Nipsey Hussle turned down Rick Ross' offer to sign with Maybach Music Group, according to his brother and business partner Blacc Sam, who discussed the decision on the Bootleg Kev Podcast, AllHipHop reported. Sam described a period when Ross was helping by getting Hussle on features and talking him up publicly while the team self-financed the push behind his music. "Ross at one point was like, 'Look, bro, whatever you want, I can get it done now,'" Sam said, describing an offer "that was massive and would have changed the dynamic as far as financial."
Despite the financial upside, Hussle prioritized keeping control and ownership of his own brand. Sam said Hussle told Ross the deal could not happen because his own team needed to build his empire rather than an outside label: "I appreciate the opportunity. I know what it could do, but when we finally do this, it got to be all money in."
Hussle went on to sign with Atlantic Records under his own All Money In label, an arrangement that let him keep the independence he valued. Sam said that philosophy also shaped Hussle's "Proud to Pay" strategy, in which he charged $100 for his Crenshaw mixtape at a time when most hip-hop releases were free, an idea Sam credited to the book Contagious.
Sam recalled being skeptical when Hussle first floated the price: "Huh, bro, what are you talking about? $100?" he remembered asking. Hussle pointed him to the book and told him to read it; before Sam even finished it, he said he was fully on board, initially suggesting they bundle in merchandise like a hat, hoodie or keychain. Hussle refused: "We ain't giving them nothing. It's the CD is $100," he said, and the Proud to Pay movement was born.
The Crenshaw tape sold out within 24 hours of that pricing, according to Sam, with Jay-Z reportedly buying 100 copies for $10,000. Sam continues Hussle's legacy today through Marathon Clothing and Marathon Burger, which the outlet described as a Los Angeles destination that draws celebrities and fans from around the world.
Sam discussed the MMG offer on the same podcast appearance where he confirmed an unreleased Nipsey Hussle and YG album is in the works. Ross, for his part, has had an eventful year of his own in hip-hop: he recently celebrated 20 years of his debut album Port of Miami with a concert at a Cincinnati Reds game, even as his newer album Set In Stone missed the Top 20 on the charts.
The facts
- Nipsey Hussle turned down Rick Ross' offer to join Maybach Music Group
- Brother Blacc Sam described the offer on the Bootleg Kev Podcast
- Hussle wanted his own team to build his empire instead of an outside label
- Hussle signed with Atlantic Records under his own All Money In label
- His Crenshaw mixtape sold for $100 each and sold out in 24 hours
- Jay-Z reportedly bought 100 copies of Crenshaw for $10,000
- Sam said the $100 pricing idea came from the book Contagious
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