Nipsey Hussle, born Ermias Joseph Asghedom, was more than a rapper — he was an entrepreneur, community activist, and a symbol of resilience for South Los Angeles. Before his tragic passing in March 2019, Nipsey built an empire rooted in ownership, from his Grammy-nominated album Victory Lap to The Marathon Clothing store on Crenshaw and Slauson. His words, drawn from interviews, lyrics, and public appearances, continue to inspire millions on hustle, self-belief, business, and purpose. This collection brings together his most memorable and verified quotes on success, wealth, leadership, and life — a lasting reminder that “the marathon continues.”

Nipsey Hussle’s Most Famous Quotes

1. “I’m not in it for fame. I’ve been famous in the streets already.”

2. “The game will test you; never fold. Stay ten toes down. It’s not on you, it’s in you. And what’s in you, they can never take away.”

3. “It’s not about the destination. It’s about the journey.”

4. “The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment.”

5. “When you let go of your pride, you’ll find a lesson in your pain.”

6. “The most important thing is to get rid of doubt. If you have doubt in what you’re doing, it’s not going to work.”

7. “Be truthful with yourself and other people, and try your best to make decisions outside of your ego.”

8. “I realized the power of hip-hop. I realized how influential this music and this culture are.”

9. “You’re not going to scare me into being somebody I don’t want to be.”

10. “We got turned down, we failed, had setbacks, had to start over a lot of times. But we kept going at it.”

11. “If you don’t have a plan, it’s very hard to really have faith in what you’re doing.”

12. “To me, respect comes first.”

13. “Dedication, hard work, plus patience.”

14. “Without a game plan and without a strong sense of faith in what you’re doing, it’s gonna be really hard to accomplish anything.”

15. “I’m about seeing long-term, seeing a vision, understanding nothing really worthwhile happens overnight, and just sticking to your script long enough to make something real happen.”

16. “I will never say something I don’t agree with or believe in… even if the reward is massive!”

17. “If you don’t know your full-throttle history, the whole story of how you came to where you are, it’s kind of hard to put things together.”

18. “The most important thing, number one, is you gotta get rid of doubt. If you got doubt in what you’re doing, it’s not gonna work — the way to do that is you have a plan.”

Nipsey Hussle Quotes About Success

1. “I’m about seeing long-term, seeing a vision, understanding nothing really worthwhile happens overnight, and just sticking to your script long enough to make something real happen.”

2. “Without a game plan and without a strong sense of faith in what you’re doing, it’s gonna be really hard to accomplish anything.”

3. “Most important thing is to get rid of doubt. If you got doubt in what you’re doing, it’s not going to work.”

4. “If you don’t have a plan, it’s very hard to really have faith in what you’re doing.”

5. “We got turned down, we failed, had setbacks, had to start over a lot of times. But we kept going at it.”

6. “The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment.”

7. “The most important thing, number one, is you gotta get rid of doubt. If you got doubt in what you’re doing, it’s not gonna work — the way to do that is you have a plan. ‘Cause if you got a plan, it’s not just like a pipe-dream, you have a step-by-step list of things to do to get to your goal.”

8. “As an entrepreneur, as an investor, I’m trying to be as educated as I can to where the progression of technological capability is going and what it does to these different categories.”

9. “I realized the power of hip-hop. I realized how influential this music and this culture are.”

10. “Doing music to pay bills is an uncomfortable situation. I never wanted to be in that situation.”

11. “Dedication, hard work, plus patience.”

12. “If you don’t know your full-throttle history, the whole story of how you came to where you are, it’s kind of hard to put things together.”

13. “I’m not in it for fame. I’ve been famous in the streets already.”

Nipsey Hussle Quotes About Hustle and Hard Work

1. “Seize the opportunity, believe, and take control of it. Then get on your marathon and grind it ’til it’s over with.”

2. “Turning up my hustle’s how I give myself a raise.”

3. “If you’re a hustler, you should find somewhere to capitalize off that and turn it into some money.”

4. “First get ‘yo grind on, then get yo’ shine on.”

5. “Luck is a product of hard work. Luck is just bein’ prepared at all times, so when the door opens you’re ready…”

6. “We don’t want to wait on someone to hire us and give us a check. We want to create our own opportunities.”

7. “Success or greatness come with a roller-coaster ride… anybody can apply the marathon concept to what they do.”

8. “On a mission your worst enemy is idle time.”

9. “Instead of trying to build a brick wall, lay a brick everyday. Eventually you’ll look up and you’ll have a brick wall.”

10. “Constant repetition is the path to progression, take that and run with it, you should get some cash.” — from the track “Top Down,” *The Marathon*

11. “What good is dreaming, if you can’t make your shit come true?”

12. “Don’t expect from others—put in your own work.”

13. “You’ve got to have faith in what you’re doing and not take no for an answer.”

14. “My thing is that I don’t give no person that much power over my path that I’m walking. Not one person can make or break what I’m doing, except me or God.”

Nipsey Hussle Quotes About Business and Entrepreneurship

1. “I just believe in ownership… I believe in investing in yourself… your foundation should be strong.”

2. “Ownership is everything. Own your mind. Mind your own.”

3. “We don’t want advances, we want equity. We don’t want one-off endorsements, we want ownership.”

4. “We’re creating an ecosystem, from production to consumption. Not only do we own the supply chain, but we can curate the experience. From the ownership of the actual master, to the retail experience and marketing the product, to consuming it. That’s the same model as Apple.”

5. “It sounds simple telling people to work hard and never quit, but to really execute and demonstrate those principles takes discipline and faith. Those are the two factors that I believe separate the good from the great; the successes from the failures.”

6. “I’m not into trading ownership of the only asset I have, which is my intellectual property.”

7. “We are playing the long game. We don’t want the money to stop when we go, when we can’t work no more. We want it to outlive us, we want it to be generational.”

8. “It’s strictly business in this game, still they faking friendly. Don’t let them take advantage of you.”

9. “It was always a plan that we were going to have a retail side with what we were doing musically, like an Apple store or Nike Town.”

10. “Start with what you know and grow.”

Nipsey Hussle Quotes About Life

1. “It’s not about the destination. It’s about the journey.”

2. “When you let go of your pride, you’ll find a lesson in your pain.”

3. “It’s not about how much money you can make, it’s about how much you can keep and who you can help.”

4. “Every single loss in your life is a lesson.”

5. “The company you keep has a large influence on the situations you bring to yourself.”

6. “Material things ain’t nothing, you feel me? At the end of the day it’s who you is.”

7. “Success to me is just being able to do what you love to do and support yourself all through.”

8. “You’re not going to scare me into being somebody I don’t want to be.”

9. “‘Cause if you share your success and not your struggle, you’re a fool.”

10. “Be your own biggest fan, your own biggest believer, and put it on your back and carry the weight.”

Nipsey Hussle Quotes About Dreams and Goals

1. “What good is dreaming, if you can’t make your shit come true?”

2. “The most important thing, number one, is you gotta get rid of doubt. If you got doubt in what you’re doing, it’s not gonna work — the way to do that is you have a plan. ‘Cause if you got a plan, it’s not just like a pipe-dream, you have a step-by-step list of things to do to get to your goal.”

3. “I’m about seeing long-term, seeing a vision, understanding nothing really worthwhile happens overnight, and just sticking to your script long enough to make something real happen.”

4. “Instead of trying to build a brick wall, lay a brick everyday. Eventually you’ll look up and you’ll have a brick wall.”

5. “I hope my story inspires everyone out there to keep hustling and chasing their dreams.”

6. “Without a game plan and without a strong sense of faith in what you’re doing, it’s gonna be really hard to accomplish anything.”

7. “You’ve got to have faith in what you’re doing and not take no for an answer.”

8. “You can’t do nothin’ to change your set, but you can do somethin’ to make your set great.”

9. “Seize the opportunity, believe, and take control of it. Then get on your marathon and grind it ’til it’s over with.”

Nipsey Hussle Quotes About Loyalty & Respect

1. “To me, respect comes first.”

2. “You aren’t a true leader without the ability to be honest and take responsibility for your actions.”

3. “Sometimes the game tests your loyalty by presenting an opportunity that looks more beneficial to go against the team.”

4. “‘Cause if you share your success and not your struggle, you’re a fool.”

5. “We represent a hustler. I think we represent inspiration. I think we represent, you know, staying down. I think we represent building yourself up from the bootstraps.”

6. “We were raised wrong but we stayed strong and we kept it real, we got faked on.”

7. “I built a company at the same time I was building a career.”

8. “My thing is that I don’t give no person that much power over my path that I’m walking. Not one person can make or break what I’m doing, except me or God.”

9. “I never wanted to alienate my brand for business.”

10. “The company you keep has a large influence on the situations you bring to yourself.”

Nipsey Hussle Quotes About Money and Wealth

1. “We are playing the long game. We don’t want the money to stop when we go, when we can’t work no more. We want it to outlive us, we want it to be generational.”

2. “One pillar to wealth is having residual income.”

3. “Black people in America, people from the struggle, immigrants, it’s no generational wealth that we are attached to, so we are tasked to create – in one generation – closing the gap.”

4. “I’d rather invest in real estate – invest in some assets as opposed to trick all my money in diamonds and cars – it look good but at the end of the day you’re losing value. It ain’t appreciating, it’s depreciating. Straight up.”

5. “Economics is the answer, empowering people economically is how you really, really make an impact.”

6. “It’s possible to monetize your art without compromising the integrity of it for commerce.”

7. “I knew I wanted to work for myself when I was about eleven.”

8. “Money is a tool – it’s the means, not the end.”

9. “Never apologize for your success.”

10. “I’m not into trading ownership of the only asset I have, which is my intellectual property.”

Conclusion

Nipsey Hussle’s words remain a blueprint for anyone chasing purpose over fame. From ownership and hustle to loyalty and long-term vision, his quotes reflect a mind that saw success as a marathon, not a sprint. Though his life was cut short, his message — build with intention, invest in yourself, and stay true to your community — continues to inspire entrepreneurs and dreamers alike. As Nipsey always reminded us: the marathon continues.