Jeezy Reflects On "Thug Motivation" On Its 15th Anniversary

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Jeezy reflects on his debut album.

Jeezy's Thug Motivation 101 was the birth of a new era in hip-hop. Though T.I. and Gucci Mane had already put this new wave of hip-hop on the map, Jeezy had the backing of both Def Jam, as a solo artist, and Bad Boy, as a member of Boyz N Da Hood, and was able to bring trap music to new heights. With today marking 15 years since the album's release, the rapper shared a lengthy post reflecting on his evolution since those days in 2005.

"Hopped off the porch in my momma two bedroom trailer with a dream, a grind and an all around vision.My vision was to take a culture that was demonized and told they would never be anything or have anything. I endured any type of obstacles u can think of; from dodging penitentiary to  having a full time job of staying alive . I always told myself if u want heaven its on the other side of hell," he wrote.

"So I took all the chances to get there. In the process I obtained and gained insight of the art of (adversity) and I turned my pain into passion and put the passion into my music, so the world could see it was possible. To become something even when everyone is counting on you being nothing," he continued. "Even at this present day, everything I stand for is about evolution. Evolve or Die! Thank you to everyone who supported my vision and my music, that got some through your hardships, prison time, college courses and even life in general."

Peep the post below. 


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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