Jeezy’s rise to rap royalty is filled with lessons about betting on yourself and giving before you expect anything back. The Snowman recently sat down with Billboard to mark the 20th anniversary of his classic album Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101, sharing how a combination of old-school advice and unexpected obstacles shaped his journey.
Get this, his beloved grandmother once told him, “Don’t ask anybody for anything without giving them something first,” a mindset that inspired him to hand out thousands of copies of his Trap or Die mixtape for free in the streets. That grassroots approach didn’t just build anticipation, it turned Jeezy into a household name long before he ever charted.
During the recording of Let’s Get It, Jeezy faced a serious health setback when he developed polyps in his throat. Without insurance, he had to pay for surgery out of a brown paper bag stuffed with cash. “It humbled me and I remember not having insurance at the time,” he told Billboard, chuckling at the memory. “Imagine that, I had insurance on my Ferrari and not [medical] insurance!”
What’s more, to make matters more complicated, the entire album leaked before its official release date. But instead of letting it derail his momentum, Jeezy recognized it as a hidden advantage. “I knew that was designed to hurt me,” he shared. “That took the pressure off, because the world had heard the music. That was the promo.”
When Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101 finally dropped on July 26, 2005, it debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 172,000 units sold in the first week. Fueled by anthems like “And Then What,” “Soul Survivor,” and “Go Crazy,” the album cemented Jeezy’s place in hip hop history, proof that a little hustle and a lot of faith can turn setbacks into milestones.