Jay Z Quotes About Success, Life and Hustle

I’m not afraid of dying, I’m afraid of not trying.

Successful people have a bigger fear of failure than people who’ve never done anything because if you haven’t been successful, then you don’t know how it feels to lose it all.

They talk. We live. Who cares what they say?

Those who are successful overcome their fears and take action. Those who don’t submit to their fears and live with regrets.

People respect success. They respect big. They don’t even have to like your music. If you’re big enough, people are drawn to you.

You learn more in failure than you ever do in success.

I will not lose, for even in defeat, there’s a valuable lesson learned, so it evens up for me.

If people don’t hate you, you’re probably not doing very big things.

I went through hell, I’m expecting heaven.

Leave a mark they can’t erase, neither space nor time.

Some said ‘how’d you fly?’ I said from not being afraid of trying to fly.

Do things that are true to you. Most things that I’m involved with is being creative and things that I like. Get involved with things that you love and be sure to have a standard and integrity with what you’re doing.

Don’t tell what they said about me…Tell me why they were so comfortable saying it to you.

We have to take it for everything it has and ‘die enormous’ instead of ‘living dormant’, as I said way back on ‘can I live’. Either way, fear is a waste of time.

I sell ice in winter, I sell fire in hell.

Without work, the magic won’t come.

I’m not a ‘Business-Man’! I’m a Business… man! Let me handle my business, damn!

I’m far from being god, but I work god damn hard.

Difficult takes a day, impossible takes a week.

The responsibility is to keep pushing it forward, and not relying on the same old gimmicks. You have to push it forward.

You can want success all you want. But to get it, you can’t falter. You can’t slip, you can’t sleep, one eye open, for real, and forever.

Do me a favor. Don’t do me any favors. I handle mine.

I’m a hustler baby; I sell water to a well.

Only two things can get you through this: that’s patience and persistence.

I believe that the energy you put out in the world, you get back.

Don’t tell me what was said about me… Tell me why they were so comfortable to say it to you.

We hustle out of a sense of hopelessness. Sort of desperation. Through that desperation, we become addicted.

I believe excellence is being able to perform at a high level over and over.

By the time I got to record my first album, I was 26, I didn’t need pen or paper – my memory had been trained just to listen to a song, think of the words, and lay them to tape.

A wise man told me don’t argue with fools. Because people from a distance can’t tell who is who.

I think relationships are broken up because of the media.

We change people through conversation, not through censorship.

My brands are an extension of me. They’re close to me. It’s not like running GM, where there’s no emotional attachment.

Rap for me is like making movies, telling stories, and getting the emotions of the songs through in just as deep away. And I grew up in rap and movies the same way.

The average rap life is two or three albums. You’re lucky to get to your second album in rap!

If it’s you and me against the world, then so be it.

A wise man once told me luck isn’t some mystical energy that dances around the universe randomly bestowing people with satisfaction and joy, you create your own luck.

Jealousy is a weak emotion.

Told me don’t wait on anybody, go get your own, so it’s me, myself, and my Microphone.

Honesty, Loyalty friends & then wealth death before dishonor & I’ll tell you what else.

I sell ice in winter, I sell fire in hell.

The only thing that’s on my mind, is who’s gonna run this town tonight.

Couple mistakes here and there not always right but I’m always real. That’s how I sleep at night.

I believe everybody in the world is born with genius-level talent. Apply yourself to whatever you’re a genius at and you can do anything in the world.

Everyone who makes music is a good collaborator at their foundation because, in order to make music, you have to connect to it in a way that other people can’t.

All I got is dreams. Nobody else believes. Nobody else can see. Nobody else but me.

You can pay for school but you can’t buy class.