The Only Black Guy in the Office
I May Not Qualify for the Stimulus Check, but I Still Could Use It
Stimmy envy is too real
Update 6/7/22: Level has a new home. You can read this article and other new articles by visiting LEVELMAN.com.
One of the first rap songs I ever learned the words to was “Mo Money Mo Problems” by the Notorious B.I.G. Even as a young’un, I was fascinated by the hook Kelly Price sang: “I don’t know what they want from me / It’s like the more money we come across, the more problems we see.”
That song came out in 1997 when I was still a kid living under my parents’ roof with nary a bill to pay; the only problems I had involved arithmetic. But growing up with two parents who worked blue-collar jobs, I did know that I didn’t have McDonald’s money, and allowance didn’t grow on trees. In my world, less money didn’t mean fewer problems, so it was hard for me to imagine someone could be so rich that they made a song complaining about it.
This year, though, I finally began to understand what Biggie, Puff Daddy, and pre-pastor Mase were rhyming about. No, I’m not rapper rich. The only flossing I’m doing these days is dental. But right before the pandemic, I landed my current gig, which included a nice bump in pay. For the first time in my career, my…
