Happy Sunday!
Last week, my fiancé and I listened to 50 cent's "Hustle Smarter, Hustle Harder" during our road trip from Oakland to L.A.
A fascinating moment in the book is when he talks about how gangsta rap fans love damaged artists.
We get behind underdogs like Eminem when they're trying to claw their way out of a trailer park, but quickly turn our backs against them when they achieve stardom.
He illustrates this point by taking us back to 2009. He had just dropped Crack a Bottle with Eminem and Dr. Dre — a global hit that earned them a Grammy.
50 cent parlayed the success of the song to an international tour spanning Croatia to India, and the crowds loved it. He sold out stadiums with 50,000+ people, and they were all singing along.
But, he received a lukewarm response when performed the same song for an American audience.
After analyzing the situation, he realized that hip-hop culture was giving him resistance. He was no longer the 50 cent who was selling crack. He was the artist who had sold more than 30 million records worldwide.
Hip-hop loves things that are damaged. This has been a trait of the culture. - Curtis Jackson
When our favorite underdogs become superstars, we're quick to find replacements:
N.W.A — Wu-Tang
Wu-Tang — G-Unit
Nicki Minaj — Cardi-B
And once we move on, the artists who are no longer in favor need to diversify to continue prospering.
Good examples of this are:
Ice Cube: Acting.
Dr. Dre: Beats (acquired by Apple for $1 Billion)
50 Cent: Vitamin Water, Power (TV Show on Starz)
50 cent still loves music; he just doesn't consider it his primary pursuit. If he's in the studio and starts feeling the magic again — the beat is just right, and he comes up with a killer verse — he would consider giving the song to an up-and-coming artist. One who is seen as an underdog, battling against all the odds to make it.
What 50 touches on is not exclusive to Hip-Hop. The same thing happens in sports, in business, and our relationships.
Once an athlete, businessman, or a friend starts achieving too much success, we find it harder to root for that person unless we stand to gain from their achievements personally.
People's hatred for Lebron James has always boggled my mind. He has lived up to everyone's expectations and stayed out of trouble despite attaining fame and fortune at an early age. Yet, people are always criticizing him.
It wasn't too long ago that Jeff Bezos was furiously tapping away at his keyboard, trying to make Amazon "a thing."
He was the underdog, and we were all rooting for him to take down the evil empire that was Wal-Mart. But, now, you would be hard-pressed to scan the news without finding a voice that's praying for Jeff's downfall daily.
What can we learn from this?
Do whatever you can to maintain your status as an underdog.
It might not be feasible in certain situations. For example, you may be a sales rep who is always outperforming everyone else. Your numbers are highlighted by management, and the other reps are well-aware of your overachievement. What do you do in this situation?
Tip #1: Stay humble. Chalk it up to luck. Don't take all of the credit for your success. There's nothing to gain from doing so.
Tip #2: Always tackle new challenges that place you in the underdog position. If you're constantly outperforming everyone else in everything you do, chances are you're doing yourself a disservice. Take a painting class. Take an Improv class. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations so you never forget what it's like to be an underdog. The ability to tap into the underdog mindset can be a superpower that will help you continue outperforming even when you're already at the top of your game.
Finally, don't be afraid to pivot.
What got you here won't be enough to get you to the next level. If you start to experience resistance in your field, it's not enough to continue making minor tweaks. You may have to enter a new arena altogether to continue growing both personally and financially.
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Bardia