The Husssle Way
Nipsey Hussle Lyrics


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Look,
Do I love it do I lust it,
Struggle of a hustla,
Life of a banger,
And death is no stranger,
I know em like it's ken to me took a few friends from me,
It all make since one day eventually,
I guess so,
Granny said it happen and it's ment to be,
Just let go,
But I can't this shit keep itchin me like,
Them niggas outta line how they came through,
Shot em in his face point blank left his brains blue,
Now who gone go for em,
Probly be the same crew,
Wen bangin is yo religion it's like it's sayin not to,
A lot niggas ain't cut from that same cloth,
They might give em space,
Gotta play it safe,
Cause hard niggas turn holy wen they catch a case,
I still bark real talk I'll never fake,
On hide park late night still chop a 8th and grind with the homies,
Serve dime with the homies

From dope spots peekin out blinds with the homies still lookin for a better way,
The smokers keep comin droppin work in they bucket another day another dollar to make,
And I be on the block,
All night grindin,
I don't take no breaks,
I be on the block,
All day grindin,
I don't take no breaks,
I be on the block,
All night grindin,
I don't take no breaks,
HEY,
Cause I do it the hustle way

I'm in a 85 regal no tent you see clear through,
Young nigga,
Lookin life in the rear view burner on my lap,
Kush in my ash tray,
And that's how I'm a play it till my last day,
I''m used to gettin money in the fast lane,
And I only fuck with bitches that be nasty,
Leather and wood,
My money is good,
And I'm like a young celebrity in every hood,
Gold ropes for the crew chrome spokes on my coupe two seater,
Then I take off the roof like katrina,
And slide like a vise up slauson in a beamer,
Call me wut you want just don't call me a dreamer,
Cause mines is reality,
Grind no salary,
I came along way from sellin grams off gramercy,
Bolders off brindhurst,
And sevens off slauson,
Now I got options,
Now I got it poppin

Look,
Take away my granny blessins I be history,
Them bullets cause shot through my lac wouldn't have missed me,
Come to my hood say my name I ain't no mystery I'm probly in the spot fillin hustas energy,
In the kitchen countin cash watchin cocain chemistry,
Cookin into crack I wus look into rap hard to focus on my dreams wen I'm lookin at the facts,
Shootin down the street now I'm lookin at my mack,
And you can tell just lookin at the facts it's a coffin or a cell if you young and you black,
With ya name on it,
Still every car pass bang on it,
If you gone do it,
Do it right and put that thang on you,
You to deep in it to quit I know the pain of it,
You love the game but knowin that the game doesnt,




Love you back love the fact this the same struggle,
City to city we products of the same hustle

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Nipsey Hussle's song The Hussle Way describe the life of a hustler and banger, as well as the reality of death in the streets. The lyrics detail the struggles of being a part of this dangerous lifestyle, the loss of friends and loved ones, and the constant fear of retaliation. The chorus emphasizes the fact that the only way to survive in this world is to keep grinding, keep hustling, and always stay on the lookout for danger.


The first verse talks about the struggle of losing friends to violence, and the idea that death is simply a part of life in this world. Nipsey Hussle's grandmother tells him that these things happen and are meant to be, but he can't let go of the anger and the pain he feels. He talks about how some people are not cut from the same cloth and will turn on you when the going gets tough. Despite all of this, he remains true to his roots, spending long nights on the block with his homies.


The second verse describes the materialistic aspects of the hustler lifestyle, from the flashy cars and clothes to the beautiful, yet dangerous women. Nipsey Hussle talks about his success in the drug game, and the various locations he has sold drugs before making it as a rapper. However, he never forgets his roots and the hard work it took to get to where he is today. The bridge to this song emphasizes the fact that no matter what you do, if you're young and black, you'll always be a target, constantly looking over your shoulder.


Line by Line Meaning

Look,
Attention grabber to start the song.


Do I love it do I lust it,
Questioning the motive behind the lifestyle of a hustler and gangbanger.


Struggle of a hustla,
The struggles and hardships that come with hustling and selling drugs.


Life of a banger,
The dangers and risks associated with being involved in gang life.


And death is no stranger,
Death is a common occurrence in the life of a gang member.


I know em like it's ken to me took a few friends from me,
The artist has lost several friends to death and has become familiar with the realities of death.


It all make since one day eventually,
Over time, it becomes clear that death is inevitable within the gang culture.


I guess so,
Acceptance of the inevitability of death within the culture.


Granny said it happen and it's ment to be,
The artist's grandmother believes that death is a part of God's plan.


Just let go,
It is important to accept death and move on.


But I can't this shit keep itchin me like,
The artist struggles with accepting the loss of his friends and the violence of the culture.


Them niggas outta line how they came through,
The artist is angry at the murder of his friends.


Shot em in his face point blank left his brains blue,
The gruesome manner in which his friends were murdered.


Now who gone go for em,
The artist wonders who will seek revenge for his friends' deaths.


Probly be the same crew,
The artist expects his friends' gang to seek revenge.


Wen bangin is yo religion it's like it's sayin not to,
Being involved in gang life becomes a way of life and seeking revenge is part of that lifestyle.


A lot niggas ain't cut from that same cloth,
Not everyone is built for the tough lifestyle of a gang member.


They might give em space,
Some people distance themselves from gang members and the gang lifestyle.


Gotta play it safe,
In order to survive in the gang lifestyle, one must be cautious and avoid dangerous situations.


Cause hard niggas turn holy wen they catch a case,
Even tough gang members become fearful when they face the possibility of going to prison.


I still bark real talk I'll never fake,
The artist prides himself on always speaking his mind and never pretending.


On hide park late night still chop a 8th and grind with the homies,
The artist spends his evenings with his friends, smoking weed and hanging out in Hyde Park.


Serve dime with the homies
The artist sells drugs with his friends.


From dope spots peekin out blinds with the homies still lookin for a better way,
The artist and his friends are still searching for a way to escape the drug game.


The smokers keep comin droppin work in they bucket another day another dollar to make,
The artist's customers keep coming back, enabling him to continue selling drugs and making money.


And I be on the block,
The artist spends a lot of time selling drugs on the streets.


All night grindin,
The artist works tirelessly selling drugs all night long.


I don't take no breaks,
The artist never stops working, symbolizing the constant cycle of the drug game.


Cause I do it the hustle way
The artist operates his drug business in a particular manner, known as the hustle way.


I'm in a 85 regal no tent you see clear through,
The artist drives a 1985 Buick Regal without tinted windows, symbolizing transparency.


Young nigga,
The artist is young and still learning.


Lookin life in the rear view burner on my lap,
The artist is carrying a gun as protection while he sells drugs.


Kush in my ash tray,
The artist smokes marijuana while he sells drugs.


And that's how I'm a play it till my last day,
The artist plans to continue selling drugs until he dies.


I''m used to gettin money in the fast lane,
The artist is accustomed to making money quickly through drug sales.


And I only fuck with bitches that be nasty,
The artist only seeks out promiscuous women for casual sex.


Leather and wood,
The artist's car has a leather and wood interior, symbolizing luxury.


My money is good,
The artist's money comes from drug sales, but he sees it as legitimate income.


And I'm like a young celebrity in every hood,
The artist has gained notoriety in every urban area.


Gold ropes for the crew chrome spokes on my coupe two seater,
The artist and his friends wear gold chains and the artist's car has chrome rims.


Then I take off the roof like katrina,
The artist removes the roof of his car, symbolizing a carefree attitude.


And slide like a vise up slauson in a beamer,
The artist and his friends drive through Slauson confidently in a BMW.


Call me wut you want just don't call me a dreamer,
The artist is confident in his abilities and work ethic, but doesn't want to be seen as unrealistic.


Cause mines is reality,
The artist's life and experiences are real and not a dream.


Grind no salary,
The artist earns money through drug sales and hard work, not a traditional paycheck.


I came along way from sellin grams off gramercy,
The artist has come a long way from selling drugs on the street corner of Gramercy.


Bolders off brindhurst,
The artist has also come a long way from selling drugs on Brindhurst Avenue.


And sevens off slauson,
The artist used to sell drugs on Slauson Avenue but has moved on to bigger things.


Now I got options,
The artist has more opportunities and choices in his life now that he's made money through drug sales.


Now I got it poppin
The artist is successful and popular in his community.


Take away my granny blessins I be history,
The artist knows that without his grandmother's blessings and guidance, he would have been doomed to a life of violence and crime.


Them bullets cause shot through my lac wouldn't have missed me,
The artist feels lucky to have survived the violence of gang life.


Come to my hood say my name I ain't no mystery I'm probly in the spot fillin hustas energy,
The artist is well-known in his community and can usually be found selling drugs in a particular spot.


In the kitchen countin cash watchin cocain chemistry,
The artist counts the money he's earned from drug sales while watching his associates turn cocaine into crack.


Cookin into crack I wus look into rap hard to focus on my dreams wen I'm lookin at the facts,
The artist struggles to pursue his dream of becoming a rapper while he's still making money through drug sales.


Shootin down the street now I'm lookin at my mack,
The artist is armed with a gun and must be prepared to defend himself.


And you can tell just lookin at the facts it's a coffin or a cell if you young and you black,
The artist believes that young black men are often doomed to either die or go to prison.


With ya name on it,
The artist believes that his name could end up on a coffin or prison cell.


Still every car pass bang on it,
Gunshots are a common sound in his neighborhood.


If you gone do it,
If you're going to be involved in gang life and selling drugs, you must be prepared for the consequences.


Do it right and put that thang on you,
If you're going to carry a gun for protection, you must be responsible and use it in the right way.


You to deep in it to quit I know the pain of it,
The artist acknowledges that it's difficult to leave the drug game once you're involved.


You love the game but knowin that the game doesnt,
The artist enjoys the money and lifestyle that comes with drug sales, but knows that the drugs and violence don't love him back.


Love you back love the fact this the same struggle,
The artist and his associates are all struggling with the same issues related to the drug game.




Contributed by Maya O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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