Freestyle rapper Mike Burton said he pulled in close to $10,000 from gig-hiring website, Fiverr. The Houston native dished to CNBC on what led him to the new career path after getting fired in 2016.
293 Views
A freelance freestyle rapper based in Houston appears to have disrupted traditional means of coming up in the rap game. Unlike Drake’s former ghostwriter, Mike Burton, a communications graduate from the University of Houston has been earning his keep.
Before committing to the digital grind, Burton– who goes by Keybeaux on Fiverr- held a series of atypical jobs ranging from pizza delivery to customer service at the financial firm Aon Hewitt. At this time, making music was nothing more than a hobby.
After being fired from Aon in December 2016, he decided to divert attention to Fiverr full-time. Nowadays, he works as much as 40 hours per week penning original music for a variety of individuals.
His early rap career began in 2015 with a request that wasn’t what he expected.
“The first request I got was, ‘Can you make a rap to my mom about why it’s okay to listen to Eminem?”
Being turned away from the quirky gig, Burton initially closed his account. It wasn’t until he lost his job at Aon that he returned to Fiverr with renewed interest in the distinct demands he’d be offered. His latest clientele include students needing raps for their history projects, men needing rhymes for their boyfriends, and a cheerleading DJ.
He gave advice to those looking to follow in his footsteps. “Do what you love,” the millennial freelancer said. “But pay attention to what people seem to be connected to or are attracted to that you do.”
On the topic of financial independence, SOHH linked up with the hosts of the “Earn Your Leisure” podcast Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings. The dynamic duo discussed what led to their interest in business and shared their insight on finances and entrepreneurship.
