Burn Money Music

iLoveMakonnen went viral after sharing a clip of himself working in a kitchen.⁠ ⁠ Predictably, it got a lot of reactions. Some voiced love and support, and some shared their takes and theories about how Makonnen fell off. Others chimed in to call out Drake, who famously remixed Makonnen's Grammy-nominated hit "Tuesday" and signed Makonnen to OVO in 2014.⁠ ⁠ Makonnen has shared some details over the last couple of days, and shed some light on the reality of his situation.⁠ ⁠ As for the kitchen video, he was working that shift as part of a fundraiser to rebuild @BurnMoneyMusic. It was a studio he used regularly in Portland, and it was destroyed in a fire earlier this month. ⁠ ⁠ Makonnen also shared some perspective on his music career. Speaking to @BrianZisook, co-founder of Audiomack, Makonnen explained that operating outside of the music industry was a choice. “Music was a way out. But once I saw the politics, the egos, and the fake sh*t, I knew this wasn’t for me. Respectfully, I want to remove myself.”⁠ ⁠ He's still releasing music (he's dropped 4 singles in the last 2 months), but he's no longer interested in other aspects of a career in the industry: “I’d love to keep making art, but the business side? I want out.”⁠ ⁠ The 36-year-old also cleared the air about Drake: “People always tie my story back to Drake. But I haven’t had a relationship with him since 2015.”⁠ ⁠ Since stepping away from the music industry, Makonnen has worked several other jobs. "The only thing that really makes me happy is when I can help somebody else," he told Zisook. "I’m not embarrassed by any of it. This is survival. That’s real life."⁠