$100 MIX TAPE
Grammy winning rapper Nipsey Hussle’s musical and entrepreneurial mind knew no limits.
LOS ANGELES, CA
If there was ever a motivational icon for Culture Hustlers, it was Nipsey Hussle. Born in 1985 as Ermias Joseph Asghedom, “Nipsey” was a Grammy-nominated rapper and songwriter. Born to an Eritrean immigrant and an African American mother in Los Angeles, he grew up in the poverty-stricken gang environment of South Central Los Angeles. Hussle became known for his wild entrepreneurship including his infamous $100 mixtape, of which Jay-Z bought 100 copies.
“My goal was not to sell out, it was to create conversations. I wanted people to get mad, and say “Why is this album $100? I gotta listen to this shit because if it’s not the best album ever, this guy is crazy”.
We lost Nipsey in 2019 when he was gunned down in front of his retail store in Crenshaw, the neighborhood that he had grown up in and committed himself to rejuvenating through art and entrepreneurship. His death was mourned by fans from seemingly every corner and category. The art community and the business community were equally devastated. Both Blood and Crip gangs from across Los Angeles called a truce to honor his memory. The Mayor praised him as a peacemaker. His final tweet, just hours before he was murdered, eerily echoes his commitment to grinding toward his dreams despite the opposition.
"Having strong enemies is a blessing."
Nipsey was awarded two posthumous Grammy Awards for his songs "Racks in the Middle" and "Higher" in the Best Rap Performance and Best Rap/Sung Performance categories. In addition to his music, he left behind several companies including the Marathon Clothing retail store, the Marathon marketing agency, a cell phone retail store, and his involvement with the Vector business incubator.
“I say it’s worth, I won’t say it’s fair.
Find your purpose or you’re wastin’ air.”
SHORT DOC
INTERVIEW
MUSIC VIDEO
DISCUSSION
Nipsey’s #ProudToPay movement was about having multiple price points on the same product, from free basic access to his music, all the way top tier content with exclusive access. His strategy of “Always by choice. Never by force.” allowed for fans at all levels.
“To be a starving artist is uncomfortable. Even before this we was hustling, so we wouldn’t be blindly chasing a dream with no tangible strategy.”
Q: What’s your pricing strategy for multiple products and services under the same brand?
Nipsey’s $100 mix tape was a premium product, a publicity stunt, and a cultural throwback all rolled into one.
“I look at it like you need new solutions for new problems. You can’t use the same models the people before them used. You have to look at the game as a blank sheet of paper. Picking up the moves and wisdom of what was successful before but not being rigid by that… you have to extract the general concept and apply a new approach.”
Q: What’s your version of a $100 mix tape?