Watch the Third Episode of Complex’s ‘Rules to This Sh*t’
Written by SOURCE on September 11, 2021
Every success story begins with desire, passion, and an undying work ethic. Our cast discuss the value of “hustling” and share their first hustles. From delivering pizzas to selling lunch snacks, you’re never too young to start hustling. As part of Complex’s Get Money initiative, the eight-part series Rules to This Sh*t covers the trials and tribulations of embarking on a rap career, with words of wisdom from Common, N.O.R.E., Too Short, the late Nipsey Hussle, and more.
After covering the shady contracts, lessons learned from the music industry, and hip-hop beef in the first two episodes, the third installment of Rules to this Sh*t focuses on hustling. Songwriter and rapper Sy Ari Da Kid reflected on being that kid who sold snacks in school, while N.O.R.E. talked about how he filled in for a pizza delivery guy when he was a kid.
“The hustle to me is just drive,” said producer Sean C, who told the story of what happened to him after he produced one of Jay-Z’s earliest singles. “I was working a bullshit job, I interned at a record label,” he explained. “So I was going through all of this stuff, but I gave a tape to a guy named Dame Dash, he worked with Jay-Z and ended up being the song ‘Can’t Knock the Hustle.’ … But I was still struggling at the time, still had a job, I was an intern in the mailroom when I had a record on the radio at the same time.” Shortly after, he joined the A&R team of the same label.
While many have assumed that to be “a hustler” you need to be cocky, The Shade Room founder Angelica Nwandu argud that you need humility to be “a true hustler.” Common also added that it’s always important to be on the lookout for new talent, and shared how he was able to get started with acting after his booking agent introduced him to someone.
Watch the third episode of Rules to This Sh*t above.
