Collect

Collect

Making a call at the other’s expense.

The fact that we still don’t have “Tha Carter V” indicates that it’s the structure of the music industry, and not necessarily those who run it, that constricts artists. Even with Birdman, a self-made entrepreneur and successful musician at the helm, Cash Money Records has to pit their bottom line against Lil’ Wayne’s artistry, a battle that has lasted 4 years. Fortunately, this structure is no longer the only model—effective self-promotion and streaming have begun to free artists from this previously necessary sacrifice of the self. The yield isn’t always mean better music, but it should mean more interiority and more intention from creators.

Collect

To gather together.

Every sport should embrace the post-game jersey swap. This soccer ritual forces players to see value in their fellow professionals, accruing a series of fabric trophies that confirm an under-acknowledged truth—competition requires opposition. Careers are defined by silverware but made possible by adversaries, and athletes should retire to a collection of jerseys that remind them of this symbiotic relationship.