Nipsey Hussle
You listen to Charlie Parker or John Coltrane before they found their voice, they sounded different. And when you listen to them after they found their voice on their instruments, they sound more confident and in control. Artists have that, too.
We represent a hustler. I think we represent inspiration. I think we represent, you know, staying down. I think we represent building yourself up from the bootstraps.
I always wanted to operate at the highest altitude, just in terms of hip-hop and the music.
I try to sprinkle a little gems and jewels in the music that people could use in their own life.
My career as Nipsey Hussle is based on my life as Ermias Asghedom.
L.A. hip-hop is so different; it's so diverse. Out here, it's, like, funk-inspired; it's, like, '70s-skating-rink-inspired at times. It's Zapp-and-Roger-inspired; it's house-party-era-inspired.
Anybody that doesn't like Cardi B a hater!
It's important to love in hip hop.
Compton got such a legacy in hip-hop.
I want to thank my Eritrean fans for feeling connected to me and for supporting me. I feel extremely grateful.
As much as I'm a black person from America, I'm a black person from Africa, too.
One of my mentors schooled me on branding before it was a cliche term in the game.
Game's always been open arms with me.
Proud 2 Pay - that's something that distinguishes me, that's something that defines me, and we're going to keep that going.
As an artist, as a brand, as a rapper, as a musician, you know you got a window and a lot of people, even an athlete; they don't have no exit strategy. It's just living in the false reality that it's going to be like this forever.
As an entrepreneur, as an investor, I'm trying to be as educated as I can to where the progression of technological capability is going and what it does to these different categories that, me as an artist and an influencer, I can get involved and bring value.
When I first stopped going to high school, I was about 15, 16. It had to be, like, 2000, 2001.
We came up with TDE. As competitive as rap is, and as much as we're trying to exceed the standards we set for ourselves, we take their wins as our wins, too.
When you talk about black entrepreneurship, you're talking about addressing the foundation of what's going on with our people when we don't have any financial power. Our basic needs aren't being met in a lot of cases, so there's no way we're going to be able to tap into our potential until we address those bottom-level base needs.
I'm touring the world, not doing nothing against the law, getting money to feed my family. I got employees that have felonies, and they can't get jobs. They work for me.
None of my peers avoided prison. None of 'em.
People that's in power - the central banks, these fiat currencies that are traded globally - they got influence over the messaging and the narrative in the media.
'Victory' is like, you won, so the question is, what? What did you win? I think that the songs go into that. It's just about reaching a place in myself.
My experience with power, you can maintain it, or you get it taken from you. You get you some newfound power and go crazy, and it get taken from you quick.
If you're going to write about rap music and hip-hop, and you don't love it, then we don't need your opinion, and we revoke your opinion.
I really am a fan of Ye's music.
I think Ye is important to hip-hop.
I seen a lot of artists be hot for a minute, and then that's it, and somebody else come in.
I think that every artist - or anybody that's in business - could benefit from a direct-to-consumer strategy, so I think that that applies to us as artists and content creators, too.
I would say that the Nipsey Hussle 'Crenshaw' release was an example of All Money In creating an artificial scarcity campaign for the physical side of 'Crenshaw.'
I really love the culture of hip-hop.
Doing music to pay bills is an uncomfortable situation. I never wanted to be in that situation.
We was able to become real successful in the mixtape space.
As is the case with most people in this game, I am driven by financial motives and creative motives; the question I had to answer is which motive I will give priority to?
I will never say something I don't agree with or believe in... even if the reward is massive!
From the beginning of my rap career, since I was seen and heard, I always had a store.
Looking at 2014, I look back: we made more money off 'Mailbox Money' than we would have made off taking an advance from anybody. We made more money letting our fans buy the stuff directly from us than what any label could have offered us.
Snoop ain't never cosigned me, but I know everybody is like, 'That's the next Snoop.' Nah, I'm Nipsey, and I got to work to define myself.
In 2013, the week before I dropped 'Crenshaw,' 'Complex' wrote an article that said that Nipsey Hussle is one of the top 25 underperforming artists. I was so offended that I responded with my own opinion about these journalists - their point of view is not validated in our culture.
I built a label at the same time I built a career.
A lot was accomplished in my mixtape career. But I still needed a few things: I needed to be recognized. I need to have radio. I need to have a real retail machine that can get us where we need to get that.
Look at Pusha-T. He makes a certain type of rap music. 'Daytona' is that on the highest level.
A solution built by an artist serves the artist more than the solution the capitalist comes up with.
I respect Soulja Boy.
I knew 'Crenshaw' had elevated me and distinguished me.
Partnering with Atlantic Records creates the opportunity to take what we're doing to the next level, without compromising.
Cardi B put a lot of work in.
Every artist wants something different out the game.
The artist part of me always wants to be appreciated. I read every review. But I never wanted to seek validation by awards or anything controlled by politics.