Artists Outside of Music

As I sit here and read up on different artists, I see that a ton of them venture out beyond music.  They seem to have clothing lines, nail polish lines, movies, and books. Why do music artists have the ability to venture out?  Is it because they are famous and recognizable?  Does having a clothing line make them more famous?

Recently Justin Bieber put out a book about his life so far.  He is 16 years old.  How much does he really have to say?  Today Jay-z dropped a book titled "Decoded."  He says its not an autobiography, but it does talk a little about his life.  Mostly it talks about the music industry.  Jay-Z has been in the business for a long time and does know what it takes to make it, but is it his opinion or will it work for everyone?

I love music and the artists who put it out, but are they becoming greedy?  Does all the merchandising effect their music?  Justin Bieber has never had a number one hit, yet his dolls, book, and nail polish lines are going to make him serious money.  He gets paid $300 thousand a performance.  This for someone who has never reached the top of the charts.

Instead of focusing on perfumes and dresses, won't an artist benefit more from quality music?  Does it even matter?  The industry is going to continue. And if an artist has an opportunity to make some extra money, more than likely they are going to take it.  In my opinion, they should focus on their music and put out an awesome CD, then go on tour and build their fan base.  After all aren't they in the music industry to share their talents?