Rapper Shares Her Money Struggles and Lessons Learned
Saweetie, the Bay Area-born rapper and entrepreneur, has been candid about her financial journey. In a recent interview with EBONY, she revealed her struggles and the lessons she learned along the way. “I was never really given the knowledge of how to operate my financial expenses the proper way at a young age,” she admitted.
“What I do remember is that I never liked having to ask my mom or dad for money and them telling me no. So, I figured out how to get my own money from having bake sales or whatever.”
Hustling from a Young Age
From a young age, Saweetie had a “go out and get it” mentality. While attending the University of Southern California (USC), she launched a successful clothing line, worked as a waitress, and took on work-study gigs to pay her way through college. However, her lack of financial education led to some tough lessons.
Learning from Mistakes
“I’ve always just loved money and the ability to buy my own things. But, honestly, as far as how I got here, it’s from making bad decisions financially,” Saweetie shared.
“When you spend your money on the wrong things or trust the wrong people with your money, it forces you to be smarter and wiser.”
Empowering the Next Generation
Now a successful rapper and entrepreneur, Saweetie has joined forces with her grandmother to launch the Icy Baby Foundation. The foundation educates Black and brown youth in the Bay Area about money management, budgeting, and financial investments.
“It is important to learn the proper way to accrue wealth, beyond keeping money in a shoebox—like I was taught,” she explains. “Kids need to know this because when you know better, you do better.”
Advocating for Financial Literacy Education
Saweetie strongly advocates for financial literacy education, especially in school systems. “The government needs to implement financial literacy courses for students at an early age, so that it’s second nature,” she pleaded. “Even if the parents don’t have the resources or knowledge, at least they can get it in the school systems. This is a life survival skill—please!”
