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This is part of a series of post on successful people and how they have integrated the 8 Cylinders of Success in their lives in their own words. Buy the book if you want to find and align your 8 Cylinder of Success.
1. Principles » Your Dashboard
What beliefs equate to success to me?
Number one albums. Telling my story. Record Sales.
“Yesterday I just past Elvis for my 11th number one album. We were tied with 10. And the Stones I believe have 9. The Beatles of course have 19 so that’s my next goal.”
“I never wanted to be a famous person. That was never my intention to be famous. My intention was to tell my story the truth…tell a truth.”
“We’re chasing history. That’s all we talk about…After a minute you know it’s not about the money anymore after you’ve been in the game for so long and money is not a problem for you. You can do two things: you either give up and retire on an island somewhere or you chase history and leave a legacy…do it better than anyone has ever done it, to push the envelope, to do new and exciting things, to come up with things no one has ever heard of that people emulate until it becomes a trend. All that is chasing history.”
Interview with Charlie Rose
“I’ve got this Elvis thing going on right here,” he says. By that he means that if opening-day projections are correct, American Gangster will be his tenth Number One album, tying him with the King. (Only the Beatles have more, with nineteen.) “What’s great about that,” he says, “is that I’ve never had a Number One single on any of my albums. People buy them for the body of work.”
Rolling Stones
“If the record’s two mil I’m just tryna move three.”
Heart Of The City
2. Passions » Your Keys
What do I love doing and why?
Rapping. Selling Stuff. Developing Talent.
“Luckily for my I had a God-given talent. It took me a while to really realize it. I had this talent my whole life. I started writing since I was nine. My first album didn’t come out until I was 26 cause I was running the streets and I thought that was more important. It was a good thing that I had a lot of good people around me. They would push me like “You’re wasting your talent. You’re wasting your talent.” Finally I listened. Once I took that right turn to be an entertainer I never looked back.
Interview with Charlie Rose
“I’m not a businessman, I’m a business…mannnn!”
Diamonds Are Forever Remix
I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in hell
I am a hustler baby, I’ll sell water to a well
U Don’t Know
“I believe that anything you do in life, you have to have passion about what you do cause it’s hard work. But I love it. I love the results…I think its the passion for what you do when you find something you can be true to, something that really close to who you are as a person.”
Interview with Oprah
“I love what I’m doing. I love the artist I’m developing. I love the whole thing about it.”
December 2007 XXL Interview
“Who ever thought young Shawn Carter would change the game?
Used to rap to the raindrops off my window pane”
Hova Song Outro
3. Problems » Your Fuel
What social, scientific, technical, and/or personal problem do I want to solve?
(Cross-)Cultural ignorance.
I penetrate pop culture, bring ’em a lot closer to the block where they
pop toasters, and they live with they moms
Renegade
“I look at myself as an ambassador for hip hop, like I said, when I do things I try to represent the culture in a positive light to show that we can mature. You know I was that guy as well. I was reckless and the whole nine. I was a product of my environment. But as I grew and got to see things my sophistication level rose…no pun intended.”
Interview with Charlie Rose
“The problem is racism. That’s really the problem.”
Interview with Oprah
“People was poor before the hurricane came
But the down pour poured is like when Mary J. sang
Every day it rains, so every day the pain
But ignored them, and showed em the risk was to blame
For life is a chain, cause and effected
Niggas off the chain because they affected
It’s a dirty game so whatever is effective
From weed to selling kane, gotta put that in effect.”
Minority Report
4. People » Your Motor
Whom do I want to serve?
My culture. The brothers. Those with single parents.
“I bring the brothers to the building give a feeling that I don’t
give a fuck we just chillin watchin chandelier ceilings high as fuck
Old lady, don’t blow my high
‘specially if you don’t know my life, don’t make me bring
Sharpton in it cause I’m dark-skinneded or
dude with the ‘fro and the Rainbow Coalition, I’ma
victim of a single parent household, born in a mousehole
Mousetrap, niggaz wanna know
How so, how Jay get up out that, here, yeah
I snatched purses I per-se-vered, yeah”
Diamond Is Forever
“Everything I do, I do it with the culture in mind…with hip hop and with our culture in mind.”
Interview with Charlie Rose
“I do this for my culture
To let ’em know what a nigga look like…when a nigga in a roaster
Show ’em how to move in a room full ‘o vultures
Industry shady it need to be taken over
Label owners hate me I’m raisin’ the status quo up
I’m overchargin’ niggaz for what they did to the Cold Crush
Pay us like you owe us for all the years that you ho’d us
We can talk, but money talks so talk mo’ bucks”
H To The Izzo
5. Positioning » Your Lane
What do I want to be #1 in the world at?
Rapping. Storytelling. Trendsetting.
“I’m leading the league in at least six statistical categories right now
Best flow
Most consistent
Realest stories
Most charisma
I set the most trends
And my interviews are hotter
Holla”
Breathe Easy
“I made the yankee hat more famous than a yankee can”
Empire State Of Mind
6. Pioneers » Your Pace Cars
Who are my models, mentors, and/or guides?
Notorious B.I.G. Michael Jordan. Michael Jackson. Bill Gates. Mike Tyson. Grateful Dead. Puff Daddy. Ralph Lauren.
“Uh, the Mike Jordan of rap, the Mike Jackson of pop
The Mike Tyson of street, Airs with no socks
The Hugh Hef of the game, yeah it won’t stop
Till I meet the Lara Croft of the hood, it’s all good
The Spielberg when I spill words to tracks
I’m a sick dude, you can’t feel worse than that.”
You Rock My World Remix
“I don’t want to compare myself to Ralph, but that’s who I’m chasing. I hope to be the new Ralph at some point.”
Interview with Oprah
“I’m, young H.O., rap’s Grateful Dead
Back to take over the globe, now break bread”
Encore
“I love that because that’s what I’m supposed to be doing – whether it’s accepted by everybody or not. I’m supposed to be pushing that envelope and trying new things. And people are supposed to say, “Hov, you might have went too far”.
December 2007 XXL Interview
I’m not a biter
I’m a writer
For myself and others
I say a B.I.G. verse I’m only biggin up my brother
Biggin up my borough
I’m big enough to do it
I’m that thorough
Plus I know my own flow is foolish
What More Can I Say
A billi, a billi, a billi, a billionaire
Call me Philli Collins I feel the billion is in the air
I affiliate with Billy Gates
That’s my peer
A Billi
I share my time with my heir
Young Carter
go further
go farther
go harder
Is that not why we came
if not than why bother
Mr. Carter
“It’s just Puff at this point. That’s the only person who has the entire package that’s going that far…Music…Fashion…Moguling.”
Interview with Charlie Rose
7. Picture » Your Road Map
What’s my vision for myself and my world?
Make history. Pay attention.
“It’s difficulty for me to say because I just try to follow life. I believe in paying attention and life takes you in different directions. Because if you were to ask me 10 years ago what is the next thing, I would have never said I’d be here. You know. So I would have sold myself short. You know. My goals would have been far shorter than the things that I’ve achieved. So I pretty much just try to pay attention to like and let it take me on a natural course in a natural direction.”
BBC Interview
“Once again, I have to really look at it for the next three years and say, “Am I doing it for the right reasons?” ‘Cause all I want to do is make history at this point. They got to pay me to make history of course. But that’s my goal. I want to sit there with people really into making history. I mean everybody. I don’t mean just artists. The interns -if everybody’s not committed to making history every time I go into a meeting, and if I can’t look into their eyes and I don’t see the fire, then I gotta move on. ‘ Cause, you know, I don’t have time. I don’t have the luxury of time to just blow off three years. I do, but I don’t. But I’m not looking to have a job. That’s not hot!”
December 2007 XXL Interview
8. Possibility » Your Destine-nation
What would be possible in the world with me that is not possible without me?
Fly. Be fly. Open the door.
“Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King could walk. Martin Luther King walked so Obama could run. Obama’s running so all the children could fly, so I’ma spread my wings you can meet me the sky.”
My President Is Black
“Some say Hov how you get so fly, from not being afraid to fall out the sky.”
Beach Chair
“To ascend that other people haven’t as an artist and be successful at it means that the door is open for the next generation of artists.”
Interview with Charlie Rose
Purpose » Your GPS
“This is Jay everyday
No compromise
No compass comes with this life
Just eyes
So to map it out
You must look inside
Sure books can guide you
But your heart defines you”
Beach Chair
