a chartered jet, than sit on a bus.” The message boards blew up, people lost their MINDS….saying he was a sell-out for saying that. The comments were posted by the most judgemental and envious people i’ve ever seen. And I don’t even LIKE Metallica that much. Welcome to the Internet, right?

First off, riding in a jet isn’t selling out for Metallica. Making the Load and Reload albums were. Let’s note the difference: spending the money you worked hard to make, and living comfortably, is not selling out. Making a shitty album to attract new fans is.

Secondly, why is enjoying the money you earn selling out? Other people just look at that and judge, saying “oh, you make all this money, you can’t understand us.” Guess what? Metallica had to live out of a van too. They had tomatoes thrown at them in the 1980′s, when they opened for the Rolling Stones. They worked hard through the years, they’ve constantly toured and recorded albums. Let them enjoy the fruits of their labors….it’s America. The Beatles didn’t make their great albums until they had the ass-ton of money to afford Abbey Road studios. Great bands with great talent will shine more when they can afford the tools to utilize their craft to the best of their abilities.
I’m tired of people and bands thinking that being a bum is some badge of honor to wear. There’s nothing wrong with making something of yourself, and making money doing what you do. Especially if you do it well.  Note the Tool show below:

To the envious bands that were indirectly influenced by Metallica, yet hate them: You lived in a horrible apartment in the worst neighborhood, so you had to work hard and use the experiences on the streets to make the most amazing album ever, right? Wrong. Being poor doesn’t mean you’re going to make great music. You can be poor while sucking at the same time. I don’t have time to list all the bands that suck that don’t have any money. Gangster rappers sell out all the time, by ironically acting poor. There are rappers that have even hired people to shoot them, or they have used their gunshot injuries to sell albums. Like, “hey, I got shot…therefore i’m awesome.” No, you’re a moron that got shot because you ran your mouth to the wrong people….and don’t tell me you weren’t crying for your mommy while they carted your idiot-ass to the hospital. Coons would argue this is Darwin at work….I’m leaning towards agreement.

Some would say, “well, the harsh experiences living on the streets…bring about the best music. It’s all about the intense pain, and the emotion….” Eat a bag of ballsack. So, people with money can’t get their hearts broken? People with money can’t contract cancer, or suffer from addiction? On the contrary, studies show that people with more money have considerably more cases of depression over those that don’t have much. To quote Notorious B.I.G. himself…..”Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems.”