Ten ways to know you are hustling backwards
Posted on 18. Oct, 2009 by GoRealer in Life and Style, Real Talk
10. Getting a haircut, when you have nowhere to go
This may come as a surprise to some, but this one here best displays how people that tend to hustle backwards are more concerned about their image than their pockets. What these guys seem to forget is that the cost of a haircut is not merely the £7 you pay the barber, the total cost includes:
• The opportunity cost of sitting in the barbers for an hour waiting for the haircut over looking for a job or earning £5.50 by putting in an extra hour at work.
• Unless you are walking to the barbershop you have to also consider the travel cost of getting to the barbers. Be it the £1 oyster beep (x2) or £1.02 fuel used, it all adds up.
• Buying bootleg DVDs at the barbers, simply means that you are incurring costs that you could have otherwise avoided.
On this scenario we are looking at costs ranging between £10 and £20-in extreme cases-.
If you are one of these people, then yes you are hustling backwards.
9. Wearing a coloured bandana to represent your area, without getting any discounts on your council tax
I never quite understood why and how this gang banging culture from the west coast of America found its way into the lives of many British youth. But if you happen to be one of these guys that pride themselves on representing ends and going out of your way to buy specific colours of clothing, here is how you are hustling backwards.
• The bandanas are produced either locally or somewhere in a third world country, but either way there is a chain of people on this planet that are making money out of your desire to represent your hood. Yet you are placing your life at risk by wearing these colours meanwhile the market stall owner is making a different type of killing by selling these cheap pieces of material to hundreds of people like yourselves.
• It amazes me that people would die for their area, when at the end of every month their parents still have to pay council tax just to live in the area. The worst thing about it is that by taking part in the gang lifestyle, you are in fact weakening the economic pillars of your local community, because high crime rates tend to decrease house prices and business investments in communities, thus your parents will have to pick up the tab along the line through local authority taxation.
If you are one of these people, then yes you are hustling backwards.
8. Paying for studio to record a mixtape, press it on CD, just to end up giving it for free in Oxford Street
We have all been there, you are walking down Oxford Street and an aspiring rapper approaches you with his new mixtape. And you know that he is ‘a nobody’ because he begins by telling you the hundreds of Channel U/AKA features on the mixtape. After you have convinced them that you will not pay your hard earned cash for their below par effort of a CD, they end up giving it for free, telling you to check the MySpace.
• So you pay for Studio time (approx £200), press 1,000 CD (approx £300) travel to Oxford Street (Zone 1 travel card - £5 minimum, depending on travel time-) just to give away the CD?
If you are one of these people, then yes you on a moonwalk hustle.
7. Getting a visible tattoo when you’re unemployed
Tattoos are not cheap, so I find it weird when I see unemployed people sporting them like fake Ed hardy T-Shirts.
• Could you imagine handing in a CV at Next, with a tattoo on your neck reading ‘Hustler’ or ‘Money by any means’? That just screams ‘fraudster 419′ to me and no manager would dare trust you with a closed till, let alone an open one.
If you are one of these people, then yes you are hustling backwards.
6. Spending your student loan on designer clothes
True religion jeans bought on student loan money is in fact a false prophecy. If you are the type that only sees Selfridges around September, January and April, you need to re-evaluate your purpose in University because you would be lucky to get an Archbishop Desmond (2:2).
If you are one of these people, then yes you on a moonwalk hustle.
5. Promoting a brand without getting paid for it
I like Gfrsh, in fact he is one of my favourite UK entertainers, but I have to say for this particular video he is hustling backwards. Now unless someone can prove to me that he is being paid by Gucci for this song – and I truly doubt it- then I will stick by my statement. But it is not just Gfrsh, I see alot of UK entertainers on National TV wearing Gucci and LV in their videos, not knowing that by being in the public eye, they could actually get some product placement money for promoting the brands. But obviously Gucci would not want to associate themselves with any UK urban artist, but the likes of Boxfresh and Fila are willing to pay artists to allow them to break into the urban market. But instead whenever our artists get a chance to hustle forward, they want to show that they are worth alot more than they really are by wearing premium brands.
If you are one of these people, then yes you are hustling backwards.
4. Driving a car that is worth more than your annual salary
This is a no brainer, the fact that cars depreciate in price, anyone who is stupid enough to get a car on finance or pay cash for a vehicle that is worth more than their annual kittie, is hustling in medieval times.
3. Going Ayia Napa with job seekers money
Yes, people do this. In fact I have been told of more than one person that has done this to themselves. It is even worse because the stories I have heard has been about females, which makes it even more disturbing…saving for a summer lash? tut tut. How are you going to stack state welfare for a whole year, just to go a place where 90% of the Backward hustlers spend their summer? Well I guess it makes sense then.
If you are one of these people, then yes you are on a moonwalk hustle.
2. Buying your kids designer clothes, jewellery etc without having a Child Trust fund
I never understand these parents that buy their kids designer clothes, when they could put that money away in a child trust fund and let the kid reap the benefits in the future. The fact that kids clothes have a durability of about 6 months maximum, it makes no sense putting Prada on his or her feet now, beacuse in a few years time when the cheques stop rolling in they will have to opt for four strips Adidas. The worst thing about it is that when they get to that primary school age, that is when kids begin to get bullied for wearing non name brand clothing. Sad but true.
If you are one of these people, then yes you are on a moonwalk hustle.
1. Having a baby to get a council flat
Does this really need an explanation?
I would like to hear your examples of people hustling backwards, so please comment below.
haha I LOVE the Arch bishop analogy and with respect to No. 5 - the promoting of brands, I think they are maybe trying to follow Kanye’s in the hope that they will reap the same rewards but think it just ends up bankrupting them lol
10, 8, 5 AND 4, I understand what you are saying, but you have to also understand that sometimes doing these things could be seen as an investment.
Reasons.
10, A good friend once told me you never know who you will meet in life, so your appearance has to always be good. What if you meet someone who could help you in your desired career but you look rough, are you going to let a £10 haircut or £3 shape up be the reason why such a person does not take you seriously.
8, As a musician, the only way you can grow and gain fans is by people listening to your music. So if you have faith in your music, why not give out your first issue free. At the end of the day someone you gave the CD to for free could be the reason person who helps your get that record deal worth £xx millions.
5, Isn’t that what Kanye West did with LV. If he approached LV before he grew as an artist I’m sure they would have said HELL NO. But he wore the clothes and when LV noticed the followers he had they decided to keep him and pay him before someone else did.
4, A favorite phrase of mine comes to mind, FAKING IT, TO MAKE IT.
Rick Ross is said to be the master of this and in fact most business people are.
As humans we want to be involved with any thing successful. When a man approaches you in a Bently I’m sure his more likely to get his business idea across easier than a man driving a NISSAN. As cruel as that is, its just facts of life.
Admin
INBOX MAGAZINE
Hustling Backwards!
Attending University to meet gal! And Girls only!
Taking out student loan, plus 10 credit cards with an APR higher than your age, to spend on designer clothes.
MY BIGGEST 1!
Hustling and grinding to make a dollar via Road hustle, bank fraud… then spending £3,000 on Champagne and dance & you and your parent/s still living in tight conditions!
LOL to Inbox Admin. Good attempt, but they make no business sense. Number 10, you must not be serious to thing that someone would randomly offer you a job, while walking on the high road with a trim. Thats fantasy land, my friend. Number 8, the best way to promote your music is putting it on the net and promoting it in the comfort of ur own home and let people download it for free. Plus why pay for studio when decent recording applications are available for less than £500? Now that is an investment, because that is a physical asset and you could charge others to make their Mixtapes. Number 5. LOL did Kanye make a song called LV belt? In fact Ye reaches millions across the world and he is a trendsetter/Opinion leader of course LV would want him to rock their brand (And pay him for it) not the other way around. Number 4: You’re not serious, that is Ghetto materialistic mentality, people in the real world dont think like that lol. Why would anyone tell you their business idea on the road? In fact if I see a person that is my age in a Nissan; I will take him alot more serious than on in a Bentley, because at the end of the day they can both get from A to B…except the Nissan guy will get der on £5 tank and the Bentley guy will spend more money that he doesnt need to. Who has the business acumen der? LOL You sound like a Backward Hustler mate :p
Louise, like I mentioned above Kanye reaches millions, these guys get 10,000 Youtube views max. Plus premuim brands dont want to associate themselves with Urban artists, because their main customers buy it for exclusiveness, when every1 has a Gucci belt that messes up the brand equity. Stephi, ur funny. U sound like a hustler played u in Uni. LOL
I would like to see an article in response to highlight how Black people in our communities are hustling forwards. As it is often highlighted when we are going backwards in society but not really when we are excelling? what do you think?
Everything but no. 10 i must agree with and Stephi’s comments…lol!, Mas made some good points except number 10….
First impressions are vital, and a £10 haircut is part of that, no one is gonna offer you a job on the street, but you would be more likely to get someone’s business card to further “sell yourself” to them, if you’ve made a good first impression on them.
No.9 is so true. I wonder if a Birmingham black youth is behind the production/directing etc of this film…if not there hustling backwards loooooooool
Fair enoug Creasy, but how many business cards do people get on the street? No real business man would give you a business card unless he was impressed through dialogue. Its what you say not necessarily what you look like. Most man get trim for gyal, dont tell me guys get a trim to get business cards lol Eitherway I have never had a job offer based on my appearance, I belive it been based on my competences.
I’m agreeing with the idea that presentation (a trim or ladies having their hair did) can be important on the most random days in a business sense (but it should actually be a general sense aswell). exhibit A: Jourdan Dunne… randomly scouted in Primark, now an international supermodel and the face for a number of lucrative campaigns. Had she looked like Whitney after an 18 hour crack binge followed by an x-factor performance then she’d be nowhere. For a male its a matter of keeping yourself “kempt” just because A) you never know who you’ll meet B) part of being a professional is having a routine C) no explanation needed e.g. you wouldn’t not bath, or not wear deoderant or not cream because all you’re doing is going about you’re everday business?!?! or would you?!? Besides the savvy individual has a phone with internet and email capability and that hour is not spent waiting, its spent planning the next business strategy with your compatriots or simply sending your invoices to your boss to make sure you are paid!!! :oD
“I have never had a job offer based on my appearance” this is a lie!!! or at least a half truth, job offers are based on a whole package not just one or two aspects and you’re appearance is definitely a contributing factor. You’re appearance gets you through the door, your “business acumen” should help with the rest
Ashley, I agree with alot of what you said. But number 10, has been taken out of context. It does state ”Getting a haircut, when you have nowhere to go”, obviously you are going to get a trim for an interview. But wether you have one in your yard playing pro evo with the man dem, wont get you a job or make you P. But I guess we can agree to disagree on this one lol
Props to Go Realer. This is a really good article, I need it on my site.
I agree with Ashley.
Personally I see looking fresh, is something you should always do as a matter of self respect but leaving that aside for a moment - even you may not have anywhere in particular to go at that time but you might be introduced to someone who could make things happen for you by chance and you always need to present yourself as the total package. Its almost like you guys are suggesting that first impressions don’t matter.
As for GFrsh, I think people are missing the point. When he made that video it was to show the public what kind of lifestyle he lives/ aspires too. This all part of portraying a “luxury lifestyle” by aligning himself with “luxury brand’s” we consider him to be successful which is half of his appeal. His target audience believe that they can relate to him because of his background but they are motivated/ intrigued/ (or even inspired) by seeing things that they may not have.
Law 34 - “Be royal in your fashion: act like a king to be treated like one”
or
Law 37 - “Create compelling spectacles”
Thats ma word.
P
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