A few months ago @mickey.factz had a freestyle breaking down credit on the @funkflex show that went viral in the financial literacy world. It was out of the norm for many to see financial literacy being taught via raps on a mainstream platform, but it was easy for Mickey because financial literacy has been the saving grace of his career.
Mickey is a veteran in the music game with over a decade of experience. He was on the 2009 XXL freshman of the year cover, he has been signed to major labels, he's worked with the biggest names in the industry including Drake and Kendrick Lamar, he had a commercial deal with Honda, and an endorsement deal with Puma.
The freestyle served as a peek into the business mind that has helped him survive the ruthless music business and helped him become an underground brand without a major label or mass media coverage.
Mickey’s business acumen started with him working at a law firm in his early 20s. At the time he was working in the mailroom making $24,000 a year. The pay was barely minimum wage, but he used the access to his advantage. It was at that same time that he signed his first record contract with Jive Records. When the paperwork came in, he had the young lawyers in the firm sit with him to educate him line by line on what the legal jargon meant.
From there he was able to understand the importance of Masters, Publishing, and Points.
His quest for financial knowledge only grew with time. As an independent artist, he maintains his own health benefits, retirement plan, and investments. Understanding the game early has helped him maintain his Masters, kept him one step ahead and more profitable than many artists with bigger followings and marketing budgets.
In episode 49 of @earnyourleisure, he blessed us with 100 bars of fire for our first ever EYL freestyle. The freestyle is centered around being a business owner, and it’s a lyrical lesson on entrepreneurship. In addition to the freestyle, he broke down the ins and outs of the music business from an artist perspective, and explained the business pitfalls that many artists fall victim to.
EYL 49 will be out today at 5 pm est.
