Several celebrities have openly disclosed the difficult shift that takes place among them and their family after they become successful. Many have talked about how their loved ones have asked to borrow money, which eventually leads to the hard discussion they have to have with them, explaining that they can’t always dish out their bills.
Bronx rapper Fat Joe said in a Jan. 17 interview with “I Am Athlete” that he encourages people to be honest with themselves about their finances. “You should never lie to yourself,” Joe began. “Don’t even lie to your family. I tell my wife, I tell my kids, ‘We are not Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs or Shawn Carter, Jay-Z.’ ”
He went on to give an example about teaching his son that lesson and breaking it down to him that while he may be rich, there are levels to wealth. He said, “One day my son, he was like, 19; he’s like, ‘Yo dad, look at this!’ I look at it. He got Dr. Dre son on a private plane, you got Jay-Z. He’s like, ‘This is how the sons are moving now!’”
In November 2020, retired Miami Dolphins NFL player Channing Crowder and former co-host of “I Am Athlete” spoke with his co-hosts about the “Black Tax” phenomenon. This is the idea that Black athletes are expected to financially take care of their family once they become successful.
He talked about how he and his whole family lived in Atlanta, but the minute he was drafted by the Miami Dolphins his mom, sister his brother-in-law and his nieces and nephews moved to Atlanta also. “Like B said, we made it. We made it. and that was a tough thing for me to just look at. I don’t just need to take care of myself. I just didn’t make it. I have to think about everybody. I have to try to set everybody up.”
Crowder mentioned that the idea was a flawed way of thinking and said, “as an older man now” he realized, “you can’t save everyone.” He added, “If you give all your money out, then you’re gonna be broke and you can’t help anybody now.”
Read full story at Atlanta Black Star here.
