History of Hustle

During the hour long show, presenter Charlie Sloth counts down through Hip Hop's most important Hustlers in black music.

But what is a Hustler? Rap tycoon. Business mogul. Entrepreneur. Who wants to just be labelled an "Artist" nowadays? It's all about the business and the brand.

Young people have music idols but the icons they really idolize are those who have made music their business- the entrepreneurs who have seen the millions flood in from the business around music- not just the music itself.

This countdown includes music from all Hustlers mentioned plus archive of them talking about why they are so much more than music artists. What makes each of them the biggest Hustler? And what drove them to want to be more than just a performer?

The show covers all of the groundbreaking pioneers who have shaped and then reshaped the landscape of music business beyond it.

Artists like Dr Dre who started out as a producer/rapper in NWA and went on to become the richest hip hop mogul with the Beats headphone empire.

Jay Z one of the best selling musicians of all time, but known just as much now for his business ventures- including clothing lines (Rocawear), beverages, sports teams and record labels. He's more about the brand than the music.

People like Russell Simmons who formed Def Jam and went on to produce the majority of the golden era of hip hop.

Jeezy who is probably best known for his rapping but in fact began his career as an entrepreneur, founding record label Corporate Thugz Entertainment in 2001- and only started performing because he hustled harder than the acts he had signed.