Decades before launching the very first Walmart in 1962, Sam Walton was known to be a versatile young man. As a kid he always worked a variety of odd jobs and hustled up money whenever he saw an opportunity. Early on he knew that having multiple streams of income was going to greatly affect his life. Furthermore, Mr. Walton was also said to be friendly and outgoing, and built good relationships with people by doing good business.
Back in the pre-internet era, brands were built by providing next level service. Yes, Mr. Walton could match prices of larger more established retailers, however, he made sure to always keep his shelves fully stocked, stores clean and greeted people warmly when they entered and exited. Guests respond well to these subtle yet important factors. That’s why pre-Walmart, Sam always saw huge sales increases whenever he did business. Retail was Sam’s universe and he spent many years perfecting ways to expand it until he became extremely good at it.
As a member of the hip-hop community, you must see your universe through the lens of Mr. Walton, meaning how can you improve the culture. So many young artists, producers, influencers, etc., come in with the pillage mentality. Not asking what can I contribute, but what can I get out of hip-hop. Therefore, it should be of no surprise why there is so much scandal and violence in today’s culture. People see hip-hop as a way out but have done little to improve on it for the fans or for the people coming after them.
In one of hip-hop’s most successful eras, from 1992 to 2005, you saw a lot of innovation. Whether you thought an artist had bars or not, they were actively trying to separate themselves from the pack. And that’s when you also saw more expansion in the culture because back then you actually had executives actively seeking the next best thing. Yes, the business model was different back then, and so was the spirit. Take a place like Queensbridge Housing in New York City. There were so many artists that came from there with their own unique styles. Now you can barely tell where an artist is from because many of them look and sound alike.
Recently a new artist popped on my radar. He’s an example of an innovator. He can rap, sing, play instruments, speaks multiple languages, can freestyle, knows how to write songs and can perform. He’s not starting wars on social media for clout and he’s maintained a humble nature throughout his journey. And from my current understanding he’s not involved in any major scandals or beef. That’s what the culture needs more of if it is to make another major expansion. Hip-hop only benefits when there are more pioneer spirits involved. There’s more opportunity, more peace and yes, more money when there’s more focus on improving than taking.
Below is a list of things you can do in order to help expand your universe and become an innovator in the world of hip-hop:
- Get a self help book and read it multiple times
- Learn at least 3 new words per day
- Befriend someone outside of your culture
- Begin learning a new language
- Travel more often
- Take a public speaking course
- Join a professional or trade association
- Attend workshops or seminars
- Create a new stream of revenue for yourself
- Outsource some of your work tasks to others
- Treat others the way you want to be treated
As always, this is not an all inclusive list, just some ideas to get your juices flowing and start acting.
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