Whether you're a fan of his music or you hate his politics, there's no denying Killer Mike is hustling in Atlanta.
The Atlanta born and bred rapper, who's received Grammy awards, launched a successful clothing brand, opened the first barbershop in State Farm Arena and even released a docu-series on Netflix earlier this year, knows the trials and tribulations of being an entrepreneur and he's not holding his secret sauce close to the chest.
To kick off Switchyards' Made in Atlanta series at its new 10,000-square-foot West End location, former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed interviewed the rapper on what it means to be a black entrepreneur and what lessons he's learned.
"We turned in a product that was very true to me, because I pitched who I was."
Before launching into the chat, Switchyards founder Michael Tavani announced plans to open more Switchyards locations around Atlanta as part of its neighborhood club initiative.
"We're happy to create a place for the people," he told a crowd of more than 200 in the former vacant warehouse on the West End.
A graduate of Frederick Douglass High School and Morehouse College, Killer Mike admitted his upbringing was a bit more privileged than other black kids in the city, having grown up in a stable home with his grandparents and with access to better city services in a decent neighborhood. He continued to praise the city's services and other initiatives, such as Ted Turner giving free Braves baseball tickets to kids who earned A's and B's in class, for molding him into a better person.
"That's the power of connectivity in Atlanta," he said.
During his youth, Killer Mike said he learned overcoming obstacles was just sheerly a part of life and he wasn't satisfied with simply staying where he was, two lessons he attributes to what formed him into a successful entrepreneur.
"Atlanta let me know the possibility was there," he said. "I had a responsibility for my community...to be the best human being I could possibly be...I would like to see places like Switchyards continue to do that."
"What I like most about Switchyards is people are working on their dreams," Reed said. "You are the master of pitching. Take us to school on pitching in the room."
Killer Mike responded with, "Whoa!" and the crowd hooted and hollered. He admitted he gets anxiety, even before every rap show and pitch. Before Netflix signed on for six episodes of "Trigger Warning with Killer Mike," he said he pitched the show to Fox and quickly realized the original idea he pitched didn't fit who he was as a person.
(Warning: The following video contains strong language)
"Looking at the dream, I got that wrong," he said. "What do I need to adjust?"
After going back to the drawing board, Killer Mike said he realized all he wanted to do with his show was take microphones and cameras and test people's ideas. His wife, who encouraged him to learn from entrepreneurs on ABC's "Shark Tank," told him successful entrepreneurs know who they are and believe in their pitch.
"We turned in a product that was very true to me, because I pitched who I was," he said.
"Setbacks give you an opportunity to reset. You have to know you are in here for the struggle."
Accepting critiques is just part of the business, Killer Mike said, and he's not afraid to hear "no" again and again.
"It's my job to circumvent the no and make them see the yes," he told the crowd. "It's my job not to give up...If you don't have that passion---don't pitch, hire someone to."
Reed asked the rapper about his setback moments, to which KM replied his career easily could have died as "the guy who used to be with OutKast." Instead, he chose to continue releasing mixtapes and later studio albums, which then led to his successful debut of rap group Run the Jewels.
"The setbacks never set me back all the way," he said. "Setbacks give you an opportunity to reset. You have to know you are in here for the struggle. There's a lesson to be learned that can sharpen your spear...I have a duty to a brand to not let pessimism affect my optimism."
When asked about picking partners in his ventures, Killer Mike said he's working on being a better partner himself and looks for people who say what they can do and do it.
"I work best with people who say this is what we can do, this is what we can't do," he said. "What I want is a partner who is reflective of who I am."
The best piece of advice Killer Mike said he could give was to encourage people to work together, especially outside their race and socio-economic class. He said he wanted Atlanta to connect more, instead of living in pockets that thrive, where residents drive in, work for eight hours and leave. He also encouraged the crowd to put more money toward black businesses and female-led initiatives to fuel diversity in business.
"I just want you guys to cooperate," he said.
