Photo: WENN
Mick Jagger has discussed musicians' business-minded approach to the industry, singling out Jay Z and Puff Daddy as acts who "want to make deals for the deal's sake."
The singer was speaking to Billboard about the forthcoming James Brown biopic Get On Up, on which he is acting as producer, and discussed artists he felt were influenced by Brown's business-minded approach to music.
"I mean, you look at Jay Z, for instance, and Puff Daddy," he said. "They're very much into that business thing. I was never that interested in business to be honest. I do the minimal amount of business as possible because I'm not actually interested in it as a thing.
"But some people are interested in it, and there's nothing wrong with that. They want to make deals for the deal's sake. James Brown was definitely a progenitor of that kind of businessman/performer."
Jay Z has been part of numerous entrepeneurial projects, which include launching his own clothing line and sports agency, and publishing his own memoir. He is also part-owner of the Brooklyn Nets NBA team and co-brand director for Budweiser Select.
Jagger also added: "Before James there was a dearth of people from the African-American community who were entrepreneurs. You weren’t expected to be an entrepreneur. If you were an entertainer, you were just paid and were told what to do and where to go. And you just did it. He was one of the first people that said, 'No. I want to take control.'"
A full length trailer for the film, which documents Brown's highs and lows, was released in April. It stars Chadwick Boseman, Dan Aykroyd, Jill Scott and Ralph Tresvant.
