BY ODIGIE OKPATAKU

US director Spike Lee says music artists today are not as politically active as they were in the 1970s, because doing so is going to “hurt your pocketbook”.

“With so much money being made by artists, their record company or their management, if you speak out, it’s going to hurt your pocketbook,” he said Tuesday at the Cannes Festival after the premiere of his film “Highest 2 Lowest” out of competition.

Lee, whose latest film will be released on Apple TV + on September 5, said he grew up with music.

“I grew up in a music household,” he said, explaining his father Bill Lee worked with Bob Dylan.

“If you go to that Bob Dylan album, it’s all over, Baby Blue. That’s my father on bass,” he added.

“In my early days, I was wondering, you know, Daddy, can’t you just play electric bass? Mommy’s working herself to death,” he said.

“Later on, I understood why. All money ain’t good money.”