Is Being a Hustler Healthy? Survival, Black Excellence and Fear
The myth of the hustle has reshaped how success is measured, turning relentless productivity into a moral imperative. Within this framework, Black excellence risks becoming both a survival strategy and a standard set by systems that were never built to include Blackness.
I Quarter: Hustler’s Ambition[1]
When using the term “hustle”, it is necessary to take a step back in time. In this regard, Lester K. Spence’s work, Knocking the Hustle[2], is particularly useful.
In it, Spence reconstructs how the meaning of “hustle” and the figure of the “hustler” have changed over time. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a hustler was someone who tried to climb the ladder at any cost, attempting to rise to the top using any available means, whether legal or illegal. However, one central idea underpinned this figure: achieving one’s goal by moving as little as possible, namely by working as little as necessary to get what one wanted. With the advent of neoliberal turn, it gradually took hold the idea that society, and any institution within it, function better when aligned with market principles. This meant that the concept of hustling took on an almost opposite meaning to the original one: the key figure became that of someone who works incessantly. The market imposes constant labour: to have a value and be considered human capital, one must be constantly productive. Hustle and grind became synonymous: the gauge of a human being equaled how much they produce. Within this framework, each person is required to maximise their usefulness and value in terms of productivity and money. Consequently, the idea that those who don’t achieve certain levels simply don’t want it enough began to become acceptable in the dominant discourse.
This is an extremely fertile ground for creating the myth of richness, which in the Black community is intertwined with a long-standing social struggle for visibility. Constant productivity and the pursuit of excellence can also be read as a survival strategy within a system that structurally associates Blackness with marginality.
But what is the gaze before which Blackness seeks legitimacy?
II Quarter: Get Rich or Die Tryin’[3]
You look in the mirror and responsibility overwhelms you. That feeling tries to make room in your chest, your spirit succumbs for a moment, and wants to surrender. But the truth is, you cannot be depressed: that’s a luxury. You have to earn a living. Get out there and do what you have to do. Let go of whatever is weighing on your soul. You have to work hard, clear your mind, block out distractions and achieve your goals. Second place is the first loser. While you’re complaining, there’s always someone who’s working harder than you. Losing is not an option, you must do everything in your power to win. You gotta be consistent. Focused on your goals. You can’t give up for a second, not even an inch; you cannot afford that. Can you really say that you have a plan B? You must convince yourself that you will succeed, regardless of what other people say or think about you. You cannot rely on other people. You’re alone. In fact, people around you depend on you. And that makes you even more alone. Simply, you cannot stop. You must have more. You must earn more. Be hungrier. Devour anyone who gets in your way, like in a game of Pac-Man. Do not ever think for a second that you’re full or that you can relax. You cannot run away anywhere, also because: who would you go to? the world owes you nothing - it’s all on your shoulders. You know that this world wants you on the margins, you’re there anyway, but things are even worse if you don’t have money. That’s the one language everyone understands. Even those who pretend not to. They’ll still think badly of you, they’ll still speak ill of you, they’ll forget your story, they’ll twist it, they’ll claim your word is worthless, but, when figures come into play - everyone understands those. The filth they want to throw at you - they’ll have to keep to themselves.Watch what you see in the mirror.You see Back.They see a minority.Let them see your bank account. Keep those sorrows locked inside, never show them. Never. Scars are ugly to see only for those who don’t know how much wounds hurt. You cannot afford to go back to where you were. Hold on…