FCUK you...PAY me.

I just stumbled upon this interesting snippet online.........

When asked about her "massive wardrobe", Miss Beyonce Knowles provides the following insight into her life away from the public eye:

“Put it this way, I’ve turned my old apartment into a closet. I probably get about 15 bags sent to me a month. Armani gave me this croc bag, which was huge - I could only imagine how much that thing cost. It would be so expensive that even I wouldn’t buy it.”

I dunno about you, but it makes me smile with my heart to read this and to see how grounded Beyonce remains considering the mega millions she's earned through sold-out concerts and multi-year sponsorship deals.
(For the record, Forbes reported that Miss Bey grossed an estimated $80 M USD btw June 2007 - 2008).

Again, you can call me cheap, frugal, spendthrift (whatever you'd like, really), but I am NOT the one to shell out upwards of $1G to rock the newest clutch or designer accessory. Perhaps it's because I'm not fazed by all the glitter and sparkle, but mainly because --and, this is exactly what Beyonce alludes to above -- the art of product placement and promotion was covered in Marketing 101.

Morale of this Story: Artist's get their swag for FREE due to their partnerships and collaborations with designers and events.

Marinate in this thought the next time you see Rihanna rocking those cute Gucci shoes, or Cassie in her Fendi shades...

As a matter of fact, Jay-Z's best friend and business partner, Steve Stoute founded their company, Translation Advertising, to "bridge the gap between Madison Ave and Urban America. When companies want to get their message to the youth they know Steve Stoute will translate that message in a way that appeals to the culture and that translates into big money."

Translation: Jay is getting dividends whenever the urban demographic runs out to purchase the high-priced swag that any of his darling Rihanna/Beyonce/Mary J Blige happen to step out on the town in. (Yes, you better believe Jay's getting paid when the designer's stock price shoots up!)

Only thing is, neither Jay nor Stoute have to worry about breaking the bank to keep up with the newest trends because the cost of their extravagant closets is nil, zilch, zip, NADA!

My thoughts on this topic are straight black-and-white:
My body is not a bill board and I don't advertise for free, so FCUK you .. PAY ME!
xx