Yo Gotti is a student of the game, and recently revealed that part of his success comes from studying JAY-Z albums to soak up lessons from a fellow hustler.
In a sit-down with Big Boy’s Neighborhood last month, the Memphis native explained what he picks up from Hov’s bodies of work.
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“I study Jay. When Jay put out albums, they like books for me,” he said. “So for a young hustler, a real hustler who understands what he talking about when he’s saying certain things – that’s my information. That’s my research catalogue. If you the right hustler, you gon’ pick up on something.”
He continued: “If you just listening, you just listening. It might go over your head. Or under your head. I feel like some of my experiences and some of the things I’m seeing and learning, I’m putting it in the music.”
Watch the full interview below.
Yo Gotti has shown love to JAY-Z throughout his career, so this doesn’t come as a huge surprise. Even while explaining his pro stance behind the controversial 360 deals in music in a recent interview, Gotti used a Hov quote to drive his point home.
“I feel like business is business, right? Going back to what I was saying about myself and my younger days, in my younger business ventures, I think business is business. I think Hov said, ‘What’s 100 percent of 0?’ Right, so to me, you ain’t thinking logical when you think you get everything and nobody get nothing from you. That’s not common sense, bro.
“Say it’s a brand new artist who walk out this building today. What’s your value today? How much you getting for a show today? How many records you selling today, how much merch you selling today? Nothing. You grossing 500 a year – dollars. So now let’s say us three put the money in, put the work in, now you making $500million a year or $5million, whatever. We not supposed to get none of that?
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“Because it’s a term, they say ‘360’ and it don’t sound cool and you seem like you’re bossed up because you ain’t in one? It’s bullshit. That ain’t business. You basically telling me you want me to put up my money, you want me to put up my time, you want me to take my risk – but you don’t want me to get nothing. Because it ain’t even guaranteed that you’re gonna win.”
JAY-Z and Yo Gotti also work together on Roc Nation’s philanthropic branch Team ROC, fighting for prison reform across the country.
