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10K80 May 16, 2017
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Nipsey Hussle is the next hip-hop mogul in the making

When it comes to hustlers in the rap game, there are two types making waves on that entrepreneurial tip.

Obviously, first you’d have to the moguls at the top of the list. The guys like 50 Cent who went from drug dealing to selling platinum records. Now he’s executive producing on television and landing movie roles with a net worth of $150 million.

Not to mention the five richest guys in hip-hop who just made it to the Forbes Five.

Then there’s the younger independent artists who are kinda like the startups, finessing their way through the game and controlling their own brand. It takes a shitload of work but guys like Chance The Rapper and Curren$y have found the formula.

Then there’s artists like Nipsey Hussle.

He falls somewhere in between that independent rapper title and mogul status but if there’s one thing that’s for certain, sooner or later he’s headed to that Forbes list.

That’s because his mindset for business and the way he strategizes his marketing is already up there with some of the best. But how, you ask?

Nipsey has been in the game since he dropped his first mixtape Slauson Boy Vol. 1 in 2005.

He would go on to grind for the next five years collaborating with the likes of Drake, Snoop Dogg and Problem.

But he didn’t get to flex his business acumen until he walked away from his deal with Epic Records to go independent in 2010. This is when Nipsey began to shine.

He then launched his own record label All Money In. That’s when he released his mixtape The Marathon which also became a mantra.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTNA-4BBaJ7/

What made Nipsey different though was his strategic marketing scheme to sell records in an industry where no one buys shit anymore. So what did he do?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGe8Ppwpy0S/

He priced his 2013 mixtape Crenshaw for $100 each and reportedly sold 1,000 copies.

That means he made $100,000 in 24 hours for the project. This was the trailer he made leading up to the release.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74IxsEDRYZk

Even Jay Z bought 100 copies by himself totaling a $10,000 transaction.

With the success of this strategy, Nipsey keeps trying to find new and different ways to monetize his product and his brand. He did a similar thing for the albumVictory Lap through the Proud 2 Pay program, also offering it up for free with an option to buy. Through this genius marketing, and a rabid fanbase, people still copped Victory Lap for $100.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSXaoVkBOXD/

Nipsey ran this marketing plan back again for the mixtape Mailbox Money but capped the $100 copies to just 1,000 orders, making them more exclusive.

Nipsey Hussle understands supply and demand and the psychology of the consumer. People will talk about the fact that there’s a limited supply of only 1,000 his mixtapes at a cost of $100 and in turn people will cop.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BEFVv5yJy7C/

He actually got the idea to price his mixtapes at this amount from author Jonah Berger who wrote about a restaurant that charged $100 for a Philly Cheesesteak in the book Contagious.

Contagious

Nipsey is able to release his music and brand himself like this in large part due to his success.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHu0bbuA8HO/

Nipsey can give his music to guys like LeBron to preview who he knows will help promote his shit.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSou5tUBCJK/

Other stars like Isaiah Thomas rock Nipsey’s brand All Money In. The Crenshaw rapper develops meaningful and loyal relationships with stars and spreads his movement throughout popular venues, like the NBA.

@isaiahthomas wearing the all money logo hat after securing the #1 ranking in the east Going into the playoffs. 🏁

A post shared by Nipsey Hussle (@nipseyhussle) on

Nipsey is one of the most respected artists in the game, not just for his music but for his bold and savvy business moves.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BM5ybJ_gn8E/

He’s currently working with his city to build more small businesses within the community.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BT7IOYajeBu/

And he even has his own weed strain, sold in California dispensaries.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTprg2jhapA/

He even collaborated with Fatburger when they opened their first franchise in Compton by giving employees special edition uniforms to rock.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BH-FHxhgvaU/

In an age where artists get fucked with 360 deals and royalty splits, independent artists like Nipsey are controlling their own future. As his label says it best, All Money In.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJMVdaUA7au/

Bruh May 16, 2017
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The 13 worst things to do in New York when you’re dumb smacked

There’s a lot of things that can blow your high but if you live in New York City, then you truly know this better than anybody else.

It seems that getting dumb smacked is the only solution to a lot of the petty shit that goes on in the city but there are just some extra situations New Yorkers find themselves in that nobody else in the country has to deal with.

Let’s just say the city isn’t exactly optimized for stoners to and more times than not you’re gonna see (or smell) some shit that’ll sober you up real quick.

But sometimes when you’re just a little extra smiz, some things that are deadass unbearable. From the overcrowding literally everywhere, to unsafe smoking conditions, there are literally countless reasons why New York is the worst place to be smacked.

Being stuck on a packed ass train with a broken AC

The train is already so damn hot boy but when you hit the trifecta of being on a cart that’s shoulder to shoulder standing room, hot as shit and delayed as a motherfucker, not even being fresh off that loud pack could save you.

Add in terrible scents and wild crackheads tryna come up and you’ll wish you weren’t so damn high right now.

Making eye contact with the homeless dude

You can never really zone out when you’re in the city (keep ya head on a swivel), but making eye contact with the wrong person including homeless dudes who are ready to scrap if you don’t give them money is one of the worst things to happen when you’re high as shit.

These dudes are hustlers and know the game when it comes to panhandling. They’ll also give you the hands if they feel you’ve disrespected them.

Accidentally dapping up a guy trying to sell you his mixtape

You never know when they might strike but these dudes are looking to come up on tourists and people that are too damn blazed to make quick decisions.

More times than not, the CD is a blank and you sick. They’re gonna try to act like they’re your homies and sell you the dream but they’re all full of shit. They also probably sell weed too though.

Getting on a Citi Bike

Biking in the city is already very risky but doing it when you’re chopped is downright dangerous. Luckily when you’re high you’ll be more cautious but you might just increase your chances of getting into a fight with someone trying to rush past you.

Going to a Broadway play like Cats or some shit

This actually happened to me (against my will) and it was a straight up traumatic experience. First of all, watching a musical when you’re high is just one of the strangest things ever. The costumes, the lights, the crowded ass theater. FOH with this shit.

Then you start thinking about crazy shit like what if someone walked into this theater and tried to start poppin’ off. You start making the exit strategy in your head, how you’d save certain people and disarm the bad guy. God damn I’m smacked.

A musical like The Lion King on the other hand would be stupid lit.

Trying to smoke a blunt in Central Park

If you want to talk about hot boy situations, it doesn’t get any more risky than trying to light one up in Central Park. There’s literally tourists, cops and park rangers everywhere looking to shame anyone smoking weed.

In all reality, Central Park might be the greatest place to get blazed in the world but make no mistake about it, there is also a precinct there as well and that’s where your ass is gonna end up if you get caught boy!

Smelling Chinatown in the summer time

Chinatown is always risky no matter what time of the year it is.

But if for some reason you find yourself down there when you’re blazed in the summer, you might smell some things that you’ll never be able to forget.

It’s like a combination of a fish market, barf, hot piss and the NYC sewage system. The dumplings down there are fire though.

Going out in Murray Hill

You remember those little sardines from Spongebob that used to squad up in mass amounts and be mad annoying?

It’s just like that in Murray Hill, but with a bunch of kids who just moved to the city from Penn State and Cuse.

Going to Times Square at any time of the day

Literally the worst place in the world. Every New Yorker knows that.

Trying to smoke a blunt in Times Square is pretty much a death sentence and I’m pretty sure you’d get gunned down in the street by a cop or some shit.

Long story short there’s absolutely no reason anyone should go to Times Square ever.

Going to dinner at a bougie Upper East Side restaurant

There’s nothing worse than eating a romantic, close ass dinner with your boys after you both just faced a pack to the face.

There’s something about the spots in the UES that are just not stoner friendly.

Maybe it’s all the children, families and white people but all you have to do is go uptown 30 blocks and you can find a serious chopped cheese.

A European ass tourist asking you for directions

Bruh, what? It’s called Google Maps! This isn’t all bad though. If you’re blazed enough and have nothing better to do, it’s cool to give them completely wrong directions and have that piece of mind knowing you gave a tourist a real NYC experience.

Being in Penn Station lets out during a Rangers game

Being anywhere near 34th or 42nd street is a pain in the ass to begin with but when you’re a smacked boy, you truly will feel overwhelmed.

That many basic ass people in one area is almost too much for someone to deal with!

We’re talking about some of the corniest people you never knew existed, all making the place mad crowded and walking dumb slow. When you’re high, you will feel that claustrophobia kick in and you may feel the urge to just start swinging.

Going to a bodega that doesn’t sell Backwoods

The same goes for dutches. It’s a New York City staple to make sure there are the right rolling papers for the city’s inhabitants. There are no dispensaries out here, the least they can do is have the right roll up!

Not having backwoods is like not selling chopped cheese. A lot of bodegas actually don’t have them but they motherfucking should. It’s truly a slap in the face to not have either.

asap rocky May 15, 2017
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A$AP Rocky drops ‘RAF’ featuring Frank Ocean, Uzi and Quavo

Rap game done turned into the NBA. Instead of working on their own projects, artists would rather just all jump on a fly beat and just take turns saying fly shit. I ain’t really complaining though.

A$AP Rocky just dropped some new heat on the track “RAF” featuring Uzi, Quavo and a very rare Frank Ocean rapping. I’m pretty sure I hear Playboi Carti wildin’ out in the back too but they all snap on this shit and you definitely hitting repeat.

Right now only the ripped version has been going around and so there ain’t no cursing and the quality is a little shaky. Shit is still tough though.

Frank Ocean premiered the new track late last night on his Blonded radio on Beats 1 but Rocky low key previewed the track at the Rolling Loud festival in Miami recently too.

This was the first version without any features but Carti.

Peep the album art for the single below.

https://twitter.com/pilasaci/status/864069776754302977

Of course Twitter is already fuckin’ with it.

It’s not clear if this is appearing on the next A$AP MOB Cozy Tape or on one of Rocky’s projects but for those of you who though this man was falling off, just know that he’s been cookin’ up.

Kulture May 12, 2017
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Tom Brady continues GOAT status, gets Madden 18 cover

Even if the Madden curse was a real thing, there’s no way that shit would affect my man Tom Brady. The guy has a literally untouchable status in sports and off the field he ain’t doing too bad either.

As he winds down his career in the NFL, it’s only fitting that the man gets his first official Madden cover. The announcement and first trailer of the game was released on Friday.

With Gronk getting last year’s cover for Madden 17, that makes two consecutive Patriots players covering Madden in two years.

Even if you hate New England, you can’t argue that there isn’t a better sports icon to get this year’s cover. You can’t be mad at their decisions but does it seem like the Pats are more like a corporation than a sports franchise?

While this is Brady’s first time on Madden, this isn’t his first video game cover. Who could forget NFL GameDay 2003?!

https://twitter.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/863032024545845248

Other than that actual gameplay video looks too fire. The game will run on Battlefield’s Frostbite engine which will provide more photo-realistic graphics and a new physics engine that is sure to be stupid lit.

The FIFA franchise transitioned to this same engine for 17 and the results were pretty ridiculous. Considering that the GOAT is on this year’s cover of Madden, it’s safe to put the expectations of the game at an all-time high. The Falcons were deadass up 28-3.

big black May 10, 2017
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Rob Dyrdek pays tribute to his late best friend Big Black

Despite all the things they’ve accomplished in their careers, Rob Dyrdek and Christopher “Big Black” Boykins were most known for their unbreakable bond on one of the greatest MTV shows of all time, “Rob and Big.”

From 2006-2008, their story of real-life brotherhood became a huge part of popular culture as two guys who couldn’t be more different had one of the most entertaining bromances ever shown on television. The shit they got into was hilarious and you could tell they were really homies. It was must-watch TV.

Unfortunately, that brotherhood came to an abrupt end yesterday when, at the age of 45, Big Black died suddenly according to TMZ. He left behind a 9-year-old daughter.

Rob is understandably crushed and took to his Instagram and Twitter to publicly mourn and thank Big Black for all of the memories.

Since the show debuted over 10 years ago, Rob Dyrdek has transitioned into a successful business mogul, got married and had a child. While his relationship with Big Black got shaky over the past few years as well, the two finally reunited recently and mended whatever rift they had.

Big Black appeared on a couple of Rob’s shows and their friendship was back in tact before Big’s tragic death. While they both became fathers since their time away from “Rob and Big,” they remained close and have a whole catalog of memories that remain alive thanks to the show. Big Black even threw up this throwback photo of them just a few weeks ago.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSASUs_Ai-n/

Christopher Boykin was an awesome dude and had a heart of gold. That showed every time he appeared on TV and Rob was his perfect partner in crime.

Shout out to both of these men and the friendship they put on display for the world. Salute.

2k May 9, 2017
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Watch Kobe f*ck around with Shaq in new NBA 2K18 commercial

When it comes down to it was there really ever a more legendary duo than Kobe and Shaq? Sure, Jordan and Pippen were up there but the Lakers in their 2000s prime was the best in my opinion, FOH.

While the two stars always had their differences, it’s good to see them put all that petty shit behind them and enjoy retirement together.

First Kobe, showed up to Shaq’s statue unveiling at Staples Center recently and now he appeared in his NBA 2K18 cover debut trailer above where he low key roasts him. It seems as if the two finally f*ck with each other but the bigger news here is that Diesel is gonna be on the cover of this year’s 2K again.

https://twitter.com/NBA2K/status/861551296993607681

This isn’t Shaq’s first time on the cover of 2K, in fact it’s his third. He was the first cover athlete to get the back-to-back honor on 2K6 and 2K7. Now over six years after officially retiring in 2011, the O’Neal brand is still stronger than ever.

With his son Shareef committing to Arizona to play his college ball, it’s only a matter of time before he gets his own 2K cover too!

Of course, the 2K series is known for their amazing gameplay and super realistic broadcast presentation. With Shaq appearing as a digital announcer on last year’s game, who knows what the team over at 2K has in store for this season?

Surely there will be more emphasis on Shaq’s legendary status and with throwback teams, maybe we’ll finally see more of his classic rosters. Don’t forget that this man was also on the Suns, Cavs and Celtics after he had dominated on the Magic, Lakers and Heat! We better just see some crowd diving animations.

While I’m sure we’re all ready to cop, the craziest part is actually the price point as the Legend Gold Edition will sell for $149.99 and the standard Legend Edition will go for $99.99. What happened to 60 cash games?! Sheesh! Either way this shit comes out on September 19 so in the meantime keep playing your 2K17.

Bruh May 8, 2017
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Lil Uzi is pushed to the edge, jumps off 20-foot stage in Miami

Lil Uzi is a wild boy. Hate on him all you want but this dude is 22 and getting money. With that being said, he’s been taking this whole rock star persona thing to new levels that just ain’t safe.

At the Rolling Loud Festival in Miami last night, this dude deadass jumped off a 20-foot stage and trusted his fans (the same fans that chase his ass around at shows, literally) to catch his fall.

Whose mans is this?!

Kid is insane. He could’ve gotten seriously hurt but you already know he would’ve finished the show regardless.

Uzi performed the wild stunt during the track “Money Longer” and the crowd completely  lost their shit. Of course there were multiple angles captured.

Here’s a better shot of before he leaped.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTz_CrlAsMp/

My man was looking like he was falling out a damn building! It’s safe to say that casual fans and even haters at this festival now have a newfound respect for him.

Here’s another shot from a little deeper out.

https://twitter.com/Glock__Lesnar/status/861386705550573568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.xxlmag.com%2Fnews%2F2017%2F05%2Flil-uzi-vert-jump-rolling-loud%2F

Of course, Twitter had quite a bit to say about all of this. As if Uzi wasn’t already great meme material, he’s getting credit for his ballsy move.

You already know he got the Jim Ross WWE treatment for jumping off the top rope!

https://twitter.com/pigsandplans/status/861416240044269568

Thankfully it didn’t end like this though.

He even got the Will Smith from Fresh Prince of Bel Air meme.

*Hits the blunt*

https://twitter.com/ilooklikelilbil/status/861433435776143360

The truth is that Uzi is a legend now.

https://twitter.com/GoodLifeWillHam/status/861240520697413632

No matter what your opinion is of this kid, you have to respect him now for this stunt.

https://twitter.com/VideoDubs/status/859942653957468160