50 Cent ON: How To Hustle Smarter & Creating Opportunities From Scratch

50 Cent connected with Jay Shetty recently, he confessed his success is largely owed to his mother and grandmother. The music and television superstar talks about his rise to the top, and how he's stayed there. New book Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter. One of the biggest names in the industry today, 50 Cent undoubtedly lives a life more glamorous than the one he grew up in. As evidenced by the title of his book, however, he has not let that success go to his head. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Jay Shetty?

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• 0:43Jay Shetty?

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• 1:26Jay Shetty?

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• 2:01Jay Shetty?

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• 2:45Jay Shetty?

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• 3:09Speaker 01

  I don't see the disadvantage in coming from that. Because I think when you can assess it as a disadvantage, like people like I had a conversation with a guy who was talking about my experience, like I lost my mom early, don't know my father. There were things that he said, just the environment itself that you'd be traumatized by what was going on. And then I looked at it and like, nah, that's just the way I grew up.

• 3:40Jay Shetty?

  Hey everyone, welcome back to On Purpose, the number one mindset and health podcast in the world. Thanks to each and every single one of you that come every week to listen, learn, and grow. Now today's guest, I am super, super excited about. His name is 50 Cent, born Curtis Jackson, is an award-winning rapper, entrepreneur, actor, and producer from Queens, New York. Recognized as one of the most talented and prolific music artists of his time, the Grammy Award winner, Roseanne Barr. With his record shattering debut album, Get Rich or Die Trying. And I've got something interesting to tell you guys about that and share with Curtis himself as well.

• 4:18Jay Shetty?

  And then Jackson leveraged his star power to cross over with unparalleled success as an entrepreneur, actor and producer. From Get Rich or Die Trying being one of the fastest selling albums in history, to creating one of the most influential deals in hip hop with the sale of Vitamin Water, Jackson continues to break records. He currently has a number one show on Star's Power, in which he not only co-stars but also serves as executive producer and director. He's carved out a thriving television and film career as both a best in class producer and star. Today we're talking about his new book, which is here, Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter. Welcome to the show, Fifty Cent, Curtis.

• 5:02Speaker 01

  You make me, I'm like, how am I supposed to come behind that?

• 5:07Jay Shetty?

  Well, I want to be honest with you, because not many people know this about me because of the work I do today. But I want to share two things with you before we start. So, Get Rich or Die Trying, I listened to it every single day. I was around fourteen years old when it came out. I used to be a paper boy. I would go deliver papers. I'd put my headphones on and I would listen to your music every single day. I had your poster up on my wall. I had lyrics of yours up on my wall. And yes, this is the best part. This is the best part. My wife used to have your calendar on her wall.

• 5:41Jay Shetty?

  So I'm coming out with all the confessions now. I'm coming out with all the.

• 5:46Jay Shetty?

  But seriously, man, like sitting down with you, I was, I was excited to meet you and I know we can't right now, but yeah, I, you were a big part of my teenage life, man. So I just want to say thank you for everything you've created. I appreciate it.

• 5:59Speaker 01

  That man, I'm glad you enjoyed it. You know what's interesting? I always say this, right? I said, my audience, I, I said, like, let's say your core audience was in college at the point of your release, right? Because at that point, they're experiencing adulthood at that point. And because they have the freedom to make decisions on their own, they party in every available moment possible at that point. And because they're out, whoever's hot, like musically at that point, becomes a part of that experience. Because it's what's playing and music marks time. So if, if you.

• 6:39Speaker 01

  I would say if a song came on and it was based on your relationship, like he was like, this is our song. Yeah. So it'd take you back to those feelings. Twenty one questions. Yeah, so different joints that matched up with different things. And I was looking, go, okay. My audience, that audience now is is grown and committed. Hmm. At this point, those, those, those people that impacted the hardest at that point, they are now uh committed by having children. If not, uh if not by choice, they're committed by circumstance. Yeah, yeah.

• 7:20Speaker 01

  You know what I mean? And there's a, a whole thing where I feel like they're not partying as often as they partied at that point. Certain things you grow out of that. Like you're not going to a nightclub every night, but the

• 7:36Speaker 01

  but they will tune in. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah, because they occupy themselves, they schedule their life. So they go to work Monday to Friday, Saturday, relax, Sunday. It's a good time for television. Yeah.

• 7:50Speaker 01

  For good entertainment in the house. And this is why I started to go towards the film and television direction. Because I feel like not even a new audience, I realize my core audience again, that I'm actually servicing with the entertainment. So telling stories that was like Power was a story. Courtney developed uh the ghost character based on things her father had said to her. Things that um her perception of who I am with the new information, because I was given information from my past before any music took off. So it's more the street element. She's saying, so you're this and that at the same time. She created that flip flop thing within Ghost's character, but they, they um

• 8:36Speaker 01

  that whole project, it's like, it was, it's organic because it was me, me uh just being able to create what I want. And because of that, I, I accepted, I was only making seventeen thousand dollars per episode. Wow. Yeah, the first season of Power, I didn't get, I was like, I just want to do what I want. And Chris Albrecht, you know, he, he understood, like, he was like.

• 9:02Speaker 01

  Like he is already rich, but why is he just taking this little, right? And I was like, no, I just wanted to get them pregnant with the idea. Yeah. And then what was the, the, it started to perform very well. And then Christian was like, yo, we got something here. But it's, it's certain things, like they always have things on schedule. And you could tell, like, even with the Hollywood, it's the business, the business entertainment, the business part is the part that is really important and you could look and see what the major studios are anticipating being a success. Hmm, hmm. So they, they have, they aid those things, they allocate expenses, marketing dollars and budgets

• 9:43Speaker 01

  for those things to be, this is supposed to be this, I'm a blockbuster, this is supposed to be their media, this is supposed to be. So I'm like, look, when I look at the charts like that, I'm like, yo, call me if it's not what you expect.

• 9:57Speaker 01

  Don't call me. You know what I'm saying? Like, if it's not that. And there's a, it's certain things that you look at, like it gives you a whole different perspective on it when you see from behind the scenes in the schedule, not like a business versus looking at like just entertainment. And then the, my, my whole, just the, as, as it went, you know, of course, I got them, I did the overall deal with them, got a hundred fifty million dollars out of it, you know what I'm saying? So in that deal, so you look and you go, forget the initial money. You know, that, that first impact, I just want, let, let me do it the way I envisioned it. Yeah.

• 10:39Speaker 01

  Works, you can come, like, there's a place for, for, for, uh, bad music, it's television. It's because the last place they spend the money and the budget. And the music supervisor, the, the director put together a dream sequence of music that he would want for his episode. And then the music director of bring a template of things that could go into those spaces because of how much those things cost. Yeah. And that's why you hear people, you'll be watching a big, a big production and something will come on and you'll be like, yo, who is that? You have no idea who that is.

• 11:16Jay Shetty?

  But you've been playing the long game, right? Like you, you're playing the long game. Like you're looking at creativity of what you wanna create, what you're passionate about. Tell me how it felt, cause you were in Hollywood where I am now. You were here recently because you were getting your star on the Walk of Fame. How, what did that feel like, that moment of having Eminem there? Again, I'm a huge fan of Eminem. What was that feeling like of getting that star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for being recognized for what you believed in and what you invested in?

• 11:42Speaker 01

  Yeah, I, I, um, if you would, like, the whole time, the people around him is like, oh, I'm gonna get your star. I'm like, yeah. And, and it was like, like, it did, it was like, yeah, it's cool. It, it didn't really get exciting to me until that morning. Because everybody was there, like, everybody was just, I got Trey there, M there, the, even the guys from behind the scenes, Steve Berman and Paul Rosenberg, there was extra people that is there. And I'm like, yo, oh, so everybody is there. And then it got exciting. I, Mary had texted me, right? And I, I text Mary to reply, I'm like, yo, I'm nervous. I don't know why. I'm nervous, I feel like I'm nervous. She's like, oh, you're all right, Dan, you got that. I'm like, I'm like, yeah, but I didn't, I didn't write nothing.

• 12:27Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 12:28Speaker 01

  Darren, like, for, for what I would say. And I'm like, that, that, it was, it, it was exciting for me, man. That's, it, it's not, the, the people that are, are important are, are just, no matter how much they're involved in your journey. That when they're around at points and it's not a negative perspective, it develops out. Like, you look and you go, in, in M's case, like, our relationship is one of the relationships that it'll never go away. Like, I placed somewhere I placed my grandma. Cause it's, it's people that took care of you when you couldn't take care of yourself. You provided an opportunity for me that allowed me to, to take off in the way that I, I, why would I need anything else after that?

• 13:14Speaker 01

  Yeah, no, for sure, man. It's exactly the opposite for so many other people. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like, there's everybody else who give them the opportunity, they'll look at you like, yo. Yeah. Give me more. And everything else. And I'm like, yo, get out of here. I don't understand that part. Like, it's like, there's a... It's really interesting, like, because me, me and Em, that will never have a problem. I don't care what he says. Like, sometimes my grandmother would do stuff and I'd look at my aunt because she says she's not speaking to her. And I'm like,

• 13:47Speaker 01

  she's not gonna, like, come to you and talk to you. Yeah. She's like, mom just doesn't care. Like, her life's not gonna change if you're not speaking to her. Yeah. You know, so, with Em, I put him in that, that space too, where like, I'll always reach out and say, what's up? And then the, the cool part is he's so humble that there's almost a point where, like, every time I was on a record that had anything to do with Shady Records, I would get a call and he would ask me, could you do me a favor? And do this? And I'm like, Em, I'm on your label.

• 14:24Speaker 01

  Yes, I can do that. I'll do that. Like, you know, he, he always, like, approached it in a way that I never could attach him to anything that I was going through that was, uh, that felt like it was a bump in the road. Yeah, I love hearing it. I'm sorry, go on, go on, go on. I would always go through those experiences and then look at him and go, he don't know what I just felt when that happened. You know what I'm saying? So it just was, even when I had discrepancies with, with people, the label, with people involved, the in-scope, everything, I could only, I tried to explain it to him and look, and he'd go...

• 14:58Speaker 01

  And I know he didn't know. You know, because his, his career is so different from everybody else's that it's like,

• 15:06Speaker 01

  nah, it was like, you being around, you can compare it to Michael Jackson.

• 15:13Speaker 01

  You know, how you see things, they were so, like, uh...

• 15:20Speaker 01

  It was, like, Em's thing is completely different from everything else. And then,

• 15:26Speaker 01

  with Dre, like Dre being there, it was, it was, it was cool, man. Like, I, um,

• 15:32Speaker 01

  I still don't think, like, in that period, it was, it was a point where even before that, like, the music business in general, prior to that, would be, who made the hit? Okay, get me the guys that made the hit. I'm gonna make a hit. You see what I'm saying? Because what happens is, because like, the way Twisted and them would do it, was they'd go, get me that, that bass player that was there, and give me the, uh, that guy that, that plays the, uh, the keys, the best guy that's on the keys. And get me these guys, and it's, and it's gonna be like a jam session.

• 16:05Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 16:05Speaker 01

  Until they kind of find something that's really, that's really cool.

• 16:09Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 16:09Speaker 01

  And, no, it evolved from that to, who produced that record?

• 16:15Speaker 02

  Hmm.

• 16:16Speaker 01

  Okay, give me, give me that kid that did that record. Because probably, he probably only made one record.

• 16:22Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 16:23Speaker 01

  But that sounds like, you're like, you'll give me that kid, bring him here, put him in a room with these seasoned producers, and let's see what comes out of it. Because he's gonna have ideas and things in his head that these people will get out of.

• 16:39Jay Shetty?

  This episode is brought to you by State Farm. We talk a lot about intentional decision making, and that extends to the practical stuff too. Like making sure your coverage actually works for your life. State Farm is there to meet you where you are, and they know how sweet it is to feel good about your decisions. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with a personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings, and eligibility vary by state. This episode is brought to you by Whole Foods Market. If you're talking about quality food, you can't forget Whole Foods Market,

• 17:21Jay Shetty?

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• 18:02Jay Shetty?

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• 18:45Jay Shetty?

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• 18:52Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, it went from, it went from people owning the space to discovery. Right, went from like people like, basically owning the space to people being like, "Oh, I want to discover the new talent, I want to discover the new musicians."

• 19:05Speaker 01

  Bring that new thing, yeah. And then now you look, and because you can produce records on so many different formats now, like different things, like they sample and chop it up and do different things to it, the, um, they don't actually work the same way.

• 19:20Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 19:21Speaker 01

  You know, it's like, when they get in there with the guys that really been producing these records for so long, it's like, look, Scott Scorsese, he can play keys on, uh,

• 19:30Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 19:31Speaker 01

  On, uh, in the club, on...

• 19:35Speaker 01

  Candy Shop.

• 19:36Jay Shetty?

  Candy Shop, Candy Shop, yeah.

• 19:38Speaker 01

  That's a little bit, a bunch of stuff.

• 19:39Jay Shetty?

  Just a little bit, just a little, yeah.

• 19:41Speaker 01

  Hit records and then, he, he had a really interesting career too. Scott's quarterback.

• 19:46Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, he had a bit of talent.

• 19:48Speaker 01

  He didn't want to do it big, he wanted to be the biggest. He spent a lot of money, man. I, I seen him one time and I didn't, I really was looking at him going, yo.

• 20:02Speaker 01

  We went to a chorus studio one night, he had a, he had a Bugatti.

• 20:08Speaker 01

  Yeah. Yeah, all this stuff outside, I'm looking. He, he was, I think he was dating Paris Hilton at that time. Wow, man, I was like, yo, Scott is out of control.

• 20:18Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, but hearing, hearing about you and Eminem, like that, that relationship and that connection, the way you explain it, I mean, it's so great as a, as a fan to see that and hear that still.

• 20:29Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 20:29Jay Shetty?

  Because it was such a formative partnership then, and I love what you said with the comparison you give to your grandma, because your book, obviously, you dedicate

• 20:36Speaker 01

  to it.

• 20:37Jay Shetty?

  To your mother and your, and your, and so I wanted to ask you, like, what is it, what, you, you dedicate to them specifically? And you talked about how even they're not here in their physical forms, but their love, support and guidance continue to inspire you every day. What was the quality or the essence of what they gave you? Like, what was it that you feel is still living within you today that was so important from them?

• 20:58Speaker 01

  Well, I think the, the most, the biggest thing that they offered me was love. My grandma, like, she did love my life. Without any question, it was like the, the person that was very consistent. Like, they didn't have the same, like, you know, you look at people later, they go, uh, what, what, after the fact? What was this person like? Like, what did this person want? And then sometimes they didn't want anything, and that's even worse. Because not wanting to go anywhere in life, or not wanting to do things, you'll go, it's tragic when you run into that. Like, you run into a person who just doesn't want to commit to anything or to, to work on anything.

• 21:41Speaker 01

  So you go, me, all those people, when you look at them, you say, what did they want from that? And they go, nah, these people, they just, just.

• 21:53Speaker 01

  Wanted to love you. You, you. And those are the people that that you have, that you have extreme value for later. When you you look at the whole overall situation, there's so much like there's no such thing where we pray for success. We don't pray for jealousy. Hmm. We're not praying for envy. We're not praying for entitlement. And entitlement being the scariest part because it's grown as someone that you probably love. Or that you could be, right? Yeah. And

• 22:24Speaker 01

  you can't have success without those things. Hmm. So there's a a a natural confusion built into things working. Yeah. Now it changes how you interact with people, even on a personal level, because you're saying, um.

• 22:40Speaker 01

  Who who is she? What what does she? Unless she has things that prevent you from even having thoughts. Like she has so much money that you're not thinking that she's, why would she be talking to me for money? She got all of this money anyway. All right. And then she doesn't have those things, then that thing would block you from certain people. If you're watching them and you see their temperament in different ways, that they have that interest in it. You look and you say, this is tradition, right? Tradition says a man is supposed to be a protector, security and support for his family. So some females, they'll come in and after you're around for a while, they'll look and their expectations will be physical.

• 23:19Speaker 01

  And this is not because they actually just wanted something from you, but because instinctively they start to behave like they're with you because they've assessed it and they're first, they're ahead of you in the relationship. So now the expectations are there because they're like, like, we're going to be together. Yeah. The concept and they'll start looking at you like they want those things and then you look and go, okay, well, not going to be together because you know, because if you're not on the same page, you go look at it and just register that she expects things from you, but any, there's a it's it's a give, it's a give and a curse and and you're pushing and pulling at the same time because you you it'll take time

• 24:04Speaker 01

  for those things to balance out because for you to not, uh, be on the same page and and those things to happen at the same time. Hmm. Because emotionally, when when there's references, a person have the ability to to.

• 24:20Speaker 01

  To be with you without being with you.

• 24:22Speaker 02

  Hmm.

• 24:23Speaker 01

  Like the person has the ability to be looking at your podcast and seeing your perspective on different things and she could be there so often looking at your podcast and she's like, I know him, know him.

• 24:33Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 24:34Speaker 01

  I know so much stuff about him and then from soon as she stops looking at the podcast, she's on your Instagram. So she's looking and she said, I know him like the back of my hand.

• 24:46Speaker 02

  Hmm.

• 24:46Speaker 01

  And then because she's ahead of you and uh

• 24:53Speaker 01

  in the relationship, chances are you'll be doing everything in the same space because you'll start to feel that energy, feel like you, whoa, right? Are you going too far?

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• 26:53Jay Shetty?

  When you talk about visiting your old neighborhood, you say something pretty interesting. You say that I look at them like they're a version of me that hasn't actually blossomed yet.

• 27:03Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 27:03Jay Shetty?

  Right? And when I hear that, it's quite an inspirational thing because you see the potential. What are you seeing when you go back and you see people who are in that situation where you were given an opportunity and you didn't just take it? You made it, you know? Like, I think there's a big difference between taking an opportunity and taking it and then making it. You did the second, like you went.

• 27:25Speaker 01

  Then, look, I don't see the disadvantage in coming from that. Because I think when you can assess it as a disadvantage, like people, like I had a conversation with a guy. He was talking about my experience, like I lost my mom early. I don't know my father. There were things that he said, just the environment itself that you'd be traumatized by what was going on. And then I looked at it and like, nah, that's just the way I grew up. It was not an optional circumstance. This was just what I was experiencing. And if you, because I didn't see not having it at the very beginning as a reason why I couldn't have it, is what allows those possibilities to be there.

• 28:09Speaker 01

  That's like even when I decided to write music, I was writing music full time, like all the time since 1997, right? So the difference is there's guys that are better than me because it's easier for them. The talent is, I guess, a gift so they can rap like we can speak.

• 28:31Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, yeah.

• 28:32Speaker 01

  Now, while they can do that, you go.

• 28:36Speaker 01

  It proves hard work be talent when talent's not work.

• 28:39Speaker 02

  Hmm.

• 28:40Speaker 01

  Right? And the, the, the concept of once you've fallen in love with something passionately, you work on it. The discipline will allow you to become good enough. And this is fighters, all, all the boxers, right? They fall in love early, they start to love the sport. Started doing it for so long that you naturally become good enough to be the guy.

• 29:02Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 29:03Speaker 01

  The, the Floyd is a, a reflection of Floyd Mayweather, Junior is a reflection of Floyd Sinek. Venus and Serena, a reflection of their dad. Uh, the Manics, they had two sons, all of them got NFL quarterback rights. Uh, what Earnhardt, the race car driver did. Mad championship, mad wins with their actual car. You're getting comfortable. Being in the car at a hundred fifty miles an hour, a hundred twenty miles an hour, somebody's driving you. Right? So there's a, I think there's something in you having someone ahead of you. And even in, in my experience, though, I lost my mom at eight.

• 29:46Speaker 01

  Her decisions, I kind of caused her decisions. Cause she started, she started hustling when I came. Like at that point. Teenage pregnancies wasn't as, uh, common as it is now. So the programs that we have set up. Via the teens, the ability to work and take care of the actual kid. So. At that point, you, you would only get a, a blue car, your working papers. And you'd be allowed to work during summer months. There was no, no other program for you to work. So.

• 30:15Speaker 02

  No support.

• 30:17Speaker 01

  Yeah, your option was actually child support. Or you could hustle and get what you can get out of the street. And then. Uh, the upside was so much higher from street life at that point that she chose that. And then. When she dies and I go into my grandmother's house and everything changes a little bit. I swear the only thing that I saw.

• 30:39Speaker 01

  The only references to success or financial freedom was people from my mom's life.

• 30:46Speaker 01

  Cause I had four aunts, four uncles. I'm in the middle of that. This is what you got. My grandfather's income. He's so traditional that he just goes to work, come home and gives my grandmother his check. The sacrifice is he's so conditioned to sacrifice for us that. Like this is why I have so much fun hanging out with him because he did everything for us.

• 31:10Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 31:10Speaker 01

  I said, I'm going to my grandmother's house. It's because the house is not a home without her. But it's my grandfather's house.

• 31:17Jay Shetty?

  Hmm.

• 31:18Speaker 01

  Like he paid for the house, you know, so I'm like. That's just the way it is. Like I, I go. That goes back to the tradition, traditional thing you talked about earlier.

• 31:28Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 31:28Speaker 01

  I being the support security and the protector for this family, but the um.

• 31:34Speaker 01

  Just my journey, period. I look and go when.

• 31:39Speaker 01

  Through all experiences, I, I look and go, there's no, there's no reason for you to not make it.

• 31:44Jay Shetty?

  Yeah. I love what you said. Not a disadvantage. I, I love that because what you're saying is it's not like I chose this life. This was the life that was given to me.

• 31:53Speaker 01

  Right. It's unfortunate the circumstances. Some people, they, you know, they're born with a silver spoon and everything's like, you look, it's already there for them to do it. And even then.

• 32:06Speaker 01

  They don't have this, this way. How do you define whether this person is resilient?

• 32:12Jay Shetty?

  Hmm.

• 32:14Speaker 01

  They haven't had the experience. So this is the person that the. The stock market crashed and they jump off the side of the building. Because they can't even figure out how to function without the money that they always had. You know what I'm saying? Like if they're going, they're not. And then. It's tragic, terrible moment at that point and it's gonna be good again. When things turn around. He's flat as a pancake on the sidewalk. And things turned around.

• 32:41Jay Shetty?

  Hmm.

• 32:42Speaker 01

  You know what I'm saying? Like it, it, even.

• 32:46Speaker 01

  The, the shares in, in, in the stocks and stuff that he actually had could just come back after he jumped. Because the idea of, of uh not having it when you've had it the whole time is too much. You know what I'm saying? You, you look and you say.

• 33:00Speaker 01

  If anyone's career is long enough, they don't have some some peaks and some valleys, some some high points, some low points, and not necessarily through sales or through through ratings or through anything, it's just how it feels in general. Like artists can use painful moments to to compel them to a a place that is

• 33:26Speaker 01

  the the the most attractive

• 33:32Speaker 01

  position for them, like whether it's my me being shot nine times or Kanye's car crash or or the relationship that didn't work for the R and B artists and stuff like that. Those things got them to a point where they could make something that was kind of special at that point, feeling something.

• 33:51Jay Shetty?

  One set, yeah.

• 33:54Speaker 01

  And I think those those painful moments make good for artists. I think it's just something about it that brings something out of them. And um it's just in in in in general, I think all of those situations build character. You know, it changes, you know, who you are a little bit. When you're in life-threatening situations, you'll find your higher power.

• 34:18Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, it's always in it's in our pain that we find our potential, right? It's like when we're going through that, going through the worst times, that's when you find what you're actually made up and what your truth is and what your power is. And you talk a lot in the book about constructing your crew. And and one of the lines really hit me in this where you said that be extremely conscious of who you have around you. But this part, this second part, you go betrayal is never as far away as you'd like to leave. And I was like, whoa, that is, that's a powerful statement, right? Betrayal is never as far away as you'd like to believe. I I'm intrigued, like with someone like you, who's you've you've experienced betrayal, you've experienced snitches, you've experienced all of that in your life.

• 34:57Speaker 01

  Right.

• 34:57Jay Shetty?

  How do you filter? Like, what's your test of figuring out whether someone's real or not? And what kind of like levels did they take in your life?

• 35:04Speaker 01

  You can't, you gotta just try and get a read on the person. Like anyone is having successes will tell you that it's detrimental that they try and be a good judge of character. Like even if you leave in the responsibility of traditional businesses on one's hand, you gotta look and say, is this the right person for me to live with? Because on on on the street levels, where you would find that betrayal and these different things faster.

• 35:29Speaker 01

  Is this?

• 35:32Speaker 01

  What kind of person is this person? Is he a thief? Is he like, if he's a robber, he's a thief? And I'd rather hang out with a liar, you know, like, I'd rather be around a thief than a liar because

• 35:48Speaker 01

  then he's still in my reality. Like, he's gonna lead me in directions and just, that person that lies tells the police much and then come back and tell you another story.

• 35:58Speaker 02

  You.

• 35:59Speaker 01

  And then you come back and you got all kind of things going on in your mind when they come in, when they come running through the door. There's a, there's so many. I had a

• 36:10Speaker 01

  an environment that I grew up in, they said, you know, you were strong. They taught us you were strong as a crew. You surround it, but if you surround it. So

• 36:20Speaker 01

  you try to put together, only deal with a certain kind of person. Like, keep your circle, you know, the right way. And then there's some proof to it. And I've even seen success without, with a more sophisticated approach to developing a crew.

• 36:36Speaker 02

  Hmm.

• 36:37Speaker 01

  I get it. Look, and this won't be in the book, but

• 36:42Speaker 01

  Jay, Jay-Z, right? At the point that

• 36:47Speaker 01

  my music comes, cuts through it, he'll say it came through like a hurricane, right? And he goes,

• 36:55Speaker 01

  things, you gotta imagine being who he is, going through that.

• 37:02Speaker 01

  You see what I'm saying? Like, it shifts, it's a shift for him because he's already been one of those guys that they would match up with, compared to Nas and Biggie and all of that. But when that momentum is there, he's saying 12 platinum albums now. My first album sold 13, right?

• 37:16Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 37:17Speaker 01

  You see what I'm saying? So when that's happening, it's going, yo, he's like, he took the president position at Def Jam.

• 37:25Speaker 01

  Right? Now, while he's the president of Def Jam, the artist still gotta rely on, he, he's the guy for you.

• 37:34Speaker 01

  I got you. I'm gonna make sure everything's right for you. And he really did a good job. Like, he really was supportive of Kanye, even in the comparisons between me and Kanye when he was doing that. Yeah. On his actual, uh, what was it? Um, he put out a, it was like a documentary thing or documentary. He was talking about, no, in the book, he talked about it being one of his wins against. And it's because he won, uh, between, on the numbers, Kanye West versus 50 Cent. Hmm. And I'm going, I thought it was me and Kanye.

• 38:13Speaker 01

  No, it was me, Kanye, and Jay-Z was both supportive. All right, you see what I'm saying? So it worked out. Now, you say, in all the situations, it, it, it, it would be reason for more disrespect when you see Kanye get upset with them and say things publicly. Hmm. After you were that far and supportive. Hmm. You see what I'm saying? But there's a, uh,

• 38:40Speaker 01

  it was, it's still because crew became Jay, Beyonce, Rihanna. Rihanna and.

• 38:49Speaker 01

  All of the Def Jam. The top Def Jam artists became the crew. And that was that crew that worked. And it, that was, I mean, I could have did that at Interscope Records or Atlantic Records. I just didn't think to do it. Hmm. He's a smart guy, man. You gotta look. The person made a decision, you look around, because his maneuvering is bigger than the business portion of it. Yeah. Is what positions him as a bigger talent than the music itself, because the music was going to one million people 12 times. Yeah. I started to be, you know, everyone at once.

• 39:26Jay Shetty?

  That's really smart. Yeah, that innovative mindset and that strategic mindset. I mean, you have that strategic approach too. That's been a big part of your successes. You're highly strategic. You really weigh up ventures. You don't just, you know, people, I think people sometimes think that some people are just obsessed with money, but you know, you, you don't, that's not the only thing you make your decisions by. One of the things that I think, that I love that you said in this regard was you said, one of the secrets to getting what you want in life is creating the perception that you don't need a thing.

• 39:57Speaker 01

  Right.

• 39:58Jay Shetty?

  And, and I'm like, okay, that's, you know, that's interesting because a lot of, and I love that. I love that statement because I think a lot of people think like, oh yeah, no, if I want this, I gotta obsess over and this, and that's what people do with money. How have you been able to, yeah, what's that? Tell me about that mindset.

• 40:09Speaker 01

  Look, when you look at a big, everybody wants to do you a favor when you don't need one. You know, so in concept, if you come around in your presentation, if you keep yourself together, like, look, it's not how expensive the clothes were, it's how well kept. Did you iron it before you put it on? You know what I'm saying? Like how well kept you are. And when you come, when you come through, a person sees that and we'd rather have that person next to us than someone who's just look like a slop, like he just fell out of the bed. Right? Now, in concept, that's one of the steps we talk about in the book. The other thing, when we say, uh, if you think about how, if your presentation, first you,

• 40:53Speaker 01

  you, how you present yourself, to the, when you don't need it.

• 41:03Speaker 01

  Even Bernie Madoff created the biggest Ponzi scheme ever. Sixty-five billion dollars. Because people, people would come to him and he would go, they asked for five million, they want to put five million in and he goes, um, my fund's full.

• 41:20Speaker 01

  And they go back and they know someone else who's already in the fund that is saying they're receiving forty percent returns on it and this guy's a genius. And they go, I gotta get it. I gotta get into this guy. You know someone, give me a call so I can get in?

• 41:37Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 41:37Speaker 01

  I'll give, I'll give him ten million.

• 41:41Speaker 01

  To give him more money because the the the price scheme doesn't work if you just keep getting more money to pay people.

• 41:50Speaker 01

  You know, the money, so but him not not saying, I need it if you need it. If I told you, how could you get your hands on uh sixty five billion dollars?

• 42:04Speaker 01

  It's developing that aura where he knows something we don't know.

• 42:09Jay Shetty?

  Hmm. Yeah, it's that mystery.

• 42:11Speaker 01

  Yeah, and and and going, you know, in our school, like not being anxious about it. Like a guy, I've seen a guy come and and and say, yo, you know, um. Yeah, you know, we're doing this thing. Oh, man, this is gonna. Yeah, look.

• 42:29Speaker 01

  Because you knew. Because you were, you know, around, I'll let you come in to this to this point, but I'm not gonna do anything more than that because there are. I'm keeping this, I'm taking this ride for myself. Like, I know what this is.

• 42:45Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, yeah.

• 42:46Speaker 01

  And and they go, because he said, I don't, I really don't need money, but I'll let you put in this much if you wanna.

• 42:55Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 42:55Speaker 01

  And then all of a sudden, the guy's like, yeah. It's even no problem when it feels like he's letting me in.

• 43:02Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, it's an opportunity. It feels like it's an opportunity for them now.

• 43:05Speaker 01

  Right. Instead of it's reversing it like everybody wants something that they can everybody will do you a favor. They can expect a bigger favor in retirement.

• 43:14Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, yeah. That's that's that's a good point, man. We've got a few minutes left, man, so we're gonna do what we call the final five. This is a rapid fire round, so answers have to be one word to one sentence maximum. That's it.

• 43:27Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 43:27Jay Shetty?

  This is you in lyrics, man. This is you in music, so it's easy for you. So five questions left, because I know we only got a few minutes left with you. So the first question of final five is what's the biggest lesson you've learned in the last twelve months?

• 43:40Speaker 01

  In the last twelve months, um. Stay in the house.

• 43:46Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 43:46Speaker 01

  I would understand just to stay in the house because the

• 43:52Speaker 01

  as the when when first started talking about coronavirus, it was just something that someone can call for.

• 43:58Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 44:00Speaker 01

  And since then, it's evolved from that to it could be on something and and you can catch it or you can now that animals, they can a tiger at it and and also so so it's

• 44:15Speaker 01

  uh just what's the name, the biggest lesson is just when when you uh respond right away.

• 44:22Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, respond right away. That's great. Yeah, that would have been that would have changed a lot for a lot of people. So I love that. Second question. What's something you know about business that others disagree with you on? So what's something that you're so sure about, you're confident, but then other people wouldn't necessarily agree with you on that?

• 44:37Speaker 01

  Well, um, I I run on my own energy.

• 44:42Speaker 01

  And most people that look, but what I mean by that is I believe if I say now this works, I know the audience that it would go to.

• 44:50Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 44:51Speaker 01

  And this this will is what they were saying, business is known to consume.

• 44:56Jay Shetty?

  Hmm.

• 44:57Speaker 01

  Right? Know who's gonna actually consume it or purchase it or whatever. And I'll go. Now, this is this is gonna work. I got this. Like, and I already have my headset that it's gonna work. And I kind of project that energy.

• 45:10Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 45:11Speaker 01

  Onto the project until it actually do work.

• 45:13Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, I love that. That's a great answer, man. That's uh Steve Jobs used to have, he used to talk about that and he called it reality distortion field. So he knew that if he believed something, he could bend reality, like he just had that feeling.

• 45:27Speaker 01

  And make it.

• 45:28Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, that he he would make.

• 45:29Speaker 01

  Cause you look at it and when you believe when when I believe it is still, cause like sometimes even in an environment when we didn't have finances, I would still be someone that they follow.

• 45:40Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 45:41Speaker 01

  But if you're doing the wrong thing, I'm gonna take them to do the wrong thing. And they're coming behind me to do it. You see what I'm saying? So then when you're doing that, it's like anyone who's passionate when an idea could potentially find follow. Whether the person is is just lost, looking for someone to follow.

• 45:58Jay Shetty?

  Mm hmm.

• 45:59Speaker 01

  Or the person is a a smarter guy deciding to go with.

• 46:05Speaker 01

  Your idea.

• 46:06Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 46:06Speaker 01

  Because your passion is there and he's looking, he go, no, he didn't know information I didn't know. So maybe he's right all the way and I don't want to not be a part of.

• 46:16Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, dope answer. I love that. Question number three. What's one thing in life that you used to chase when you were younger? And now you're like, I'm not, I'm not chasing that anymore.

• 46:25Speaker 01

  People don't realize how much women mean to

• 46:30Speaker 01

  universally how we interact. Everything, even the first time when I said how you start to pay attention to your clothes. The kids, when they start, they want the Jordans or they need specific, they need the Michael Mary, Mc Mary. Certain jeans or certain things that's happening, they want to be conscious of them, they want those things. Those things relate to their identity and directly relate to how women perceive them.

• 47:01Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 47:02Speaker 01

  You know, and beginning stages of why they started hustling, it's why they started into the field and because of tradition, it says that the man is supposed to be support, security and protect them. So I think we're on two different waves, like the

• 47:17Speaker 01

  women are already when she's a baby, they offered her a baby. A dollhouse, a hook and set. It was teaching her nurture, right? And the traditional role that women would play in old days, right? So her interest in being, having a family, having a home and raising kids at some point. This is why even if she's a career woman, she'll still have that want or that need to do some of those things. And then if you, if you said, why is the

• 47:51Speaker 01

  the man thing is, everything that they give us as a toy early on connects to finance. Or there's cars and trucks, the cars, it'll be the actual cars that are riding down the street. There'll be, it's a NASCAR, means be a race car driver. If it's, if it's a police car, means be a police officer or fireman, be a, you know, be a fireman or. Work at the head station, it's all, all things connected to finances and, and jobs on that front. Because the, the mail, I think is, is, is kinda aimed at the financial world. It's just been that way forever.

• 48:27Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, for sure. Awesome. All right. Question number four. If you had to start all over again from ground zero, what's the first thing you would do? If you had to start from scratch, what's the first thing you'd do?

• 48:37Speaker 01

  From ground zero?

• 48:39Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, from start, from scratch, like you had nothing to get, like what, what would you do? What's the first thing if you, you had to start all over again, what's the first thing you'd do now?

• 48:47Speaker 01

  Well, I, um, I've been trying to look for, uh, the kind of person that I could, uh,

• 48:55Speaker 01

  delegate our responsibilities to.

• 48:57Jay Shetty?

  Okay.

• 48:58Speaker 01

  Because, look, the creative side, like, I always said this, look, behind the scenes, I never said this in public, but behind the scenes, we would always say, like, I wish Tony Yay was 50 Cent.

• 49:09Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 49:11Speaker 01

  Because if, if Yay was 50 Cent, I would have just, I would have handled the business, I would have just been doing that. Cause he's the guy. And it, it would have easily been,

• 49:26Speaker 01

  it would have worked out easy, like that, a lot easier than if this, cause I had to go do music and didn't be that at the same time.

• 49:33Jay Shetty?

  He had to be the artist and the business person. And, and that's, you know, but there's, there's truth in that, like what you said, because a lot of artists don't wanna be the strategist.

• 49:42Speaker 01

  Right.

• 49:42Jay Shetty?

  But sometimes then no one ever sees your art, because you never got it out there, right?

• 49:47Speaker 01

  Yeah, and it's, it's, it's different things, like, if you look at, at points, mistakes, I think, like, in, in, in the climate of the year, it's different too, but, like particularly the fu- the future, what's the one with the, the tape you put out with March Madness on it?

• 50:04Speaker 01

  Dirty Sprite, the Dirty Sprite tape. That shit was so good, that the next tape that he put out kinda smothered it.

• 50:13Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 50:14Speaker 01

  You know what I'm saying? And he needed, when you make something that, that especially needs time to resonate, like they had to really listen to this and go, yo, nah, this is.

• 50:27Speaker 01

  Because what they're gonna do when they wanna get rid of you is they're gonna compare you to yourself.

• 50:30Jay Shetty?

  Hmm.

• 50:31Speaker 01

  It's in high school, the new stuff is cool, but it ain't like it's first time.

• 50:35Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. Everyone always compares. Yeah, for sure, man. Fifth and final question, last question I'm gonna ask you. These have been great answers, by the way. Fifth and final one, because of the book name, Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter Means What? What does that mean to you? Because I know it means something specific to you.

• 50:52Speaker 01

  And this book is like, once you deem yourself for hustling, right? Then that means this is the way you function, this is your lifestyle. This is not to achieve a specific amount of money or get to a certain level and then just stop. Like, I'm never gonna stop. And I always said I'm running through an endless tunnel. Like, it's like, anybody that lives within the entrepreneurial spirit understands it. Because there'll always be a new idea, there may be less physical involvement. Because you're not running around doing the things that you would be doing, you know, because you know, and stuff like that. But the money will be running around doing it without you. You know what I'm saying?

• 51:31Speaker 01

  And you can be invested in new ideas and stuff like that. And it's just a part of, it's not even about more money. It's, when you look around, I already have the things I want. I'm right. Now, the choices when I had made in the very beginning were based on what my journey has been. I had a small space that I was staying in and it's about eight hundred dollars a month. And I came back from the first tour with thirty-eight million dollars. So you go to my Tyson's house. When I bought the house, you make that kind of money, if you don't figure out how to spend it, they're gonna take it.

• 52:11Speaker 01

  You see what I'm saying? And at that time, when we got all the money here, you go, well, should you buy it? Yeah, you should buy it. It'd be good for you.

• 52:20Speaker 01

  You know, you buy the property and stuff like that. And then you go, place is fifty-five thousand square feet. Then you go, that, walking from the left side of the house to the right side of the house was like walking down the full New York City block. Do you understand? Like, so I was like, what? It's a party house. The only time you're using it to its full capabilities. Is when you're having a real party at a nightclub in the center of the

• 52:44Jay Shetty?

  I remember the inside of Cribs, man. I remember a lot.

• 52:47Speaker 01

  Fifteen hundred people. If you're not, if it's not that, there's no possible way for you to utilize that space the right way. And then things will break in because you didn't use it. So you go turn on the lights because you haven't been over there. The lights are flickering and you go on, yo, smile, smile, baby, Jesus. You know, and it doesn't, it's just a lifestyle choice and it comes from not having the space. You may look at these really nice estates, say, oh, wow, that's beautiful. Now, a person who's experienced it might say, nah, I want something really flat. I want the Jetsons, but I want three bedrooms.

• 53:21Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 53:23Speaker 01

  You know, I've said livable space and they just know themselves enough to know that they won't utilize that stuff.

• 53:28Jay Shetty?

  Hmm.

• 53:29Speaker 01

  Oh, but it's all lifestyle choices, you know?

• 53:32Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, that's cool. Awesome, man. Curtis Jackson, fifty cent, Hustle Harder, Hustle Smart. You can go grab a copy of the book. Uh, thank you, man. Thank you for doing this. I appreciate it, man. It was good to, good to hang with you and I hope when I come to New York, I can come meet you finally or when you're

• 53:48Speaker 01

  Yeah, we got to kick it. Meet face to face, meet on New York.

• 53:51Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, I would love that, man. That would be awesome. I really appreciate it.