FINESSE2TYMES PT.1 - MILLION DOLLAZ WORTH OF GAME EPISODE 359 - CENSORED
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Finesse2Tymes spent years in prison, leading to a 'jail house mentality' that prioritizes survival and immediate threat assessment, which he struggles to shed in civilian life and the music industry.
- ❖He was financially exploited by his label and manager, paying for music videos and features that should have been covered, and was unaware of common industry conflicts of interest.
- ❖The music industry often lacks genuine mentorship for artists from the streets, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation due to their lack of business literacy.
- ❖Finesse uses self-therapy and internal dialogue with his 'personas' (Lil Ricky, Finesse2Tymes, 250) to process trauma and navigate complex situations.
- ❖The hosts advocate for leveraging credit (OPM), developing a sellable skill set, and utilizing mentorship and strategic digital visibility (podcasts, AI for content) as key steps to making a first million dollars.
- ❖Changing one's environment and committing to a 'lock-in' period of intense learning and focus are highlighted as crucial for financial transformation.
Insights
1Music Industry Exploitation and Lack of Mentorship
Finesse2Tymes recounts being financially exploited by his label and manager, paying $30,000 for a feature video that the label should have covered. He also discovered a conflict of interest where his manager was also working with the label, leading to his termination and a $140,000 payout. This highlights a systemic issue where artists, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, lack the business literacy to navigate complex contracts and relationships, leaving them vulnerable.
Finesse paid $30,000 for a video with 'the baby' out of his own pocket, only to later learn the label should have paid (). He fired his manager after discovering a conflict of interest with the label and had to pay him $140,000 ().
2The Enduring Impact of Incarceration on Mental State and Relationships
Years of incarceration instilled a deep-seated 'jail house mentality' in Finesse, characterized by hyper-vigilance, distrust, and a constant state of survival. This makes it difficult for him to form trusting relationships and adapt to the 'fake' nature of the music industry. He describes experiencing trauma, paranoia, and internal conflict, often engaging in self-therapy through internal dialogues with his different personas.
Finesse describes how 'when it get quiet' in jail, it's a problem, leading to paranoia (). He states he brings 'penitentiary mentality into the music game' () and that he's 'still in jail' mentally (). He discusses talking to himself as a form of self-therapy ().
3The Disconnect Between Street Loyalty and Business Loyalty
Finesse expresses deep hurt and anger when people he considered loyal or 'family' in the music industry fail to support him or act with integrity, especially when compared to the strict code of conduct learned in prison. He struggles to reconcile the 'loyalty and respect' preached in the streets with the often self-serving actions observed in the business world, leading him to cut off relationships permanently.
Finesse states, 'They gave up when they preach loyalty and respect. That's what hurt me.' (). He explains that if someone wrongs him at 33, he won't forgive them, unlike a younger person ().
4Lack of Access and Gatekeeping in the Music Industry
Despite his success, Finesse feels unwelcome and denied access to certain industry circles and networking opportunities. He believes others with lesser accomplishments are in places he should be, and his label fails to facilitate his entry, leaving him 'in the dark.' This suggests a system of gatekeeping that excludes artists who don't fit a certain mold or lack established connections.
Finesse states, 'They in places that I supposed to be in. And I can't get in there.' (). He mentions calling labels to get into events, paying for travel, but still facing 'crickets' and no access ().
Opportunities
Credit Leverage & OPM (Other People's Money)
Focus on building strong credit profiles to access capital from banks and credit unions. This involves understanding credit building strategies and identifying banks most likely to fund. The goal is to use borrowed money to invest in business ventures, rather than personal funds.
High-Value Skill Set & Product Creation
Develop a skill set that solves a problem and create a product or service around it. The strategy is to sell a $1,000 product 1,000 times to reach the first million. This moves away from trading time for money or illicit activities towards legitimate, scalable income generation.
Omnipresence Marketing via Long-Form Content Repurposing
Utilize long-form content (like podcasts) as a foundational asset. Use AI tools (e.g., opus.io) to cut it into numerous short-form clips. Distribute these clips across all major social media platforms (TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram) to achieve omnipresence, ensuring the brand is consistently visible and associated with its industry.
Key Concepts
Jail House Mentality vs. Music Industry Reality
Finesse2Tymes's 'jail house mentality' is a survival mechanism developed in an environment where quiet means danger and loyalty is paramount. This clashes with the music industry's often transactional, less transparent, and sometimes exploitative nature, leading to distrust and conflict when 'street rules' are applied to business.
The Three Personas (Lil Ricky, Finesse2Tymes, 250)
Finesse describes having three internal personas: 'Lil Ricky' (the raw, emotional, street-hardened individual), 'Finesse2Tymes' (the artist, seeking to be a big brother and help others), and '250' (the business-minded, financially driven persona). These personas engage in internal 'self-therapy' and represent different facets of his identity and coping mechanisms.
Information Times Execution (IxE)
A principle for wealth creation: acquiring knowledge (information) is only valuable when combined with consistent action (execution). This is presented as the formula for turning learned strategies into tangible results.
Visibility Beats Ability
In business, being seen and known (visibility) is often more critical than raw talent or skill (ability). Even the most capable individuals will not succeed if they are not visible to their target audience, emphasizing the importance of strategic marketing and platform presence.
Lessons
- Prioritize financial literacy and seek mentorship to understand the business side of your industry, especially if coming from a background with limited exposure to traditional business practices.
- Actively manage your environment to expose yourself to successful individuals and opportunities, as growth is often limited by exposure.
- Leverage credit strategically by building a strong credit profile and understanding how to access and utilize 'other people's money' for business investments.
- Develop a high-value skill set that solves a specific problem for a target audience, and create a product or service around it that can be sold repeatedly.
- Commit to a 'lock-in' period of intense focus and learning, dedicating significant time to acquiring knowledge and executing strategies without distractions.
- Utilize long-form content (like podcasts) and AI tools to create short, engaging clips for omnipresence marketing across all social media platforms, ensuring maximum brand visibility.
Blueprint to Your First Million Dollars
**Step 1: Master Credit & OPM:** Learn to leverage credit by building a strong credit profile (e.g., helpmebuildcredit.com). Identify banks offering the most capital (e.g., ibanket.com) and build secure loan products with credit unions for faster growth. The goal is to use 'Other People's Money' (OPM) for business investments.
**Step 2: Develop a High-Value Skill & Product:** Acquire a skill set that solves a significant problem. Create a product or service around this solution. Aim to sell a $1,000 product 1,000 times to achieve your first million. This shifts income generation from trading time to selling value.
**Step 3: Seek Mentorship & Optimize Environment:** Invest in knowledge, consulting, masterminds, and coaching programs (e.g., firstmillionmentorship.com). Surround yourself with successful individuals and environments that foster growth, as exposure dictates potential. Commit to a 'six-month lock-in' period of intense learning and execution.
**Step 4: Achieve Omnipresence Through Content:** Utilize long-form content (like podcasts) as a base. Employ AI tools (e.g., opus.io) to automatically generate 40+ short-form clips. Distribute these clips across all major social media platforms (TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram) to ensure constant visibility. Run ads to the best-performing organic clips to scale reach.
Notable Moments
Finesse2Tymes describes the psychological impact of prison, where silence indicates danger, leading to a constant state of paranoia and hyper-vigilance in his daily life.
This vividly illustrates the deep-seated trauma and survival mechanisms that former inmates carry, explaining their difficulty in adapting to 'normal' society and business environments.
Finesse reveals he paid $30,000 for a music video feature with 'the baby' and later discovered the label was supposed to cover it, highlighting his lack of industry knowledge and subsequent exploitation.
This concrete example underscores the financial vulnerability of artists, especially those without prior business experience or proper mentorship, in the music industry.
Finesse explains his internal 'self-therapy' process, where he engages in conversations with his different personas (Lil Ricky, Finesse2Tymes, 250) to process emotions and make decisions.
This offers a unique insight into a coping mechanism developed from extreme isolation and trauma, demonstrating how individuals can self-regulate and adapt in the absence of external support.
Quotes
"I think trauma both of us. I think both of us got trauma. I think I think he was going through something that he ain't never been through and I was going through something that I ain't never been through. But at the end of the day, that ain't my fault. I'mma I'mma I'm I'mma rise from what I go through."
"Years later, I find out the labor was supposed to pay for this. After the video did millions and millions of views, they made millions millions. So, I'm like, 'Okay, I ain't know the game. I take my lick on the chin. You got me. But I want my money back. Get my [__].'"
"I brought the penitentiary the the jail house mentality into the music game. I ain't trying to, bro. I ain't trying to. I'm genuinely not trying to. It's just what's in me, my that's all I know. And that's the only respect and loyalty that I understand."
"I never been put on game. Like, I never I always learn as I go."
"I don't think I'd be welcome. I don't think I'm welcome because uh I see people this this this they haven't accomplished what I have accomplished where I have accomplished not to talk down or throw shade on them. They in places that I supposed to be in. And I can't get in there."
"I literally been patient for four years trying not to be this person. I've been waiting four years."
"I don't know. But you got to understand, I I I strive. I'm one I'm one of them people who strive for better. So once I know, you got me up. Oh, you got me up. I know now. All right, bet. You should have never showed me that."
"I was prepared. When I first went to prison, I was facing 30 years, bro. I was prepared for it, bro. They trying to get me 10 in the feds, 20 in the state. I know I ain't going to do nothing about 10, eight, nine, 10 on in the state, probation, but I'm going have to cut the whole thing in the feds. So, I'm going to go do me about 16 17 years. This what I'm thinking in my head because know what I'm saying? of the circumstances."
"Information does change situations. I've been able to generate over eight figures in my business, which is over $10 million. So I think that's even exchange. Spending $300,000 to learn a skill set to be able to put me in position to make $10 million was a game changer for you."
"You can only grow to what you're exposed to... whatever you tune into, you turn into, and whatever entertaining you is training you."
"Visibility beats ability. Right. A lot of people are really good... but you're the best kept secret. I believe you're the best. So we want to show you how to be the best, but you have to realize that if you're not going to get in front of the right the people, then the people can't buy from you. If the people don't know you, they can't flow you."
Q&A
Recent Questions
Related Episodes
Woman arrested for death of 2 Black girls. Explosives thrown at Mamdani. Growin' Good In The Hood.
"This episode unpacks critical news affecting the Black community, from a mother's arrest in a tragic child death and threats against a NYC mayor to the enduring legacy of Jesse Jackson Sr. and innovative community-led initiatives in food security and entrepreneurship."
“I Printed $10 Million Cash” - How to Spend Fake Money | Art Williams Jr
"Art Williams Jr., a former notorious counterfeiter, recounts his journey from a poverty-stricken Chicago upbringing to mastering the art of printing fake money and ultimately transforming into a successful artist and entrepreneur."
French Montana & Max B on 'Coke Wave 3.5,' prison stories & "All The Way Up" | Fat Joe & Jadakiss
"Max B details his return to music after 17 years in prison, while French Montana and Fat Joe share candid stories about navigating the music industry, from independent success to global hits like 'Unforgettable' and 'All The Way Up'."
Black Infertility Struggles. Vaping Risks. Aging Myths. What Doctors Want You to Know #SecondOpinion
"This episode unpacks the disproportionate impact of infertility on Black women, the hidden dangers of vaping for teens, and strategies to embrace aging gracefully by challenging societal myths."