What music do billionaires listen to?

How To Become A Billionaire—The Teni Makanaki Way

I wanna be a billionaire, billionaire, yeah.

Teniola Apata, popularly known as Teni Makanaki is a singer-songwriter who has found her way into the hearts of many Nigerian music lovers. Although she is far from what most Nigerians feel a female artiste should look like, she has managed to win them over with good music. Just five years ago, nobody would have said the same thing about Teni.

She recently dropped a hit single titled Billionaire, which has been bursting the airwaves a lot lately. In this song, she talked about her desire to become a billionaire, travel the world, and buy expensive cars while making reference to some popular Nigerian billionaires.

She did the same in one of her hit singles titled Case, begging the question, «How long has Teni been obsessed with becoming a Billionaire?». Well, that’s some talk for another day. But here is one for today, «How is the President of the Future Billionaires club working towards securing that bag?»

Some members have been taking notes lately, and they are generous enough to share. Here are some of the things that will increase your chances of becoming a billionaire.

Be You

Teni is changing the narrative in a society that feels you need to be a diva with nice hair, banging makeup, sexy dress, and a perfect body to be a successful female artiste. Not sure if the Nigerian Music Industry has had someone like that since Weird Mc.

Sometime last year, Teni was trolled by Osagie Alonge, a then journalist at Pulse. He said during one of his podcasts that she should only be writing songs and not singing because she doesn’t look the part. The part, in this case, is what Nigerians think a female artiste should look like.

One would think this comment would deter her, but it didn’t. Rather, she released a series of videos praising herself and eventually released a song titled “yokozuna” after she was shamed for her body size. This is a good example of, «you can’t shame the shameless».

Her commitment to being herself is something that should be studied in Nigerian universities, to be honest.

Be Consistent

In whatever you do, make sure you are consistently successful. Since “Fargin”, Teni has consistently released hit singles. If transformed into an album, it should be titled “No Bad Songs” because every song was a hit back to back (in Olamide’s voice).

She was one of the most called to shows in December 2018. One would wonder why, but the reason isn’t far fetched. She keeps releasing good music which equals more shows for her, and more shows equal more money.

Wow! More money? The billionaire dream is getting closer to becoming a reality.

Make Sure You Have Fun While At It

Most importantly, make sure you have fun doing whatever you do. Teni is known for her funny skits on social media and that was part of what made people fall in love with her without even listening to her music.

Her down-to-earth attitude is one of the reasons why she is loved by a lot of people. She effortlessly makes her fans laugh with her videos, which simultaneously promotes her songs.

Teni looks like someone who came to this world just to have fun and doesn’t care whether there are burning bridges around her. The most important thing is that she is happy.

Her happiness is very contagious, and it reflects in her music. It doesn’t matter the career path you choose, make sure you have fun while working.

Invest. Keep Investing. Don’t Stop!

One important thing you need to know as a Future Billionaire is that you can’t save your way to wealth. Don’t believe it? Okay, let’s do the math.

Let’s say an average rich Nigerian saves 3 million Naira monthly after removing welfare costs. That is, ₦3×12 = ₦36 million per year.

₦36×50 = ₦1.8 billion after 50 years.

“I told you! I can save my way to wealth. Look. “

Hold on a second.

₦1.8 billion = $500000. Uhn? Not even up to a million dollars?

Well, there are different billionaire statuses, and you can even become one in less than 50 years.

How do you actually get rich as a musician?

Promoted by The Sunday Times

Want to get your hands on the cash? Musicians should follow this advice.

In The Sunday Times this weekend, The Rich List is revealed! There’s a fair representation from the musical community, but how do you get into the upper echelons of the list if you’re a classical musician?

Perhaps it’s best to start with a warning: the industry has a nasty reputation for long and antisocial hours and sporadic pay, and only a handful of people ever make it to the big time. But it’s not all doom and gloom. If you’ve still got your heart set on a Ferrari and a house in the French Riviera, take a look at our top tips to make a killing as a classical musician:

Get yourself a musical benefactor

Patronage was big in the olden days, it’s a shame that it’s not around so much anymore. Handel was well looked-after when he moved to London, receiving a yearly sum of £200 (about £40,000 in today’s money) from Queen Anne to keep him in the manner to which he’d become accustomed.

Tchaikovsky really had patronage all sewn up. He had a penpal friendship with a very wealthy widow, Nadezhda von Meck, who provided him with 6000 roubles a year — more than 10 times the average living wage. The two never met, but Von Meck made it possible for Tchaikovsky to compose full-time and he dedicated his Symphony No. 4 to her.

Write a classical super-hit and live off the royalties

If you want to get super rich you’ve got to find a way to make money while you sleep, and what better way to do that than to write yourself a classical cash-cow and then live off the royalties? Take Samuel Barber for example; his Adagio For Strings has been used in more than thirty films and TV productions, and Ludovico Einaudi’s Primavera became the theme for Santander and is now one of the top 5 grossing pieces used in adverts. Nailed it.

Be in control

Find an opera house and run it, become a producer, or just wave your arms. Some of the best-paid people in the classical music industry are in the management roles at international venues.There were raised eyebrows in the music world when Royal Opera House published an eye-popping £539,000 salary for their music director Antonio Pappano, while Lorin Maazel netted a cool $1.4m at the helm of the New York Philharmonic.

Get Commissioned

Commissions are the life-blood of new music. Ensembles, organisations or individuals essentially ‘hire’ a composer to write a piece of music, and they may pay an amount in advance to support the musician as they write.The record for the largest commission is held by Philip Glass, who received a whopping $325,000 from the Metropolitan Opera for his 1992 opera about Christopher Columbus, ‘The Voyage’.

Put your good name to your work

Classical music is synonymous with elegance and sophistication so if you’ve got the reputation, why not lend your good name to a corporate client for a little extra moolah? Lang Lang has perfected this art, and can be seen here playing Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major whilst sitting on a cloud:

10 times JAY-Z’s business-laced bars taught us how to reach billionaire status

Read on as we delve into some of JAY-Z’s most notable bars on financial wealth and becoming a successful businessman for Financial Literacy Month.

/ 04.21.2022
Photo: Photo by Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
10 times JAY-Z’s business-laced bars taught us how to reach billionaire status
By Jon Powell
/ 04.21.2022

By now, the world knows that JAY-Z, a man considered to be the true GOAT in hip hop, is a billionaire. According to Forbes, 2019 saw him holding on to almost $300 million worth of real estate, cash and various investment stakes. Add in businesses like TIDAL, D’Ussé and Roc Nation, as well as his own music catalog, and you have a man that’s in a position to keep permanent wealth in his bloodline. One can only imagine how much those aforementioned numbers have grown since.

During a 2010 sit-down for CNN Business in promotion of his book Decoded, JAY-Z gave advice on becoming a mogul in America. Aside from what he learned during his tenure in the streets, Hov revealed that many of his decisions are based on what he’s loved his entire life:

“Do things that are true to you. Most things I’m involved with are an extension of being creative. Roc-A-Wear’s a clothing company, part of who you are in hip hop is your attitude and what you’re trying to express, how you dress. I loved sports growing up, I grew up in a household where sports was on 24/7. These [are] all things that are comfortable for me.”

The truth is JAY-Z has been providing gems in regards to making money and becoming financially sound since the preliminary stages of his eventual rise to power. Below lies a compilation of classic lines delivered by the Brooklyn-born icon that gives listeners insight into how he joined the ranks of Tyler Perry, Michael Jordan and Oprah Winfrey. As best described by the man himself:

“ I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man …”

1. “Can I Live” – Reasonable Doubt, 1996

meditated like a Buddhist, recruited lieutenants with ludicrous dreams of getting cream, let’s do this …”

Years ago, JAY-Z told “The Breakfast Club” that Reasonable Doubt was his greatest album ever because “that’s the joint [he] took [his] whole life to make.” This was also the album that contained evocative stories about JAY-Z‘s life before rap success, a mix of vivid tales from Marcy Projects and cinematic narratives straight from the mafioso era. On the Irv Gotti-produced standout “Can I Live,” Hov‘s delivering a bulk of lines towards the song’s end that seem to stress two different messages:

• The importance of understanding the stereotypes our communities and people face when it comes to money management, and
• Making sure that you build a solid team that shares your goals and aspirations.

2. “Rap Game/Crack Game” – In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, 1997

like the Wiz in Camelot, the mom-and-pop’s is the gate, but first we scope shit, advertise in every area, let the fiends know, hey, we got some dope shit, gon’ need a middle man, so we look to radio …”

Like some of his equally legendary peers, this In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 standout saw JAY-Z utilizing lessons he learned while making money on the streets to maximize his chances of success in the music industry. Continuing further into the Stevie J and Buckwild-produced effort, JAY even rapped about some of his more difficult moments in the midst of his journey to the finish line, specifically in regards to his conflicts with a certain distribution deal during the Reasonable Doubt era:

“Went from an eighth to a quarter to a half a key, Priority’s work wasn’t right so I switched factories, now I’m the new nigga, who figured I’d get the game locked, now watch how the prices of your cocaine drop …”

3. “U Don’t Know” – The Blueprint, 2001

Hov would sell clothin’, not in this lifetime, wasn’t in my right mind, that’s another difference that’s between me and them, I smarten up, open the market up …”

The Blueprint standout “U Don’t Know” sees JAY-Z opening up about his success in both the drug and rap games. What makes the above lines so poignant is the fact that he decided he would create his own brand instead of being a patron to others — a move that many entrepreneurs have implemented after realizing they can create their own product to generate endless revenue. In this case, Roc-A-Wear was bringing in $700 million in annual sales during its prime, which lead to a buyout from Iconix for more than $200 million in cold, hard cash. Simply put, the benefits of starting his own clothing brand is essentially explained on the Just Blaze-backed effort immediately after:

“1 million, 2 million, 3 million, 4, in 18 months, 80 million more, now add that number up with the one I said before, you are now lookin’ at one smart Black boy …”

4. “Show You How” – The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse, 2002

“Show You How” is another Just Blaze classic that sees Hov in full-on professor mode, giving tips to listeners about weak raps, choice of vehicles and (for the ladies) making the most of questionable relationships. What might be the most important line on the entire track is JAY-Z‘s stern instruction in regards to the IRS — a lesson that peers like Fat Joe, Lauryn Hill, and the late Biz Markie have learned the hard way.

5. “Moment of Clarity” – The Black Album, 2003

so I got rich and gave back, to me, that’s the win-win …”

It’s crazy how, at the time, we all thought that this would be the last time we’d receive an album from JAY-Z. As such, it was no surprise to hear just how much reflection and knowledge was packed into the 14-song effort, which — like Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint — is largely considered to be one of the greatest bodies of work in JAY-Z‘s catalog.

On the Eminem-produced “Moment of Clarity,” JAY-Z can be heard reflecting on all of the decisions he made to reach that point in his career. As can be seen in the above lyric, he also revealed that reaching financial freedom wasn’t just for his own enjoyment — until this very day, he makes sure to pass on his blessings to those less fortunate in a variety of ways, from providing kids scholarships through The Shawn Carter Foundation to bailing out protesters during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement. All-in-all, uplifting your own is just as important as becoming wealthy.

6. “30 Something” – Kingdom Come, 2006

I bought the night spot, I got the right stock, I got stockbrokers that’s movin’ it like white tops …”

As most of us are aware, JAY-Z‘s comeback album was filled with themes of maturing into someone who’d separated himself from what had become popular amongst younger artists at the time. A perfect example of this is the Dr. Dre-produced “30 Something,” which sees him rapping about everything he does differently than the rest — from toning down his flashiness to letting his team handle matters that might otherwise land him in legal trouble. As far as financial advice is concerned, the above bar is some of the best counsel — why spend all of your money at someone else’s establishment when you can collect cash by opening up your own?

7. “No Hook” – American Gangster, 2007

own your masters, slaves, the mentality I carry with me to this very day, fuck rich, let’s get wealthy, who else gon’ feed we?”

Fueled with inspiration from Denzel Washington‘s depiction of drug trafficker Frank Lucas, JAY-Z delivered one of his most impactful albums with American Gangster, a concept that (with the aid of Diddy and The Hitmen) saw cinematic flashes of mafioso motifs reminiscent of Reasonable Doubt. In the above line from the Diddy, Sean C, and LV-backed “No Hook,” JAY-Z once again stresses the importance of owning your own “product” — in this case, being in control of his music catalog. Later on in the song, he also lets the listener know that for whatever goal you’re trying to accomplish, it’s necessary to put in the work:

“Hustle ‘caine, hustle clothes or hustle music, but hustle hard in any hustle that you pick…”

8. “So Ambitious” – The Blueprint 3, 2009

The world don’t like us, is that not clear? Alright, but I’m different, I can’t base what I’m gon’ be off of what everybody isn’t, they don’t listen, just whispering behind my back, no vision, lack of ambition, so wack!”

If you really need some inspiration, look no further than the Pharrell Williams-produced “So Ambitious,” which immediately begins with JAY-Z recounting an unfortunate experience with a teacher. Despite what that educator said, he worked hard to improve his circumstances — even with the obstacles set in front of him as a Black man from the so-called ghetto. He reiterates this in the above line, making sure to let listeners know not to allow the outside world — whether it’s the powers that be or others who are in a similar predicament — stop your forward movement to success.

9. “The Story of O.J.” – 4:44, 2017

for like $2 million, that same building today is worth $25 million, guess how I’m feelin’? Dumbo …”

Obviously, the biggest draw from JAY-Z’s most recent solo effort was based around him being transparent about his infidelities as well as his intent to better himself for his wife Beyoncé and their children. Aside from that, songs like “The Story of O.J.” are absolutely packed with lines about how he continues to build his financial wealth — so much so that this song alone could have its own article. With that said, bars like the one above show how even he has some regrets with money decisions made at this stage of his life. As can be seen below, he also rapped about how his art investments alone have solidified Blue Ivy, Rumi and Sir’s safety nets…

“I bought some artwork for $1 million, 2 years later that shit worth $2 million, few years later that shit worth $8 million, I can’t wait to give this shit to my children…”

10. “Entrepreneur” (with Pharrell Williams), 2020

throw you a bone, if you can’t buy the building at least stock the shelf, then keep on stackin’ ’til you stockin’ for yourself …”

A couple of years ago, Pharrell connected with his longtime collaborator for the single “Entrepreneur,” which — as the title suggests — sees the two behemoths speaking to Black men about overcoming race-based adversities and social ills to become thriving businessmen. JAY-Z made sure to zero in on this by also reminding the target audience that no handout is coming, and they must be assertive to accomplish all goals.

The accompanying visual for “Entrepreneur” (below) is also notable given its spotlight on a variety of men and women that have seemingly followed much of the advice that JAY-Z and his peers have pushed upon us all over the past few decades — advice that will certainly see many following in the billionaire‘s golden footsteps.