Date post: | 09-Apr-2018 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | charles-czatheceo-sweet |
View: | 219 times |
Download: | 0 times |
of 66
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
1/66
HUSTLEHARDERBLOG.COM PRESENTS
FAME
&HUSTLE30 LIFE LESSONS FROM HIP
HOPS ELITE
CHARLES THE CEO2010-2011 CEO INDUSTRIES, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
2/66
2
Table of ContentsIntroduction .............................................................................................. 4
Young Guru ............................................................................................... 6
Kenny Burns .............................................................................................. 8
David Banner .......................................................................................... 10
Nike ......................................................................................................... 12
Tariq Elite Nasheed ............................................................................. 14
Slim Thug ................................................................................................ 16
Diddy ....................................................................................................... 18
Pharrell Williams ..................................................................................... 20
J. Cole ...................................................................................................... 22
Tyrese Gibson ......................................................................................... 24
Lil Wayne ............................................................................................... 26Chris Rock ............................................................................................... 28
Robert Greene ........................................................................................ 30
Will Smith ............................................................................................... 32
Master P ................................................................................................. 34
Jason Geter ............................................................................................. 36
Ludacris ................................................................................................... 38
Fabolous ................................................................................................. 40
Soulja Boy Tell Em ................................................................................. 42
Jas Prince ................................................................................................ 44
Floyd Mayweather .................................................................................. 46
Ice-T ........................................................................................................ 48
Daymond John ........................................................................................ 50
50 Cent ................................................................................................... 52
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
3/66
3
Birdman .................................................................................................. 54
Dame Dash.............................................................................................. 56
Kanye West ............................................................................................. 58
Dave Chappelle ....................................................................................... 60
Michael Jordan ....................................................................................... 62
Jay-Z ........................................................................................................ 64
Thanks ..................................................................................................... 66
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
4/66
4
IntroductionIt used to be that, our teachers and advisors were the only
ones who gave us advice on matters of great import such as
business and life lessons. Then, as our consciousness shifted to a
reality that praised celebrities like kings and queens and yearned
for a daily dose of their seeming wisdom, the very same wisdom
that catapulted them into the limelight in the first place, we began
to ask of them their words to those who wished to follow similarly
in their footsteps. And thus, the first celebrity quote focused on
how to succeed in real life was recorded. Even those who reacheda certain stature away from the screen and recording studio had
something to say, a nugget of information that would ultimately be
taken out of context and absorbed by the success hungry, and we
began to see two distinct types of advice given: the somewhat
useful kind and the drivel that had absolutely grounding in the
world around us.
Some celebrities have prospered from their own advice
giving abilities via seminars and self-help books, even so in the hip
hop realm like Damon John, Russell Simmons and Kevin Liles.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
5/66
5
The fact remains that we who live the hip hop lifestyle and imbibe
upon the waters of its culture enjoy hearing some real talk just as
much as those who sign up for a Tony Robbins 5 day seminar. We
just dont have to go to that far a length to get what were looking
for.
What youll find here is a collection of quotes from those
influential in the hip hop culture with my take on the deeper
meanings behind them. Theres a good chance you wont find
anything life changing or truly thought provoking hereno grand
assessments or any madness like that, just a simple overview of the
game from some of its most successful players. Sound good? Well
then lets get to it.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
6/66
6
Young Guru
I expect ME to be progressive for me.
There is no one, not your mother, father, spiritual advisor
or deity him/her/itself that will walk your path for you. Some have
high expectations for you, others could care less if you get up off
your ass and make something of and for yourself. Cold as that
sentiment may come across, its the truth and youd be the wiser
for learning early on that the gold stars and smiley faces you
received on your in class quizzes back in the eighth grade doesnt
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
7/66
7
account for much once youve crossed the threshold into your
adulthood.
Just as Young Guru mentioned, the only person you should
be readily relying on is yourself so why would you allow yourself
the disappointment of not getting what you want from life? Being
progressive for yourself means that when you realize that there is
more to be done and youre worn down to the bone, you either
forge on or figure out how to get it done within a reasonable
timeframe. Being progressive for yourself means youll never have
to apologize for going in half assed or sideline wishing. Progress
begins in the mind and manifests outwards.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
8/66
8
Kenny Burns
You can only create brands if you become
the brand itself.
The buzzword right now is brand. Im sure that most saw
the episode of Entourage where Ari Gold was serving that I can
make you a brand like Coca-Cola pitch hotter than a Little
Caesars $5 pizza to each and every client that came in the room
and got inspired. The downside of the term is that it is often
misconstrued. There is no such thing as a personal brand. You can
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
9/66
9
use expressions like creed, motto or slogan that defines your life
goals and ambitions but unless you have a product to push, there is
no brand.
In the entertainment sector, its no different. Unless you see
that the actor or rapper actually owns the company that produces
the product, they are little more than cheerleaders and spokesmen
for it, paid a salary to endorse. Thats part of the reason why I
dont believe these cats on records boasting of multi-million dollar
deals. If it isnt being reported on showing them in the drivers
seat, their carefully crafted and maintained brand is meaningless.
Rather than worry about how loud your brands image is being
broadcast, create a quality service or product that cats can get
behind. Theyll do all the positive brand enforcement youll ever
need.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
10/66
10
David Banner
You have to stop waiting and begging for opportunities. Make your own.
Looking for a deal or to get put on got played out in the late
90s. No more do we have to stand outside the record labels office
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
11/66
11
trying to slide a demo into the grasp of an intern. You dont have
to pound Craigslist all day long looking for a low paying (dont get
it twisted either, EVERY job is low paying when you calculate
what your time is REALLY worth) gig either. Now is the time to
put yourself in the game by your own wits. Cant think of any
hustle that fits you? Copy somebody elses and tweak it until you
have your own spin on it.
Like David Banner said, you have to take a chance on
yourself. There is no other way to be successful in this world. If
you are unwilling to do so, then youve already lost and should
think about hanging it up right now. Youve seen people who have
already and if no name comes to mind, look no further than the
office. See that elderly lady whos been with them for the best part
of 20 years? She gave up and gave in. She didnt realize the
potential she had within herself and allowed herself to fall victim
to the false security in exchange for her life. Nothing is more
inspiring and depressing than this. Go get yours not because of
some ass backwards capitalistic want but because you deserve it.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
12/66
12
Nike
Yesterday you said tomorrow.
Excuses are like opinions and assholeseveryone has one,
no one really wants to hear about yours and at the end of the day
all you are left with is a lump only good for flushing. The number
one reason things dont get done is procrastination, the feeling that
youll do it later that comes up every time that later becomes
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
13/66
13
now. Trust me, when you look back at all of the opportunities
wasted due to not wanting to get started, youll be kicking
yourself. In the ass. Where that poor excuse resides.
Wake up each day with a revamped sense of purpose,
driven to see that day and only that day, as successful as you can
make it. Your boys want to go hoop? Tell them wait until you
polish off your to do list. The boyfriend want some QT (quality
time if you didnt know), tell him to cool his jets; youve got some
things to wrap up first.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
14/66
14
Tariq Elite Nasheed
Its not about how many times you hear
no, its about how many times you ask.
People are born with the word no on their lips it seems.
Partly its due to a vested interest in their own comeuppance that
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
15/66
15
makes them tune out whenever you have a request. Instead of
stopping every time someone turns you down, probe deeper and
ask what about your pitch or product is unappealing to them and
offer ways to fix it or at the very least fix it in time for the next
person. Only the man who never hungers never opens his mouth
constantly and as a young cat on the rise, that is something you
simply cannot do.
WIIFM or Whats In It For Me is old sales jargon that
basically means that you could be offering the sky but make sure
you mention the rain to the guy looking skyward. Everyone likes
their interest met and youd do well to put that before your cause.
Learn from the no you receive and apply that game to the next
door you knock on.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
16/66
16
Slim Thug
Instead of buying diamond chains, go
invest in something. You never see those
outside hip hop wearing gaudy jewels.
Thats damn true. I wont front though: in my youth I
wanted a jewel encrusted medallion as much as anyone else (not
the diamond kind though, I never liked diamonds that much) but as
I got older and got into the game a bit more, I saw that the iced out
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
17/66
17
chains, grills and earrings were symbolisms of the terrible money
choices made by not just rappers, but people in general. While the
trinket may be different, the upside down home loan is just as
useless as the leased Phantom. Instead of trying to keep up with the
Joneses, create a prosperous situation by having a good yet not
overly expensive car, a good, yet not too upside down residence
and above all a modest mindset who values real value over the
implied.
Its okay to spend a little money on yourself and enjoy your
success in a material sense. The problem comes in when you
unbalance yourself financially, which will in turn unbalance you
mentally and spiritually as you scramble to try to cover the
quicksand like downward spiral.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
18/66
18
Diddy
Count your pennies. At first read youre thinking Diddy got jokes but this is a
primo piece of game right here that many of us forget. Counting
your pennies means you wont discount sources of income even if
they are not your main ones. Actively keep tabs on every money
route youre involved with and as you progress, keep tabs on themwith even greater scrutiny because they built the foundation for
you to advance and honestly, every penny does count.
Another way to look at it is by counting your pennies; you
are consciously keeping yourself grounded. This in itself can be
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
19/66
19
difficult to do when youre seeing chips starting to roll in but
remember nobody likes a big head.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
20/66
20
Pharrell Williams
Always be curious.
Youd be surprised at just how many people arent.
Theyve given in, given up or given out, too exhausted by the
rigors of everyday life to entertain the idea of letting their mind
explore. The left side of the brain becomes so heavily used that thelogistics it provides goes on autopilot and the dream no longer is
deferred, but buried under car notes, daycare costs and egg shell
appeasements of their bosses. Even if youre not the
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
21/66
21
entrepreneurial type, find a part of your day each and every day to
let your mind wonder on things outside the norm.
Creativity is a healing of the soul that needs to be there;
without it, what separates us from the mechanical drones? Is there
something on the back burner that has been there forever? Try
tossing around ways to get that started. I promise it wont hurt and
youll even be better for it. Find a nice quiet spot or lace up your
walking shoes and just GO. Unsheathe the inner child in your head
that would like nothing more than just to dream, just to create and
innovate. I can think of few things better for your health than that.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
22/66
22
J. Cole
Have belief in yourself and put in hard work.
Simple words that have been quoted and re-quoted so many
times it would be impossible to count. What sets J.Cole apart from
everyone else whos said something to that effect is how young he
is and just how much you believe him when he says it. Why? Hes
young, ambitious as hell and driven to deliver the best music he
possibly can. Those two thoughts, complete in themselves but
better together, make up the foundation that every good hustler that
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
23/66
23
has walked Gods green Earth has used to catapult him or herself
skyward.
No one will believe in you more than you, end of story. No
one will work harder for you than you, again, end of story. If this
comes across as a repeating theme, good, because it needs to be as
solidly embedded in your subconscious as possible so that you will
never forget, not even for one moment, that working hard will bear
a positive fruit. Beyond a good result, doing both of these things
builds a failure proof way of thinking that will spur you to action
again and again.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
24/66
24
Tyrese Gibson
Employees who hang with other
employees will only further their
career as employees. Learn to hang
with bosses and you will become one.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
25/66
25
We tend to seek out comfort in those like us when, like
Tyrese mentioned, we should be seeking out those in higher
stations than our own. Ass kissing isnt necessary when you can
offer genuine insight or good company. Either way, being around
poor and broke minded people will yield no gold so look for ways
to better your circle at your first available opportunity.
I believe that Tyreses definition of a boss is similar to my
own; someone who understands the ebb and flow of the game and
is unwilling to get caught up in a negative tide. They would rather
wade in a pool that would allow them the freedom to do as they
want; nothing else will do and the same should go for you as well.
There is no reason to be around those that look towards the Earth;
not when theres so much to gain in the sky.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
26/66
26
Lil Wayne
School should not be optional but
mandatory. I dont like unintelligent
people.
Aside from the fact that school is somewhat mandatory,
Lil Wayne has a point with the disinterest in unintelligent people.
I believe he alludes to not those that are book or street smart but
world smartunderstanding that the only true progression is
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
27/66
27
within yourself and you cant do that if youre hanging on the
block all day, the blogs all day or in the Xbox multiplayer mode all
day. There has to be that intelligent spark within you that yearns
for something better even if you dont know exactly what that
something is.
Unintelligent people do unintelligent things and the
harshest part of it is that they dont care. They know that there are
rules to the game but they dont care enough to implement them.
They dont care enough to say, Waynes in the studio all day long
learning how to make better music, as one of his entourage
members, maybe I could learn a skill that could bring a new
element to the table. And you wonder why that dude from the St.
Lunatics got booted from the group. You dont work, you dont
eat. You dont grind, you dont shine.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
28/66
28
Chris Rock
The difference between being rich
and being wealthy is the ballplayer
versus the owner.
One of the few Jay-Z lines I remember went something like
this: Fuck rich, lets get wealthy/ Who else gon feed we? You
see that, to me, sits in the same vein as the Chris Rock quote
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
29/66
29
above. Youll find a billion and one books, seminars and
motivational tools whose titles either begin or end with the word
rich and I dont understand why anyone would want that flash in
the pan status. Big Tymers epitomized it for me with their album
Hoodrich ; theres no true staying power behind getting rich
because until you cross over to wealth, real wealth, youre only a
few bills away from being back in the red.
The object of the game is to create a sustainable wealthy
attitude first, one or more profit centers (or as we like to call them
in the hood money routes) that will continuously cover your
expenses second, and lastly funnel the excess cash flow into a main
hustle that will put you over the top. Getting rich has no
infrastructure behind it to continue it later on. Wealthy does. See
the difference?
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
30/66
30
Robert Greene
Events in life are neither good nor
bad; theyre neutral.
Im sure youve heard people praying for fate to bless them
with good luck. Well, good luck on that. The same could be said of
whatever deity you subscribe to having enough time to place
his/her/it/their thumb(s) on your life and effect whether or not you
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
31/66
31
have a good day. Superstition and centuries old unfounded belief
systems have taught us to praise when the favorable happens and
reconcile when the bad comes around.
To hustlers, there are only two periods in their lives that
makes any difference at all: the opportune and inopportune times.
The opportune times means that it is time to act and the
inopportune times call for a roundabout way to do the former and
still act. There is no better time to do what you need done; only
that the time for it to happen hasnt yet approached fully. Good or
bad favor is irrelevant when youre checking cheddar. If anything
at all, be wary of the karma you release.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
32/66
32
Will Smith
Greatness lies on the edge of
destruction.
I certainly hope that greatness comes before you self
destruct like 50 Cent but the sentiment behind the statement holds
water. My take on it is that you have to be willing, mentally,
physically and spiritually ready, to damn near exhaust yourself to
get where you want to be. Sometimes, it takes that. More often
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
33/66
33
than not, it doesnt. Still, that youve conditioned yourself to the
point where youre okay with the ultimate sacrifice is something
within itself that must be commended, especially when you have
guys telling you that it takes less than five hours a week to get
there. Ive never seen it happen that way but maybe Im wrong.
As fatalistic as Wills quote might come across, I see it as
the greatest sense of hope and optimism to your future because
win, lose or draw youve made peace with yourself and the end
result whatever it may be. Angling for a positive return on this
grand investment obviously is the goal but the secondary prize of
totally appreciating your efforts is nothing to sneeze at either.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
34/66
34
Master P
You have to know your business and
be everywhere you need to be to be
effective in it.
Knowing your Hustle as intimately as possible means that
youre able to anticipate change; youre at the forefront of your
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
35/66
35
business, even if youre not the industry leader. Think of yourself
as an independent artist even if you arent one. What angles must
be covered? What person in what position do you have to make
nice with in order to leap from your current plateau?
Being in the game and being effective in it are two different
things entirely and the latter is determined by how well you know
your thing. Hustle was my thing so I became a master student in it.
Whats yours? Better yet, what can you do right now to become
more effective today than you were yesterday? Those are the kinds
of thoughts that should be swimming in your head constantly.
There is no room at all to rest on your proverbial laurels; press
forward and like Master P said, be everywhere you need to be to
see the greatest return.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
36/66
36
Jason Geter
Know your worth.
This might just be my new favorite saying of all time. The
majority of people never actually know their worth so they trade it
for what others will pay for it.99% of the workforce in fact is made
up of people like this and to me its sad. Its sad that they never
took the time to look within themselves to see what theyre really
amounting to. Not just in money, but in quality of life as well.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
37/66
37
This is precisely why good enough is subpar. Perfection,
while very hard to attain, at least gives you something to shoot for.
Constantly redefining what youre worth, year by year, will ensure
that youre never on the lowball end of the stick. One year, you
may be worth $1M. The next, $1. Make your worth relevant to
your current needs and wants but be as objective as possible
because you are the last currency you want to inflate. Know your
worth.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
38/66
38
Ludacris
If you dont take [your business]
seriously, people have the right to
criticize. If you do, they dont.
Some might ask what right people have to criticize anyway.
I believe in this instance, Luda was referring to just basically
having your shit tight enough that others cant pry a nail in it.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
39/66
39
That comes from being well versed in your Hustle, exercising a
never learn enough attitude and being humble.
Weve seen it before: the guy who struts around bragging
and boasting is the one who unknowingly paints a giant red target
on his forehead. Theres no reason for that behavior and if youre
serious about these duckets, you need to keep a lower profile than
normal because, as Snoop famously said, the game is to be told,
not sold. Being the buffoon talking all wild out the side of his
neck will get you zero respect.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
40/66
40
Fabolous
Swag doesnt pay the bills; better
turn your Hustle on!
Although weve officially left the age of swag, the
sentiment is still very much true. There is far too much posturing
and posing in the game right now and that, more than anything
else, is what is getting cats caught up. Its okay to spend some
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
41/66
41
money on stuff that doesnt matter; it makes us feel good about the
long hours spent to get there however if you arent handling your
financial business smartly, what the hells the point?
Pay your bills and taxes on time. Keep that damn credit
card at the crib and only spend a small percentage a month on
disposable happiness. I say this because the luxury taxes are just
thattaxing you something fierce. That 3 dollars you spend on
ATMs not tied to your bank adds up over time. Remember that.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
42/66
42
Soulja Boy Tell Em
If you weed out all the negative
thoughts and focus on what you want,
it doesnt matter how old you are, you
will attain it.
Negativity is the biggest killer of ambition anyone can
have. So potent are the thoughts that you could have a PROVEN
hustle that you second guess just on the strength of the negativity.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
43/66
43
Its bad when you get it from friends, family and colleagues but
absolutely detrimental when it comes from inside your own head.
Looking at it analytically, there are two types of negativity that
come up most often: pre-failure negativity and post-failure
negativity.
With pre-failure negativity, you could be however long into
the process; just starting out or a couple feet from the goal line and
that heavy, dark weight will sit on your shoulders until you either
topple it from you by winning or you yourself fall. Post-failure
negativity comes from the thinking that you will either not succeed
the second time around or not be able to repeat the victory that
came before. In either case, I dont care if you have to encase
yourself in a Kanye West like artistically arrogant bubble or
disassociate with those who would poke holes in your confidence,
whatever you have to do in order to keep pushing, do it . All that
can happen is theyll understand or they wont.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
44/66
44
Jas Prince
Wait broke the wagon.
Theres a lot of emphasis on waiting for the right moment
when in Hustle, EVERY moment is the right moment for
something! Sure, there are times where a particular piece of the
game is in the pocket of someone else and you have to wait on
them to do something for you. Most of the time, if they themselves
understand the Hustle, they wont be trying to hold you up and will
get to it as quickly as possible because they know how it feels
when it happens to them.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
45/66
45
My thing is, there should always be some angle that you
can work right now to help push everything along. If there isnt,
then you have a real problem that will also come with a quick
answer: either find someone else to do it faster, learn how to do it
yourself to a degree that you will see progress, or leave it as is and
work on option B. There should never be a discernable lull in your
movements. Ever.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
46/66
46
Floyd Mayweather
If youre bullshit, youll be at the
bottom with your kind.
As blunt as that statement comes across, theres a ton of
validity there. I almost see it as a double entendre of sorts; if
youre bullshit about the way that you handle your business, youll
have none. Whether it is a lack of caring or an outright swindlers
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
47/66
47
tendency, being bad for business is the worst thing you can be
hands down. People understand being inexperienced as the natural
order of things dictate that before you walk, you have to crawl a
bit. No one is born with the game already thorough; it is up to you
to care enough to learn the ropes.
First you get into it, then you get effective, then you get
efficient. Those out for the fast buck by any means necessary are
the ones that become dream merchants eager to sell crap to the
dumbest bidder. Think of the guys who offer MLM pyramid
schemes and late night swap meet jewelry pseudo businesses.
Theyre all grouped in together in the hell no section. The
second part of what Floyds saying to me is that if youre bullshit
in your work ethic, you will be classified as unreliable and tossed
away into the pit of non-useful people.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
48/66
48
Ice-T
If you loan money to a friend, expect
to lose one or the other.
Money to me is like alcohol in that it acts as a gateway to
peoples truer selves. All day long people can tell you that they
love you and are down to beat the blockas long as theres no
equity from them involved. It is when you introduce having to
match sweat or money that cats get real funny style, real fast. If
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
49/66
49
money and time are the two gauges we use to evaluate everything,
being in the red on both because of someone else is a cut too deep.
In the literal sense, I hate loaning money to people a little
bit less than I hate asking for it, which is something I near flat out
refuse to do. You see, I dont like knowing exactly how much
someone is worth and when they borrow an amount only to be
slow on paying me back or not paying me back at all, theres only
two ways to handle it. Either they pay me back slowly with reason
(which I can understand, things do happen), or they pay me back
slowly without reason (which I never understand). In the case of
the latter, I will usually charge the debt to the game along with our
relationship and move on. That same amount, be it a dollar or a
dozen, determines to me just what worth they have and I rarely, if
ever, forget debt owed.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
50/66
50
Daymond John
The status quo will get you nowhere.
Truer words may not have ever been spoken. I talk a lot
about being average in hustle+harder and on my blog but the
language is universal: fence straddlers never get to where they aim
for because they never make a decision on the side they favor.
Doing just enough will get you just enough and in 2011 enough
just isnt going to cut it. The status quo is no life to lead, especially
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
51/66
51
considering that you only have about 70 years on this rock. Do
more, see more, be more than you were yesterday and reapply that
same tone of thought every day you wake up.
The reason I think for the majority of the mid-life crisis
cases we see stems from the unhappiness that people foster when
they arent following their ambitions. The new motorcycles, the
affairs, theyre all linked to this truth that we never see before us,
only in hindsight and its a shame. Seriously, never make do; do
make.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
52/66
52
50 Cent
Who you know will put you on. What
you know will determine how long you
last.
The only time you should be looking to get put on is in an
internship. Outside that, supply a product or service to either be
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
53/66
53
bought, resold or cooperatively pushed. Thats it. Being in the
correct circles will take you to the point where your audience is
more influential than ever before. The time then is for you to use
the identity you have to make your own moves. Everyone loves a
good henchman but respects a good boss because of that same
idea. Be wise to the business and apply information youve learned
in and outside of it to further your cause.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
54/66
54
Birdman
Never hold on to old money; find new
ways to flip it and make new money.
This is the basis of bucket hustling; making chips using one
means and investing it into another. The problem with most is they
tend to blow the incoming profits on the things they want off top
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
55/66
55
instead of making it work for them further. Im not saying that you
shouldnt have fun with your money however it shouldnt be ALL
your money. You tithe the church right? Tithe yourself up to the
same amount you would them and let the rest of the cash go back
to work making you new cash. Diversifying your portfolio makes
sense to a degree in other ways too because by doing so, youre
spreading the risk of losing out. Hustles get old and die; your job is
to not put all your eggs in one basket and lose it all.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
56/66
56
Dame Dash
No one is better than anyone else at
anything. Its just effort.
Like I was saying earlier, were all born with a clean slate
and anyone can do anything if given the chance. Its the effort that
separates the love from those that say they do it and definitely
something to take to heart is no matter your deficiency, if you want
it bad enough, you will find a way to compensate and make it
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
57/66
57
work. Theres a thousand different ways to say it, only a few ways
to do it, and only one way to do it your way.
Some might call Dame a terrible businessman. Hes had
everything from record labels to film companies to clothing
operations and a large number of them werent as successful as his
initial go around with Roc-a-wear. I would call Dame an astute
one; not because of the successesanyone can succeed. I think
highly of the guys Hustle for one reason only: he keeps trying.
And what powers his steam engine? Its his love of the game and
his undying effort.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
58/66
58
Kanye West
To be used is necessary. To not be
useful means youre useless.
There it is. Your goal in Hustle is to be useful enough to be
used by someone whether in your service or product. I actually get
pretty into this one in a chapter of my new book so I wont bash
this against the dash here. What I will say is that there should never
be a time when you are not a commodity. Commodities are useful
all day long, all year long, and your profession? No matter what
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
59/66
59
you do, it is customer service. And the customer is always right,
even if theyre badly wrong.
Sometimes I like to take a walk and as I pass people, I look
at different ways that I might be able to serve them. Can I make
something easier for them? Quicker? More interesting? Use that
right side of the brain, the creative side for a while and see what
you get.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
60/66
60
Dave Chappelle
Name your price. If it ever gets more
expensive than that, get out.
Besides the working hard ideology that gets put out there,
youll come across people saying that theyll do whatever for the
dough, literally anything it requires to facilitate the success theydream of. When you say that to yourself, does it sound okay? That
there is no real boundary of morality that holds you from doing the
same things you whisper about these other cats doing?
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
61/66
61
Naming your price means that no matter what the trend is,
no matter what super secret society there is, no matter what other
weird shit people are willing to do, you will not conform. Setting
your price before that makes the judgment calls a little easier
because you know yourself, what youre capable of and what you
want to achieve. If it ever comes to the point where you have to do
something youre not comfortable with, you can reject it. The
object of the game is to get where and what you want and still at
the end of the day be able to be satisfied when you look yourself in
the mirror.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
62/66
62
Michael Jordan
Limits, like fears, are often illusions.
Said from one of the most flyingest (I know its not a word,
sue me) cats to ever touch a basketball court. Im pretty sure that
the idea of him NOT succeeding in a venture crossed his mind, like
most people, but unlike most people, it never resonated long
enough to make traction. A man whos played basketball, baseball
and golf on a professional level, joined the owners box and
heralds one of the most profitable clothing companies ever is kind
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
63/66
63
of like a big deal. Hell, Id be surprised if he didnt ask his staff on
the regular to come up with something he couldnt possibly do,
only to get his fingers in on it.
You should never limit what you can do by what you cant.
If youre cognizant of it being probable, at the very least you
should view it as possible from a less than involved standpoint.
From there, you research it until you know enough to get started. If
you can get started, you should change that possible to an able.
You will never touch your goals if you never outstretch your arm.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
64/66
64
Jay-Z
Focus on the process, not the result.
When you focus more on the result than the process, you
get sloppy. Making a million dollars should never be the goal; I
know it wasnt for Bill Gates when he worked his voodoo for
Microsoft. He wanted to create the worlds best computing
solution (another result) so he made sure that the processes he
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
65/66
65
would go through to get there were thorough. His successes were
byproducts of his Hustle. The same applies to you.
The spoils will always be there. Let me say that again. The
winnings, earnings, dividends paid, golden chalice of immortality
and boundless prosperity was there before you came and will be
there after you take dirt nap. Thats precisely why working the
angles are more important than what you get out of it because you
begin to appreciate it more. Want to be a movie star? Learn how to
act and work the business. You being a fashion plate has so little to
do with it that its almost funny but somehow, people still think
that being beautiful alone is the key to that lock.
8/8/2019 Fame and Hustle: 30 Life Lessons from Hip Hop's Elite
66/66
66
ThanksThanks to everyone who purchased this eBook, youre the
best in the world. Go get yours. Now. Be sure to check me out athustleharderblog.com!