T-Pain Admits He's Made More Money Gaming In The Last 4 Years Than With Music

BY Erika Marie 11.2K Views
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T-Pain
He says he's bad at it but it has remained a lucrative stream of income as his Twitch channel boasts 845K followers.

Some of you may have had parents who scolded you for playing video games or disciplined you for being invested in gaming, but these days, it is helping to make people millionaires. Everyday folks have created brands around their love for playing video games, and platforms such as Twitch have been instrumental in monetizing something that many view as only a hobby.

This is something that celebrities have tapped into, as well, including T-Pain whose channel boasts 845K followers. He recently caught up with Jackass icon Steve-O on Wild Ride and explained how gaming has been more financially lucrative than his music career.

Nicholas Hunt / Staff / Getty Images

“I’m making more money off of video games than I have made in the last four years," he admitted. "Just playing them. Playing video games.” It doesn't seem to matter that he's not very good because people keep tuning in and Twitch keeps the bankroll coming.

"There are definitely good players out there that make a ton of money, but I think the entertainment that comes from somebody like me being trash at it, that’s just more valuable and more entertaining.”

Elsewhere in the episode, T-Pain spoke candidly about the twists and turns of his career, especially those moments when he found himself struggling financially. T-Pain claimed that there was a point when he didn't have any money and wished that established artists in the business would have told him that these things often occur.

Watch T-Pain chatting it up with Steve-O below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.