YG recently revealed his friend and fellow Californian, the late Nipsey Hussle, encouraged him to read.
The “F**k Donald Trump” rapper has been working on his next project as the 10th anniversary of his debut album, My Krazy Life, approaches. He’s also gearing up to hit the road with Tyga following the release of their joint album, Hit Me When U Leave The Klub: The Playlist, which dropped last month.
Moreover, the “Big Facts” podcast, hosted by DJ Scream, Big Bank, and Baby Jade, invited the Compton native to be their special guest for a live episode taping at REVOLT WORLD. During the interview, reading briefly became a topic when Jade inquired about the last book YG perused as the hosts tapped into the many layers of the 4HUNNID founder. That was when the girl dad acknowledged he’s not typically one to crack open a book; as a person who learned valuable lessons through firsthand experiences, life has always been his teacher. That said, YG is actively working on being more intentional about soaking in more information.
“I’m not the reading type [of] motherf**ker. I’m just… life experience,” the 33-year-old confessed. “I’m trying to start YouTubing more.”
Although reading isn’t a hobby of his, the last two books YG got into were suggested by Nipsey Hussle. Knowing the philanthropist wouldn’t pass along anything that wouldn’t be valuable or expand his perspective, the businessman read them in their entirety.
“I think it’s called ’22 Immutable Laws of Branding and Marketing.’ That n**ga Nipsey gave [me] the books and told me to read them mother**ckers,” he told the hosts.
This led YG to share what he noticed after diving into the pages. Aware that there is always something new to learn, the artist was surprised to discover he was knowledgeable about some of the material due to the array of situations he’s engaged in, in his day-to-day life.
“I read the book. Like, Nip gave me the book and s**t you feel me. I read it and s**t. And then when I read it, I’m like, ‘Damn.’ I already… like, as I’m reading, I knew a lot of the s**t that the book was talking about, but I knew it off of just, like, regular s**t, you know what I’m saying?” he mentioned, expounding on one of Nip’s literary suggestions. “I don’t know everything at all, and I know if I read more, I’ll be way more [sharp] and s**t.”
YG went on to share that his mind is usually racing a mile per minute, and admitted that’s likely the main reason he doesn’t take to literature often.
“When I read, like, I could be reading a book [and]… I’m reading the words, but my mind is thinking about some whole other… I’m reading the words… n**ga mind somewhere else,” he explained laughing.
When asked why the self-proclaimed fashion killer thinks that is, he disclosed it may be because he always had trouble concentrating. “ADD, you feel me, ADD. When I was in school and s**t, all my report cards said, ‘Easily distracted,’” the “BIRTHDAY” artist revealed.
It isn’t a surprise that Hussle urged YG to read because in addition to sharing books he found valuable, the late icon always talked about the importance of self-educating.
“Anything I was interested in, I would read the magazines about it,” Hussle said in a 2019 interview with Hoodrich Radio. “Then I just started getting into books and just like you said… A lot of my best ideas, a lot of my business savvy — which, you know, I ain’t the smartest dude, but I know what I know — it came from books.”
Looking to add some titles to your reading list? If so, see more books the late Grammy Award-winning artist recommended here. If you missed YG’s live “Big Facts” episode, watch that here.