Razor B Says Music Doesn’t Pay His Bills

He may have more than 1.5 million Spotify streams for the songs Bruk Fi Mi Back, Hot Up and Up In Deh, but dancehall artist Razor B hasn’t cashed out when it comes to music. At least, that’s how he sees it.

The singjay says he’s had to do several jobs throughout the years and doesn’t attribute his financial success to music. 

“Some of unno likkle bloodcl–t idiot weh feel like seh a music gimmie my house and my car dem, and send my pickney dem go a university and college, and a pay my bloodcl–t bills, unno think again,” the entertainer said in a recent Instagram post. “Ask any one a dem artist weh bout yah – nuh mek dem trick unno. Music cya bumbocl**t do that; yuh haffi have several streams of income.”

Based between Canada and Jamaica, Razor B is a trained chef who operated a restaurant in Toronto, all while doing music. He opened his own restaurant, Cassup Kitchen, in Kingston in October 2018. 

“Memba seh mi used to jerk chicken too enuh, and pork and oxtail and bloodcl–t curry goat when mi inna the kitchen a sweat and a do turkey and a sell dem,” he recalled. “Memba mi mek good money from mi catering and mi restaurant business.”

He continued, “Memba mi a lift up people appliances enuh and a deliver people appliances a foreign and a mek good r**scl**t money. A dem deh buy di bloodcl**t house and dem something deh, when mi have mi trucking company and people a work fi bloodcl**t me and me a create jobs fi people. Don’t think a bloodcl**t music, don’t fool yuh bloodcl**t self.”

Though saying he’s yet to see the return-on-investment in his music career, he continues because of the love for his artistry.  

“Music tek more out of my bloodcl**t pocket and mi want it back from music – that’s why we still doing music, cause we love it and we love we fans.”

Other entertainers echoed his sentiments in the comments.

D’Angel said, “True bro tyad fi tell dem. It haffi pay mi back every $ to oh.”

Singer G-Whizz added, “Multiple income streams mi g, suh mi been a dweet and Quiet wid it.”

Deejay TallUp commented, “Tell dem again Caz dem nuh know seh u spen more than wah u collect tpc.”

Dovey Magnum said, “Facts.”

Razor B has been creating spaces to discuss all things finance lately. In May, he and his wife Ranjini Cassup opened up about their journey towards financial literacy. 

“I never always want to talk about money,” Razor B said to his wife. “I never want to talk about will because why yuh waan talk to me about will for? Yuh waan kill me? Yuh waan mi money? But I’ve learnt so much from you, just dealing with finance.”

Cassup, who wears many hats, including financial advisor, said they didn’t always live a comfortable life, and fell into debt after poor lifestyle choices.  

“We had to dig ourselves out of almost $100,000 worth of debt,” she said. “It was a lot of money and we were young and we had two young children. We had a home and we were really trying to live a definition of success and look rich, as opposed to being rich, and it was really humbling.”

It was a rough period which they overcame by not merely assessing their expenses, but being honest about their spending habits. 

“I think the hardest thing we had to do as a couple was put everything on the table to say, ‘This is my debt, personally: my student loan debt, my credit card debt, this is what I’m spending my money on…’ We wanted our house to look a certain way, we wanted our kids to look a certain way, we wanted to be able to take certain types of vacation, and it had to cut out. It had to stop.”