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Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter by Curtis Jackson (50 Cent) is a very great read as the rapper shares his success secrets on how he has managed to stay relevant in the past twenty years. He has transitioned from peddling drugs on the streets to Rapping, then Executive Producing hit TV Shows such as Power and For Life; he has also written two great books – 50th Law with Robert Greene and now Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter.
50 Cent is one of my favorite entertainers, although he can be controversial there is a method to his madness. He is relentless and always gets things done and that is what matters in the end: RESULTS.
People like to say I’m a bully, but I have zero problem poking fun at myself if it helps build buzz. An actual bully doesn’t possess that sort of self-awareness. Their skins are way too thin to post those sorts of pictures of themselves. But I’m not moving off emotion. My skin is tough enough to do whatever it takes to keep my brand poppin!
I earlier read the 50th Law with Robert Greene and it was such a great read. His New book: Hustle Harder Hustle Smarter chronicles his journey, his thought process, and his re-invention strategies. He gives some very great insights that are very practical and straight to the point, some surprising facts like befriending authors such as Robert Greene who he co-authored 50th Law with and Deepak Chopra. How he transitioned from the music business to the Television show business, the book reads like an autobiography/self help nugget book but lots of great content.
Here are my favourite take aways from reading Hustle Harder Hustle Smarter by Curtis Jackson (50 Cent)
Studying the Best
If you want to be a writer, you have to take notes on every author you read. If you want to be a chef, every time you eat a meal at a restaurant, you have to be thinking about how your competition works with flavors, texture, presentation, and ingredients. If you want to be an ad executive, you just can’t walk past a poster on the subway platform. You have to study every poster, supermarket sales display, and bus wrap that you see and make note of what’s catching your attention and what doesn’t hold your eye.
Don’t complain that it takes the fun out of eating in a restaurant or watching a mindless TV show at the end of a long day. If you’re truly passionate about your dream, you’ll want to analyze as many TV shows as possible, or visit as many cutting-edge restaurants as possible. When you’re hustling at your hardest, you’re going to observe and engage with anything that gives you even the slightest advantage.
When you’re hustling at your hardest, you’re going to observe and engage with anything that gives you even the slightest advantage.
On Writing Ideas Down:
Whenever you write something down, it promotes a more focused way of thinking. When ideas only live in your mind, it’s easy for you to lose track of them. Even if they’re extremely powerful, they get lost in the stream of new information that’s constantly entering your head. You could have an incredible idea for how to earn yourself a promotion, but it could get dislodged by the thought of what you might get for dinner. Then that idea that had so much promise gets swept back into the piles and piles of other ideas that we all have crowding our consciousness. Maybe you’ll get back to that great one. Or maybe you won’t.
Writing those ideas down protects you against that idea getting lost. Once it’s on paper or your computer file, it’s there forever. Staring you back in the face whenever you look at it. Whether or not you act on it is still up to you, but at least you won’t forget it. Once you have it down on paper, you’re setting yourself up to make something valuable happen.
Whenever you write something down, it promotes a more focused way of thinking.
Betting on Yourself – Executive Producing and Acting for $17,000 an episode in Power
From the moment I came up with the idea for Power, I knew I was sitting on something special.
That’s why I agreed to do the first season for just $17,000 an episode. Over eight episodes, that came out to $136,000. Mind you, it wasn’t just $17,000 for acting in the show. I was also the executive producer. That meant I spent months in the writers’ room and working with showrunner Courtney Kemp. When it was time to promote, I had to be front and center on Good Morning America, calling into radio stations, and shaking sponsors’ hands. I was making a total commitment to the show. For 136 grand.
Power quickly became Starz’s highest-rated show by a wide margin. Over the past five years, it’s singlehandedly driven the network’s success. That metric has given me a lot of leverage in negotiations. When I first started talking to them, I had to be a little down-to-earth. After the show blew up, I could afford to be more aggressive.
I built so much leverage that I just re-signed with Starz for $150 million. The deal includes a three-series commitment and a fund to help develop other G-Unit projects. When it’s all said and done, it will probably be worth a lot more than even that.
Strategy on Online Trolling – Oprah
My strategy was pretty straightforward: I’d always prefer to be friends with someone, but if they’re not interested, then I consider being enemies the next best option. Why? Because if you hate me, you’re more likely to talk about me.
If you feel passionately about me in a negative way, at some point you’ll probably say to your friend, “Man, I can’t stand 50 Cent.” Your friend is going to ask you “Why?” and just like that, I’ve become the subject of a conversation. That’s all I’m asking for.
Now I’ve got a foot in the door. Maybe after hearing about me, your friend won’t feel quite as negative. Maybe they’ll think, “This guy sounds kinda interesting. I’ll check out his music. Or watch Power.” Maybe that’s even how you got to this book in the first place. Through a friend.
That conversation would have never taken place if you felt neutral about me. No one asks their friends if they’ve listened to a song they feel neutral about. No one mentions a writer or a designer that doesn’t elicit a strong reaction in them. We only bring up things we love. Or things we hate.
Entitlement Trap – You Don’t Owe anyone a thing.
My public persona can come across as gruff or callous, but behind the scenes I’ve always been something of a softy. I’ve had a bad habit of tolerating counterproductive characteristics in people because I feel bad for them. It’s almost as if I somehow blame myself for them not realizing their dreams. Pity apparently makes for foolish allowances.
But, as I grow older, the one thing that becomes clearer to me each and every day is that I don’t owe anyone a thing.
And neither do you.
On Competition
It is extremely powerful to meet your competition head-on and walk away from the confrontation knowing you have what it takes. That confidence stays with you for a long time.
ON FAILURE
Don’t look at failure as something you need to distance yourself from. Try to embrace it instead. Wrap your hands around it and examine it. Believe that you can use it to rebuild your idea and take it to an even higher level than you’d originally conceived.
All the Best in your quest to get better. Don’t Settle: Live with Passion.
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