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On March 31, 2019, the hip hop community suffered an immense loss when rap artist, activist and entrepreneur Nipsey Hussle passed away at age 33 from multiple gunshot wounds. His murder, which took place in front of his The Marathon clothing store on the corner of Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles, snuffed out the light of not only one of the most beloved rap artists in the game, but a leader in L.A. who had the power to create change.
While his untimely passing left rap fans and fellow artists stricken with grief, it has also resulted in an outpouring of support for his family and words of respect about his character. A product of his environment who overcame his obstacles, Nipsey was more than a rap star. He was a hero to many young black and brown men and women looking to change their circumstances, while attaining spiritual wealth.
For every lyric spat that focused on the harsh realities of the streets, Nip balanced them out with inspirational quotes about life, loving yourself and pursuing your goals. For that, his legacy will forever be cherished and missed. In honor of the rapper’s impact, REVOLT TV looks back at 9 Nipsey Hussle quotes to awaken the hustler in you.
1. “The most important thing, number one, is you gotta get rid of doubt. If you got doubt in what you’re doing, it’s not gonna work and the way to do that is you have a plan. ‘Cause if you got a plan, it’s not just like a pipe-dream, you have a step-by-step list of things to do to get to your goal. If you don’t have that, it’s very hard to really have faith in what you’re doing ’cause soon as something pop up, it’s gonna look like the end-all.”
2. “I feel good about what I’m waking up doing and about my lifestyle. At one point, I wasn’t proud of my lifestyle… Now, I wake up with the feeling that I’m going in the direction that I’m here for. Like, what I’m on this planet for, I’m doing it. Bigger than just the L.A., bigger than some gang-banging, bigger than some street shit. Just on some human shit. I’m doing what I’m here to do.”
3. “The company you keep has a large influence on the situations you bring to yourself. So, whatever direction motherfuckers are heading in, whether it’s rap music, production, or a 9-5 life, whatever it is; you gotta surround yourself with people that’s likeminded and focused on the same goal you’re focused on. Birds of a feather flock together.”
4. “You gotta go hard, you gotta believe in yourself. You gotta have a sense of humor to know that the bullshit is gonna happen, you can’t be too serious about it or too emotional and fake when the bullshit happens. You gotta just stick to the script, believe and have an overwhelming confidence. Be your own biggest fan, your own biggest believer, and put it on your back and carry the weight.”
5. “Longwinded, running through this life like it was mine/ Never settling, but setting every goal high/ One thousand burpees on the path to my own destruction or success/ But what is a mistake without the lesson?/ See, the best teacher in life is your own experience/ None of us know who we are until we fail/ They say every man is defined by his reaction to any given situation/ Well who would you want to define you?/ Someone else or yourself? Whatever you do, homie, give your heart to it/ And stay strong.”
6. “Be more fearless. All my radical moonshots have defined me. That don’t be my downfall, my downfall will be not going crazy, not having a higher expectation. Anytime I done set my sight on something that seemed way outlandish, it always come back exactly how I seen it. So, I think I would tell myself [to] just put way bigger goals on the wall. Just have a bigger vision, have a higher expectation.”
7. “The best thing you can do for a person is to inspire them. That’s the best currency you can offer: inspiration. So, when a person can rely on you for that, that empowers them in every realm of their life. Being inspired. It empowers them in their relationships, in their business, in their art, in their creativity. It empowers them because without inspiration, you’re dry.”
8. “I look at it like the game gonna test you. Everything gonna test you if it’s worthwhile and you gonna make decisions based on what you care about more. And without even being conscious that you’re getting tested, you’re gonna be getting tested, so you’re gonna have decisions to make. Should I continue this lifestyle? Whether it’s shopping, clothes, whatever your lifestyle is? Or do I gotta sacrifice a bit ’cause I really really care about this music? It really is important to me. So, whatever I gotta do, I’ma do it and that’s gonna be them distinguishing decisions that separates the ones that end up getting it from the ones that don’t.”
9. “Define who you are and what you are, and be clear on that. Meditate on that and then, live and die by that… You can’t break the rules, the fundamental rules. Be a man of your word, do what you say you’re gonna do, respect people the way you would like to be respected.”
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