They say a scam is when someone promises you one thing and gives you another.
But if that’s the case, ain’t life itself a scam for most folks?
Take the story buzzing around Atlanta — a man labeled a scammer. Word is, he sold dreams. Real estate. Investments. Vision. He was charismatic, persuasive — a master salesman. But when the smoke cleared, some folks claimed they didn’t get what they were promised. Now he’s the villain.
But here’s the real twist:
Was it really a scam?
Or was it just capitalism with no Vaseline?
The Hustle You Were Taught to Love
Let’s talk about this word: hustle.
You see, we glorify hustle in rap lyrics, in locker rooms, even in corporate boardrooms. But only certain hustles get praise — the ones that don’t scare people. The ones that feel safe. The ones with a job title and benefits. But let’s get real…
The 9 to 5 Hustle
You trade your time — your life force — for a fraction of what your labor is actually worth.
Your boss? He’s flipping your hours into profits.
Your company? They charge customers 50x what it cost to make that product.
You? You get a “check” and a pat on the back.
Tell me that ain’t a scheme.
You work 40 hours, earn $800.
Uncle Sam takes his cut, down to $600.
Rent snatches $400.
Gas gulps $100.
Now what? You’re too tired to dream, too broke to build, too stressed to live.
The scam ain’t the street hustle.
The real hustle is in your cubicle.
The Celebrity Illusion
The Celebrity Hustle
A singer records a track in one night and cashes in millions.
A ballplayer tosses a ball and becomes a demigod.
But the janitor who cleans the locker room? The bus driver who brought fans to the game?
The teacher who inspired the athlete in 3rd grade?
They’re still living check to check.
Where’s the equity? Where’s the value?
The system will celebrate your talents…
But only after it’s figured out how to exploit them.
The Predatory Loan Game
The Car Loan Hustle
Picture this:
A woman signs a loan to pay $1,100 a month… for 285 months.
That’s almost 24 years.
Total? $313,500 for a truck that might’ve cost $50K on a good day.
And she put $20K down.
She was sold on a dream. The shiny whip. The dealership handshakes. The “approved” stamp like she won the lottery.
That ain’t just hustle.
That’s institutionalized robbery dressed in khakis and a name tag.
And it’s happening every day in every city.
So, Again… What Is a Scam?
Is it the preacher who passes the plate, then drives off in a Benz?
Is it the cop who swore to protect but out here profiling and pressing knees into necks?
Is it the CEO making $70 million while his team earns $15 an hour with no healthcare?
Is it the college charging $100K for a degree that guarantees nothing but debt?
The uncomfortable truth?
- A “scam” is anything that exposes the imbalance of power.
- A “hustle” is just a system someone understood before you did.
- A “job” can be a slow-moving trap with a pension and a pitfall.
- And the biggest con of all? Believing the rules were ever made to be fair.
So ask yourself:
Who’s really hustling who?
And when do you stop playing the game…
…and start rewriting the rules?
