There are two quotes from Jay-Z that I want to share with you, one from the Lenny Kravitz-featured song, “Gun and Roses” and the other from his memoir, Decoded. I think the best way to illustrate the insight in these quotes is to give you a sports analogy. Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest basketball player to ever play the game. He was a highly skilled player who could do it all; shoot, pass, rebound, play defense. But as great as he was as a player, he was far from perfect. In fact, he was often lucky. Many of the phenomenal shots he made throughout his career he could not do twice. The most skilled player is often the luckiest.

You can never have too much skill in your hustle. Mastery of craft gives you a powerful advantage as you move forward in your life. Some people seek fortune, fame (even if it’s just popularity in your ‘hood) and gratification without being willing, ready and able to master the drive that can get them to their desired destination. We saw Jordan’s great performances on the basketball court on game day. But what we never saw was all of the hard work before, during and after practice that made Jordan the player he was. In any given game, Jordan’s hard work before tip-off paid off in ways that he couldn’t plan. Because he played with skill, oftentimes, good luck happened.

“They say when you play with skills, good luck could happen.”
–Guns and Roses

“Without work, the magic won’t come.”
-Decoded

There were moments on the basketball court when Jordan was in a zone. It’s as if he couldn’t miss a shot! When an athlete is in a zone, he’s playing with skill-and luck. But as Jay states in his memoir “Decoded”, you won’t reach your full potential “without work”. But he goes further than that. The harder you work the more you put yourself in the position to do extraordinary things.

Working hard to master your skill is a tried and true formula for success. Don’t settle for mediocrity. Even the most ambitious person can accomplish things greater than expectations and way beyond imagination. When you work hard and play the game of life with skill-good luck happens and the magic comes.

Throughout the years I’ve had people try to bait me into heated arguments about the many beefs that Jay-Z has been involved in and the perceived flaws of his career. Did Nas ‘Ether” Jay? Why won’t he respond to Beanie Sigel? What about his beef with Cam’ron? Jim Jones? Game? DMX? 50 Cent…and probably at least a dozen or so more rappers that “shall forever remain nameless?” Why does he bite Biggie’s lyrics? Would he be the “King of New York” if Biggie was still here? Can he make another Reasonable Doubt or Blueprint? It’s really funny to me (and sort of sad) that critics completely miss the point when it comes to Jay’s music and career. He has changed the game in so many ways for its betterment. Unless Jay is living under a rock (and obviously he’s not; he’s everywhere) he has certainly heard all of this chatter himself. Years ago, Jay would “go all in” when it came to confronting his critics and rivals. But at this point in his career, he rarely responds directly if he responds at all. Sometimes the best response to attacks is no response at all.

In his memoir Decoded, Jay shares how he views ambition, personal growth and development in life in the face of competition:

“I’m only competing with myself to be a better artist and businessman. To be a better person with a broader vision.”
*From Jay-Z’s memoir, Decoded

Sure, Jay-Z could respond to every “Tom, Dick and Harry” who disses him today, tomorrow or next week. After all, Hip-Hop is competitive and battling is apart of the essence of Hip-Hop, right? True, however, if you haven’t noticed the evolution of Hip-Hop then you’re simply in denial. And let’s clear one thing up: There’s a difference between “beefing” and “battling”. Very few MCs battle anymore, period. Many MCs engage in pro wrestling style beefs with each other in order to drum up interest in their upcoming albums. The media plays a crucial role in all this as well. Fans who can’t see that are simply blind.

I remember watching an interview Charlie Rose (who, by the way, is my favorite interviewer. To Hip-Hop ‘journalists’: step your game up- wayyyy up) conducted with Jay-Z. When the subject came up about other rappers constantly taking shots at him, Jay told Rose that it really didn’t bother him because he understood that they were only verbally attacking him out of competition. Rose chimed in, (paraphrasing) “You’re the guy at the top and they want your spot.” I could not have said it better myself. That’s all it is. Rarely is “beef” personal, in fact, Jay made the comment to Charlie Rose that oftentimes he barely knows the rappers who attack him.

Jay understands the objective of his rivals but he doesn’t play by their rules, he plays by his own. He stated in Decoded that he wants to be a better man and businessman. He has a “broader vision” that is bigger, better, greater and more profound than beefing with rappers who are not anywhere near his stratosphere in the music game or in business. Jay tackles this very subject on his song, “Already Home” from his latest album, Blueprint 3. I also write about this in my upcoming book, “I Will Not Lose! The blueprint to achieving greatness for those who got next.”

Let me just say this: Jay-Z, no matter how big he is or how much bigger he becomes, he is NOT above criticism. Because the nature of Hip-Hop is ultra competitive, Jay should fully expect confrontation. But to use a sports analogy, Michael Jordan was the best player on the basketball court every night. A player that was only the second or third best player on the opposing team or even sitting on the bench didn’t have any business even thinking about challenging him. Until that player proved his worth on the court, his taunts at Jordan from the bench or as he’s getting dunked on, is weak. I think this can also be said in reference to MCs that lyrically attack Jay who have only half his resume and a quarter of his skill/hustle.

Competition in life is real, whether referring to school, sports, careers, business, etc. You can’t escape competition; it is a necessary part of life. But what you might not understand is that the biggest competitor that you have in your life is: YOU. Today you’re competing with who you were 5, 10, 20 + years ago. How have you changed? How have you grown and matured as a person? Are you more disciplined? Are you more focused? Are you wiser? If so, how so? How can you better perform on your job or in school this year than you did last year? What can you do differently or better that will improve your performance in every aspect of your life?

It’s easy to get so caught up in the moment especially in this day and time. By all means, live for today and enjoy it. But I would also encourage you to have a broader vision for your life. Don’t just think in terms of today or tomorrow. How will you secure your future 5 years from now? Where do you want to be in 10 years? You’re going to be competing every day for the rest of your life to be bigger, better and greater. But life is not a race, it’s a marathon and your goal should be to get stronger, build up your endurance and beat your personal best…and to keep embracing challenges. The greatest challenges you face are the ones you pose to yourself. No one should expect more from you than YOU!

While others attack you, keep attacking your goals on the road to success!

One thing that to this day still disappoints is the break-up of the original Roc-a-fella crew. I would argue that they had the longest run than any crew in the history of Hip-Hop. Lead by Jay-Z, Damon Dash and Kareem “Biggs” Burke (all co-founders of Roc-a-fella records), that crew was full of talented all-stars. Of course, I’m partial because everyone knows that Jay-Z is my favorite rap artist and I’m basically a Roc loyalist. The original Roc was in their prime in my era (I was about 21, 22 when they were at their peak). They rolled like a tight-knit family. I think it’s ashamed that “The Dynasty” didn’t last longer because as a unit, they were really quite impressive, at one point dominating the rap game.

In being as objective as possible, I’ve said for the record that Jay may equally share the blame with Dash and Biggs for the break-up. Who knows, maybe Jay deserves the lion’s share of the blame for the Roc breakup! I just know that as a fan I miss that clique and primarily because I would have loved to have seen how the careers of those on the roster would have grown and developed. Now, aside from the explosive career of Kanye West, the careers of the other artists from the Roc fam is either in decline or over.

Of course, some of you might be saying, “Hold up, the Roc is still alive! It’s just not called Roc-a-fella anymore, it’s Roc Nation now.” Well, technically you’re right but as much as I love Jay-Z’s music, his new outfit, Roc Nation, has yet to really grab me. You have to understand that I came up in the “crew love” era. The “crew love” era is when you grow up together in tight-knit groups; or crews, cliques, squads…you get the idea. Back in the 80’s, 90’s through at least the first five years or so of the 2000’s, Hip-Hop was about how tight, how deep and how thorough the crew as a whole rolled. There is still some of that “crew love” in Hip-Hop but it isn’t as pronounced now as it was in my era.

Roc Nation follows the new business model in the music industry. It’s a very different movement than what Roc-a-fella was in the 90’s-early 00’s. The entertainment company’s roster has artists from various music genres, not just Hip-Hop. The artists signed to Roc Nation are talented and show promise but I just don’t get that tight-knit family vibe that Roc-a-Fella had.

Let me be clear: I’m still all in when it comes to Jay’s artistry (and business moves). I’m as inspired by Jay today as I was when he released his debut album Reasonable Doubt. I think J. Cole and one of Jay’s newest signees, Jay Electronica, are very talented cats; both could make a huge splash in the music industry. But that’s all yet to be seen. The verdict is still out on whether Roc Nation will truly be a dominant force in the music industry but it’s hard to bet against Jay’s vision.

The one constant in Jay’s career (other than his lyrical prowess and hustle mentality) from Reasonable Doubt to Blueprint 3 has been his bond with Memphis Bleek. Jay-Z talked about his relationship with Bleek in his memoir, “Decoded”:

“Today he’s [Bleek] running his own label-and still touring with me. I can’t even count the times over the years niggas have tried to bait Bleek into a battle with me about his position. They don’t see the respect I have for him or the strength of character it takes for him to play a supporting role while he’s also trying to build his own thing. Bleek has turned out to be one of the most secure guys I’ve met or done business with, which is ironic, given that he started off being the youngest.”

From Decoded

I write about the mentor/protégé relationship between Jay and Bleek frequently in my upcoming book, “I Will Not Lose! The blueprint for greatness when good is not enough.” I can relate to their bond because of my own experiences. Bleek is around my age and I’ve typically hung out with guys 5, 10 years older than me like in the case with him and Jay. I’ve always found a special connection with older cats. Whether they were straight up street, highly educated people, businesspersons or spiritual leaders, I seek association with those who know more and have done more than myself. We all should embrace being mentored and then take on the responsibility of mentoring others.

After reading Jay talk about his relationship with Bleek in Decoded, I must say that it doesn’t surprise me that people have tried to get in Bleek’s ear and pit him against Jay. Others have turned on Jay (I was really surprised when Beanie Sigel did), so why not Bleek, right? Wrong. Bleek has shown the kind of maturity and character that often those older than him lack. I’m sure Bleek has had plenty of disagreements with Jay but the fact that he is still riding with his man who put him on over 15 years ago when he was just a kid, demonstrates the strength of Bleek’s loyalty.

But what really grabbed my attention is when Jay states that other people don’t realize just how much respect he has for Bleek. Jay respects Bleek’s character and security in himself and though he didn’t say this, it would be fair to say that Jay has played a major role in Bleek’s development as an artist, businessperson and as a man. I think one of Jay’s best contributions to the game is the role he has played as mentor to Bleek. Some of you may be thinking, “Bleek never became a big star!” That’s true, but I would argue that Bleek is a star because he has shined brightly playing his position in a supporting role. And let’s give credit to Bleek- he has had a respectable career as an artist and is C.E.O and founder of Get Low Records. Obviously, Get Low hasn’t exactly set the music world on fire but when it comes to Bleek’s overall grind- he has nothing to be ashamed of.

The truth is the protégé doesn’t always eclipse his mentor. But through his own knowledge, experience and character, he earns the respect of his mentor and everyone else. People diss the role of the supporting player while they sit on the bench or watch the game from the cheap seats. I respect the team player as much as I respect the star. I was glad to see Jay talk a little about his relationship with Bleek in Decoded. I’m actually more intrigued by their bond and business relationship than Jay’s marriage to Beyonce. I think we should all take notice of how Jay and Bleek have hustled together through thick and thin.

The mentor/protégé relationship is a win-win and if the protégé is strong and secure in himself he one day becomes the mentor’s equal. You can learn a lot from listening and watching others who have both succeeded and failed many more times than you. I had a conversation on this very subject last night with a good friend of mine. Seek out guidance and direction from those who know more and have done more. And don’t try to reinvent the wheel, do what’s already proven, just put your swagger to it. Hustle with those who share your passion, determination, thoroughness, curiosity, intelligence, persistence, confidence and most of all-respect.