My friend is an aspiring rapper and has been at it for around 6 or 7 years, maybe longer. He’s always posting and promoting his music on social media, but he doesn’t seem to have a large following, and based on his lifestyle, I doubt he’s making much money off of it. He’s 33, still working two jobs, and living with his mom. I’ve never bought or promoted his music before since it’s not really my thing.
Today, he posted about a new single on Instagram, and I saw it but didn’t pay much attention. Later, he messaged me asking if I could support the new song before his album drops, sending me a link to purchase it. The link lets you choose your own price, so I decided to donate $2 for the song—considering on iTunes are usually around a buck. Honestly, I didn’t enjoy the song at all and turned it off after about 20 seconds.
Afterward, he messaged me again and seemed bothered by the fact that I only donated $2. I reminded him that I didn’t have to give anything at all and asked how much he expected from me. He then brought up my spending habits, mentioning that I go out on weekends and get regular haircuts, as if that should justify me donating more. He also implied that if he hadn’t personally messaged me, I probably wouldn’t have bought the song at all. At that point, I got annoyed and ignored him. Later, he followed up saying he was joking, thanked me, and mentioned that some of his “friends” never buy his music, so he appreciated that I did.
Was I wrong for only donating $2 for the song?
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My friend is an aspiring rapper and has been at it for around 6 or 7 years, maybe longer. He’s always posting and promoting his music on social media, but he doesn’t seem to have a large following, and based on his lifestyle, I doubt he’s making much money off of it. He’s 33, still working two jobs, and living with his mom. I’ve never bought or promoted his music before since it’s not really my thing.
Today, he posted about a new single on Instagram, and I saw it but didn’t pay much attention. Later, he messaged me asking if I could support the new song before his album drops, sending me a link to purchase it. The link lets you choose your own price, so I decided to donate $2 for the song—considering on iTunes are usually around a buck. Honestly, I didn’t enjoy the song at all and turned it off after about 20 seconds.
Afterward, he messaged me again and seemed bothered by the fact that I only donated $2. I reminded him that I didn’t have to give anything at all and asked how much he expected from me. He then brought up my spending habits, mentioning that I go out on weekends and get regular haircuts, as if that should justify me donating more. He also implied that if he hadn’t personally messaged me, I probably wouldn’t have bought the song at all. At that point, I got annoyed and ignored him. Later, he followed up saying he was joking, thanked me, and mentioned that some of his “friends” never buy his music, so he appreciated that I did.
Was I wrong for only donating $2 for the song?
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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> The action i took that might make me the asshole is only donating $2 to my friend for his song.
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Contest mode is 1.5 hours long on this post.
NTA How much did he expect for one song?
NTA. It’s more than standard song rate.
nga at least donate $5 u are the asshole
NTA – one song is not worth an album amount of money. the fact he immediately attacked your own spending habits as a way to prove youre ‘good for it’ to donate more is soooo classy. beggars cant be choosers. you probably shouldnt have said that you didnt have to donate anything, but in the end it was he who messaged you to donate after all. so he was already putting you in the position to forcibly donate regardless if you wanted to.
NTA. He is an entitled jerk. You should take it as a lesson and not donate anything at all from now on. He can’t get upset anymore because you can just say you can’t satisfy him so there’s no need to even try.
He pointed out about your lifestyle or how you spend your money, just tell him that you can do whatever you want with your hard earned money and no one has the right to tell you otherwise. If someone said this to me, unless they were family, I would make sure never to give money to such people. Because you lose money and they are still ungrateful so why waste even 2 dollara?
NTA
Just tell him: “Why don’t you rap about it, then?”
NTA, you gave him approximately twice what amazon or iTunes charge, let’s normalize “artists” realizing their “vision” isn’t everybody’s cup of tea and stop trying to guilt BLACKMAIL friends and family to support their “talent” that nobody else gives two shits over, especially if it’s the only thing fueling their self-delusion. Support is one thing, but your “friend” (and I use that term loosely) is angling for you to spend money on something that, to you, is an absolute waste of money. I’d ask that prick for my two bucks back and loose the loser.
NTA. He wants more money, he should make better music.
A 33 year old ‘aspiring rapper’ who still lives with his mum should be grateful for anything he gets.
NTA
You did your friend a favor by buying his track and he threw that back in your face. Can’t he remove the “pay what you like” option from his track if he wants to charge a certain amount for his songs?
NTA At this point he’s just being a choosing beggar.
I’d tell him that if double the price of a professional song isn’t good enough for him then what he’s really asking of you is a handout disguised as support. You don’t owe him going without things in your personal life so you can afford to give him charity. He needs to get his head on straight.
It’s one song new introduction. What could it cost, 10 dollars?
How DARE you get regular haircuts/s
NTA
Soft nta, joke or not, it felt entitled, but with one instance of begging, and later being grateful, i wouldn’t say he is a big ah
Nope. It’s one step away from begging friends for money because he’s not a star and probably never will be.
NTA.
He was obviously upset that his song/whole career hasn’t been successful and kinda lashed out at you. However, he seems to later have realised that he was wrong, and showed his appreciation for you buying his song at all.
I think you can both safely move on from this incident.
NTA. I used to work with musicians. I would go to their shows and support them. Buy a ticket, drinks. They gave me their CDs.
When I bought a song off apple, it cost $.79-1.99, depending on song and artist. You gave him $2.
I have issues with people who start businesses or make things and then guilt trip friends and family in to “supporting” them.
That’s not how business works. If your product is good then it’s worth something, if it is not good then I can’t support it, I’ll just be enabling you in a bad business choice or a false sense of success.
NTA.
You don’t owe him shit. And to make you feel guilty about it after pretty much begging for money is gross too.
He’s not your friend…..
NTA And he needs to give up. At this point, it’s just embarrassing.
NTA
As you have recognised, iTunes mostly only charges half of that for a single track.
Your friend is being ridiculous and entitled. Yellow flag on the friendship that he is commenting on how you choose to spend your money. Your lifestyle is irrelevant: he can only expect to be paid what his music is worth, no matter who is buying it.
NTA he is 33 and living with his mum, you might want to direct him back to reality because he needs a clue!
A rapper who is trying to be rapper for seven years should probably just end his career