Jeezy admits feeling like he wasn't always a good person
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While opening up at REVOLT WORLD about elevating his life, Jeezy revealed that he didn’t think he was that good of a person at one point in time and had to make a change.
The Grammy-winning artist was one of the most anticipated guest speakers on the three-day event’s lineup. On Sept. 23, the businessman became the latest trailblazer to appear on “The Blackprint with Detavio Samuels,” a podcast show where the REVOLT CEO “sits down with innovators, disruptors, and changemakers laying the groundwork for the next generation of cultural leaders.” During the live fireside chat, the 46-year-old spoke on his development over the years.
The “Put On” rapper shared that God had to check him when he initially became famous because he wasn’t right within. Despite Jeezy’s music career taking off and him living a lifestyle most would assume was a happy one, he was losing internally because of his selfish state of mind, a point the South Carolina native hopes his new book, “Adversity For Sale: Ya Gotta Believe,” conveys.
“I wanted people to see when you saw me at my best, I was at my worst. I was at my worst. I mean, like, when you saw me multiplatinum, Trap or Die, Thug Motivation 101, I was at my worst, man. I was so bad off, I don’t even think I was a good person, you know what I’m saying?” he admitted to Samuels. “I was just in it, and I was just going, and it was about everything but the right thing. And as a man, you know you can’t go tell your homeboys you’re depressed — you sound crazy. You getting all this money, driving these cars, doing tours, like, what you mad about? But it was so much work I had to do on myself, right? Because now I’m in it.”
The real estate investor dished on how he was at a crossroads in life searching for answers. He talked to a friend whose words, “Don’t go from something, go to something,” moved him to change his outlook. At that moment, Jeezy realized there was no reason to get lost in the sauce of the culture, but that he should remain authentic instead. On this path to enlightenment, another close friend suggested the lyricist read “Think and Grow Rich,” which became a major key in his transformation.
“I started to get in touch with how I really feel about things, and you know, life outside of just having, right? And like my uncle used to say, ‘If a man got problems, you know, he got problems. You put him in a Rolls-Royce, he’s going to be the same man with problems in a Rolls-Royce,'” Jeezy stated. “So, I was that guy. I gotta figure this out now, right? And this book just led me down so many different paths, and it opened my mind up to not be afraid to open up to my culture and to people.”
The Agency 99 founder read the book several times in amazement that it contained information he was craving at the time. Ultimately, Jeezy credited it with changing his life. “I’m gonna tell you right now — reading is the cool s**t. I don’t care what you got going on, what you doing,” he said to the crowd.
The entrepreneur lost a lot during his time of evolution as well. But Jeezy didn’t let the misfortune kill his spirit and instead kept a resilient attitude. The former Tequila Avion stakeholder started to care less about money and material things, which he believes was part of God’s plan to help him discover his purpose in life.
“That’s the test, though. That’s the test. You know, they say if you want to see who a man is, give him money or power, you know, and that was the test. Because the first time I had it, my heart and my spirit wasn’t in the right place. He humbled me. He made me understand, ‘Boy, this ain’t about you,'” the living legend declared.
He continued, “And I just, you know, really did some soul-searching and figured it out. And I promise you, man, when I stopped worrying about money, and stopped thinking about it, and started, like, pouring into people, and just keeping it solid, and just being there, and connecting people, everything just start coming to me… to the point where I used to wake up sometimes and couldn’t believe it like, ‘Damn, what I do now?'”
This led to Jeezy rethinking his definition of success as doing more for other people became the CEO’s focus.
“The thing I learned more about this is success is when it’s about you. So, everybody who wants to be successful, good luck with that,” the New York Times bestselling author said. “But significance is when it’s about others, and for me, that’s what this s**t is about. It’s about others. It’s about these people that are living their dreams through my vision. It’s about me pouring into them, adding value to them.”
“I had to learn a long time ago if you chase success, you won’t be fulfilled,” he added.
Jeezy praised REVOLT WORLD attendees for taking the time to go to an event where effective tools were available from outstanding movers and shakers in a multitude of industries. He encouraged all the dreamers in the audience to keep going, noting they were already taking steps to enhance their lives by seeking knowledge.
“I don’t want to ever come here and, like, preach to you and teach to you because everybody got a story. I’m just here to tell you if you’re here, you’re already on your way. You’re already on your way, you know what I’m saying? You’re here because you want to be here, you want to be better, you want to add value to yourself and others, so… You’re ahead of the game already, you feel what I’m saying? Real talk,” he told the crowd.
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