Nipsey Hussle’s “Proud2Pay” Model Is An Innovative Remedy for Digital Disruption

On Nipsey Hussle’s “Proud2Pay” Model

It Matters More Than You Think

In the wake of his untimely death, many remember Nipsey Hussle as a rapper, philanthropist, real estate mogul, and the list goes on.  

In particular, I refer to him as a marketing genius.

Days ago, Gary Vee, a respected digital marketing expert and social media personality, posted a collection of videos on IGTV featuring private conversations between him and Nipsey. They discussed game-changing concepts about technology, music, business, and marketing. Vee celebrated Nipsey’s brilliance, and the two were planning to collaborate on an event.

Nipsey is known for his creative and innovative marketing strategies. His most notable campaign, Proud2Pay, is based on selling a few units of music to the most-engaged fans at a premium with “once in a lifetime” incentives. This strategy was first implemented through Crenshaw, his 2013 mixtape that put his genius on notice.

Nipsey engineered the Proud2Pay campaign as a business model to not only promote his music but to create human centric experiences for his target audience.

Nipsey’s model matters more than people realize because it disrupts the course of how music is distributed, consumed, and experienced. In this digital age, technology and innovation is how people are captured. It’s not enough to just have good music. 

In later articles I will talk more about digital disruption to further illuminate why Nipsey’s model is certainly beyond our time and if adopted by many, will change the future of music. 

In the meantime, let’s reflect, celebrate, and share the work and words of the man who was on his way to becoming an ICON.

Nipsey Hussle, Forever.

Nipsey’s Reflections on the “Proud to Pay” Model

(as told to the LA Times)

“The Proud2Pay campaign was my take on the psychology of a purchase in an era where music is digital….The psychology of why you buy music in an era where you don’t have to. I tried to reverse-engineer the purchase.”

“What I realized is that there’s another metric that we gauge the value of the product off of, and that’s the level of inspiration. If you inspire somebody, they want to reciprocate that in the form of a purchase.

“Adele did something different because she sold 20 million units when you can bootleg Adele. The frequency that those songs exist in inspire people to such a degree that they want to give it back.”