“I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man,” declared Jay Z, worth $475 million at Forbes’ last count. Rappers have long mused on wealth in their verses, and some of those lyrics can provide invaluable advice to founders.
The Phat Startup is dedicated to teaching entrepreneurship through hip-hop, holding events and courses across the East Coast.
“A big part of entrepreneurship is the ability to learn from mistakes,” said Anthony Frasier, founder of The Phat Startup. “When you hear rappers rap about their upbringing, you can learn a lot because they always sprinkle lessons of things they don’t do anymore, things that they do now, things you can relate to.”
Frasier pointed to the lyrics of Jay Z and P. Diddy, which he said could teach listeners about perseverance.
“He [Diddy] talks about work ethic, that’s something that a lot of people tend to overlook,” explained Frasier.
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-- See more Startup Tips From Hip-Hop Lyrics
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-- Hip-Hop's Wealthiest Artists 2013
Even venture capitalists like Ben Horowitz, a Silicon Valley investor, use rap lyrics to teach business lessons, according to the New York Times. Every post on his popular blog begins with a hip-hop quote, meant to motivate readers.
Both Frasier and Horowitz firmly believe there are lessons to be learned in hip-hop lyrics; lessons applicable to business.
Here are 5 of the best startup lyric tips in rap. For the full list click over to Forbes:
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