When I listen to music, I actually don't listen to the entirety of the song. I tend to skip to my favorite parts and skip to the next song. I usually ruminate on a specific part or vibe along. I will be including links to the songs in the resources section if you are interested in listening to them. Just wanted to give you a warning that they do contain some explicit choice words.
The Story of O.J. - Jay-Z
Favorite Part(s):
"I bought every V12 engine
Wish I could take it back to the beginnin'
I coulda bought a place in DUMBO before it was DUMBO
For like 2 million
That same building today is worth 25 million
Guess how I'm feelin'? Dumbo"
Every time I hear this, I think of when I got my first job before graduating from high school. Opportunity cost hurts. In hindsight, I wasted my hard earned money on liabilities, useless things, and people who didn't care about me. For what? Had I focused on investing my money on assets and spend time with people who would help me improve, I would've been further ahead in life. So far ahead. We learn from our mistakes and I take this lesson seriously. Instead of wallowing in misery, I ameliorated this by focusing on carefully cultivating my various portfolios and strict with my finances. This translated into being strict with myself in other areas of my life. On top of that, I aspire to be that friend who helps people in my life be interested in investing. The best time to invest was yesterday, the next best day is today!
"Financial freedom my only hope
Fuck livin' rich and dyin' broke
I bought some artwork for one million
Two years later, that shit worth two million
Few years later, that shit worth eight million
I can't wait to give this shit to my children"
I'm the only one responsible for my own success. When I read that second bar (line) I think of Dave Ramsey's motto "live like no one else, so you can live like no one else." Delayed gratification. I'm personally excited to give everything I worked for and invested in to my future descendants. I used to surround myself with people who would often bark at me saying, "you're only going to turn them to a spoiled man-baby/Karen." "If I did it on my own, they can too." This logic saddens me to the core. The whole purpose of being a parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, or guardian is to TEACH your kids! Now granted you cannot control who they become, but you can influence and teach them. Big brain thought, if they turn out immature for the time being, you should be wise enough to set up fail safes so they don't blow it all.
"I turned that 2 to a 4, 4 to an 8"
Investing in crypto is exciting. What happens in a year in the crypto world would take DECADES in the traditional stock market.
Least Favorite Part(s):
"You ever wonder why Jewish people own all the property in America? This how they did it"
Okay okay, I get that this part preludes another portion of the song that talks about investing your money, BUT come on! Jewish people aren't lizard people greedily rubbing their hands, maniacally laughing about owning America. Aside from that, this is a solid song.
Overall Opinion:
There are things that I can appreciate from this song and things I can truly relate to, particularly what I wrote about. Well crafted beats that match the mood of the song. The rhyme scheme of the chorus is reminiscent of Dr. Seuss. The music video for this song truly brings out the primary message of this song and drives the point home.
ATM - J. Cole
Favorite Part(s):
"Count it up, count it up, count it up, count it
Can't take it when you die, but you can't live without it."
I vibe to the chorus. It's fun counting up my "stacks" of satoshis and other crypto going up in value. Reciting "count it up" as the market continues to remain bullish is amusing. It can infectious as you continue to chant it. The first part of the second bar reveals one of the reasons I look forward to pass on my inheritance to my future descendants. The latter half of the bar is true. There's a common saying - money can't buy you happiness. While that sentiment is debatable, you have to admit that money gives you more leeway to achieve your goals.
Least Favorite Part(s): Refrain + Bar (Line)
I am not a huge fan of the execution. I often find myself disliking a lot of J. Coles songs that are executed like this. You can get the message of the song if this was the only part you listened to or read.
I envision a future where most of the world utilizes crypto over debit cards, credit cards, and fiat.
Overall Opinion:
We all know ATM stands for Automated Teller Machine. J. Cole also says it stands for Addicted To Money. I think it is important to recognize that money is a tool that can used and misused. I will go as far as to agree with the notion that money truly brings out who you are. I get the message of the song, there's not much to dig into. Great song to vibe to in my opinion.
Bounce Back - Big Sean
Favorite Part(s):
"Last night took a L, but tonight I bounce back
Wake up every morning, by the night, I count stacks"
We all know Crypto is volatile. A fun of example of bouncing back is when BTC recently dipped to $27k, but went back up above $30k. Weak hands sold when BTC dipped momentarily. Institutional investors and seasoned retail investors bought up. For the people just riding the train, like myself, experienced BTC bouncing back. When I get home in the evening, I have usually check my portfolio and get giddy when my "stacks" appreciate in value (more or less).
"Don’t owe nobody, owe nobody
Always on the f'** job, I got no hobbies"
I am proud to say I have absolutely no debt. Although I probably will have some debt if I truly want to buy a house before my mid-twenties. A realistic goal is to have a good portion of it paid off. I am personally still figuring out how much money I want to keep invested and how much should be liquidated for my future home. I laugh at that second bar because most of my hobbies are utilitarian in nature. For example, I love working on cars, that helps me save money. I suppose if you do things you love, you will never work!
Least Favorite Part(s):
Okay, I'm going to be honest here. Aside from the catchy chorus, I dislike the rest of the song. Just a meh song but that chorus is fire.
Overall Opinion:
This song is such a vibe to me when the market rebounds. I only like a few songs made by Big Sean. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of his discography.
