Through his enormous talent and determination, JAY-Z managed to transform himself from a blight hustler to a bright hustler. 

What exactly is a hustler? Hustling can be seen as intrinsically American, a key attribute of anyone trying to secure that longed-for American dream. Hustling is being proactive, strategizing, working toward achieving your ambitions. 

However, there are different kinds of hustling. Blight hustling takes place in the context of desperation. African Americans have a long history of blight hustling, which started in the time of slavery. As slaves, African Americans were denied basic human rights and economic opportunities. This meant that they were forced to live and work on the margins of society. The systematic oppression of African Americans during slavery and beyond had far-reaching consequences that can still be seen today in the high levels of poverty in African American communities.

JAY-Z experienced poverty first-hand. He grew up with a single mom who struggled to support a household of four children on one income. To make money and get ahead, JAY-Z became a blight hustler, dealing crack cocaine on street corners. Many of his peers who were dealing at the same time ended up in jail.

However, JAY-Z escaped that fate thanks to his obsession with music. He tapped into his enormous musical talent to create his first album. He then determinedly tried to secure a deal with a record company. When he couldn’t find anyone who would support him, he founded his own company and released his first album by himself.

JAY-Z had turned into a bright hustler – someone who uses his tenacity and drive in a creative way to effect positive change. As JAY-Z has become more and more successful, he has been able to pull off ever brighter and more magnificent hustles, transforming himself into a music mogul, social activist, and philanthropist. 

However, JAY-Z never forgot what it was like to come from the very difficult circumstances of the blight hustler. He repeatedly mentions it in his songs and keeps up strong connections to the communities from which he came. 

When he became established as a rapper, JAY-Z took emerging rappers like Drake and Lil Wayne under his wing. He became a mentor to them, making space for them, too, to become masters of bright hustle – using their creativity to forge successful careers for themselves.