Nipsey was known for his independent grind and represented the sovereign spirit of anyone trying to make it independently. This was an inherent quality of Nipsey’s personality, but it was tested when he was dropped from his label under the perception that his popularity had stalled. That’s when The Marathon began.
After a setback like that, it took much work to maintain and grow as an artist and businessman. Nipsey locked in and worked until he built a following that made him undeniable to record labels.
Where many artists get hosed signing the first contract they’re offered, Nip built the leverage to sign a record deal on his terms. In this bar, Nipsey lets us know he signed some great deals.
The insight in this line is more apparent once you know a bit of context. Nip climbed to a level of success and experienced a significant setback that seemed to erase his previous efforts. After that, Nip was sure to keep an ounce of humility in his climb back to success.
We’ve all been around a sore winner. We’ve all been the sore winner at some point.
Humility is difficult when you’ve been waiting or working for something and finally get it.
The elation of achieving a delayed or difficult goal overrides our ability to appreciate a moment fully.
In this dopamine daze, we often forget about the people around us and how fleeting our present moments are.
Some people may perceive your actions as arrogant. Sure, you shouldn’t take how people think of you to heart, but remember that people act based on their perceptions, not yours. You could ruin relationships, even if you don’t mean to.
More importantly, the work doesn’t stop.
Nipsey knew that all his work and achievements could be taken away and kept that in mind even when reaching a peak in his success.
When hitting goals, know when to celebrate and when to move on. Commanding attention for our every achievement stirs animosity in others who feel unseen. Even worse, fixating on our achievements for too long could blind us to more opportunities or threats.
If you’re not done, go ahead and turn up for now.