Hip Hop Lessons for CPG Entrepreneurs
I’ve always believed that Hip Hop artists and CPG entrepreneurs are cut from the same cloth…
- Hip Hop has historically been seen as counterculture to other music genres. CPG entrepreneurship has historically played second fiddle to the “technology” filled startup landscape.
- Being successful as a Hip Hop artist or CPG entrepreneur both centered around salesmanship, storytelling, and the ability to hustle.
- Hip Hop music is rooted in remixing (or sampling) previous music. The iterative innovation process is also a core strategy within the CPG industry.
- Hip Hop is more than music, it’s a cultural lifestyle. Consumer packaged goods, especially the food and beverage category, functions in the exact same way, as they enhance social and cultural life by bringing together individuals and communities.
This is probably why you see so many Hip Hop artists launching CPG brands (or at least investing in the consumer sector). For those Hip Hop artists that have become involved in the CPG industry, it’s also my belief that lyrics from their extensive music catalogs provide strong lessons for any CPG professional. Because of that, I picked out a few of my favorite lyrics from Hip Hop artists like Drake, Jay Z, Notorious B.I.G., NAS, and Rick Ross, that I know will bring you value…
[Note: More of my favorite lyrics included in each artist’s YouTube video]
Lessons from Drake
CPG Industry Involvement = Virginia Black Whiskey and as an investor in Daring Foods
“Some nights I wish I could go back in life. Not to change shit, just to feel a couple things twice.”
CPG entrepreneurship is about the journey, not the destination. The only reward is the process. Whether it’s good, bad, or ugly right now, make sure that you are enjoying the ride. The journey is about growth. It’s about living. It’s about learning and then applying those learnings for greater achievements in the future. It isn’t about going back and giving yourself the answers, but it would feel great to feel some of that journey again if you weren’t fully living in the moment.
“I want things to go my way. But as of late, a lot of shit been goin’ sideways.”
Remember to never compare your “Month 5” to another CPG brand’s “Year 5.” Everyone dreams about being the next successful billion-dollar CPG brand exit, but few recognize the reality that getting there will take getting past a ton of sideways moments. After you emerge on the other side of these “shit been goin’ sideways” moments, your CPG brand will be battle tested. Entrepreneurs that successfully navigated the pandemic era are now emerging stronger for having to work through the endless episodic sideways moments.
Lessons from Notorious B.I.G.
CPG Industry Involvement = While Notorious B.I.G. was killed before he could launch/invest in the CPG industry, we know he had a deep affinity for the space…including some unreleased lyrics about Pepsi.
So, if Notorious B.I.G. had zero CPG industry experience, why should you believe he could you any applicable lessons?
Welll…one of the greatest Hip Hop artists ever actually laid out his most valuable business lessons in his hit song “Ten Crack Commandments.” Notorious B.I.G. called this a “manual” and a “step-by-step booklet for you to get your game on track,” and though these lyrics were inspired by business dealings in the illicit drug trade, the words provide keen lessons for any CPG entrepreneur.
#4 — “Never get high on your own supply.”
This lyric provides CPG entrepreneurs two distinct lessons:
- Even if you’re at the top of your game, don’t drink too much of your Kool-Aid. Ego is a dangerous thing to have too much of as a CPG entrepreneur.
- Discover the customers’ needs; don’t substitute your own. Remember that your customer should always be at the center of your every business decision.
#10 — “Consignment is not for freshmen.”
It’s never been easier to launch CPG products, but its never been harder to get those products onto store shelves. What happens when this massive CPG industry product proliferation comes up against today’s reality of physical retailers reducing shelf space for cost or other consumer experience reasons? Consignment might be the only way that a retailer will take you on, but you almost never want to get into this situation as a new CPG brand. In your CPG entrepreneurship infancy, you won’t have that built-in audience or brand awareness yet that can limit consignment inventory risks.
Lessons from NAS
CPG Industry Involvement = Early investor in Walker & Company
“No idea’s original, there’s nothin’ new under the sun. It’s never what you do, but how it’s done.”
As mentioned earlier, one of the crossovers between Hip Hop and the CPG industry is how both utilize incremental (iterative) innovation as a foundational strategy. The fact is that life is full of remixes, so if you are waiting for that original idea before you get started on anything it will take you forever. That great product you created is only the entry fee to compete in today’s CPG market. The story behind your great product and how you go-to-market with it is what can really makes for a special business.
“That buck that bought a bottle could’ve struck the lotto.”
When you’re building your CPG business, you might be tempted to take money out of the early profits because you feel like you should reward your early successes. When a CPG business is in its infancy, it’s important to understand that investing as much money as possible back into the business will have a compounding effect. This could prove to be the winning lotto ticket, which for most is an exit event (e.g. M&A).
Lessons from Jay Z
CPG Industry Involvement = Armand de Brignac, D’Usse, and as an investor in Carol’s Daughter, Oatly, Partake Foods, MERIT Beauty, Misha’s Kind Foods, Monogram.
“I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man.”
In today’s social media transparency world, you’re not just a person, you’re an entity. Some might push back on that notion, but each of us have a personal brand regardless of if you actively promote it or not. Jay Z understands that he is the brand, and that he needs to express himself through his businesses to reach his audience. The extra layer of your personal brand on top of your CPG brand helps make it stand out from the crowd.
“I sell ice in the winter. I sell fire in Hell. I am a hustler, baby, I’ll sell water to a well.”
If you are a CPG entrepreneur, you should be the best salesperson in your company. Full stop. That doesn’t mean that you need to handle all of the sales activities, but it’s a pretty simple cause and effect: if no one is buying your CPG products, you won’t be in business for long. CPG entrepreneurship is about hustling and there’s no way of escaping that.
Lessons from Rick Ross
CPG Industry Involvement = Luc Belaire, Bumbu Rum, Villon, McQueen and the Violet Fog, and as an investor in Rap Snacks and CTRL.
“Ambition is priceless that’s something that’s in your veins, and I doubt that ever change.”
I believe ambition is more of an inborn trait. It’s a like a sixth sense that overrides both talent and resources when it comes to the most important tools for achieving success in the CPG industry. Success can come in many different colors as a CPG entrepreneur, but ambition provides the desire to achieve it and the willingness to stay committed even in the face of adversity or failure.
“I know Pablo, Noreaga, the real Noreaga. He owes me a hundred favors.”
Every time you interact with someone else, you are either making a “deposit,” through some type of relationship-affirming actions or you are making a “withdrawal” when there’s a relationship-damaging deed. I’m a big proponent of making sure to give more value than I take in any interaction. While that doesn’t mean I intend on withdrawing from those net-positive emotional bank accounts, it is always a preferable position within the CPG industry. If this concept interests you, I’d suggest checking out a conversation I had with the Aaron Hinde (Co-Founder of LifeAid Beverage Company), where he describes how the emotional bank account has been an important aspect of his life.
Final Thoughts
You can learn about business in different ways and inspiration or the motivation to succeed can come from everywhere around you. I’ve noticed that, amongst the lyrics of Hip Hop music, many artists pass on knowledge and experiences, just like typical business mentors. For me, some of the best at providing me with business value has been Drake, Jay Z, Notorious B.I.G., Rick Ross, and NAS. Combine that with their CPG industry entrepreneur (and/or investing success) and it shouldn’t be difficult to see why every CPG entrepreneur could learn from these Hip Hop artists.
