What if the music industry isn't built to reward great artists anymore? What if it's built to reward whoever plays the algorithm best? Musician Wesley Jay joins us to unpack a world where artists are pressured to become content creators, streaming platforms decide what their work is worth, and millions of views can still leave you broke. The deeper question isn't how to go viral. It's whether you can build a creative life without surrendering everything that made you want to create in the first place. We dive into creativity as rebellion, the mental health benefits of turning suffering into art, the morality of separating art from the artist, and how media manipulation shapes public perception. Wesley also opens up about leaving corporate life, surviving financial uncertainty, and finding his voice through music. Somewhere between artistic freedom, cancel culture, and the business of attention, there's a question most creators are afraid to confront: are you making art because you love it, or because you want the world to notice? Listen to the full uncensored episode at: https://tokidoki.wtf/skmpwesjay Follow Wesley: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wesleythejay/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wesleyjay_ Website: https://ffm.bio/wesleyjay 02:42 LA Energy 06:35 Shadow Career 11:54 Music as Rebellion 19:12 Ghost in the Backseat 29:01 Separating Art And Artist 38:46 American Nightmare 44:09 Short-Form Games 47:09 Who Prices Art 52:04 Famous and Broke 59:17 Yellow Hot Take 1:03:18 Stevie Wonder Prank Listen to the complete episodes of Sky King's Mental Playground, sign up at skmp.supercast.com Follow Sky on X Subscribe on YouTube Follow Sky on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SpotifyListenApple PodcastsListen

Propaganda, Art, Health, Regenerative Systems, Great Food, Economic Incentives, and building companies in an increasingly digital world.