Artists can have greater access to reality; they can see patterns and details and connections that other people, distracted by the blur of life, might miss. Just sharing that truth can be a very powerful thing.
Jay-ZRead
Excellence is being able to perform at a high level over and over again. You can hit a half-court shot once. That's just the luck of the draw. If you consistently do it... that's excellence.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Excellence is the ability to consistently perform well, rather than achieving a lucky success.
In this quote, Jay-Z emphasizes that true excellence is demonstrated by one's ability to consistently deliver high-level performance rather than relying on chance. A single successful act, like making a difficult basketball shot, does not equate to excellence; instead, it is the capability to repeat such performance that defines quality and mastery in any endeavor.
Themes
ExcellencePerformanceConsistencySuccessMastery
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational talk about achieving greatness in sports, one could quote Jay-Z to illustrate the importance of consistency in performance.
More from Jay-Z
All quotes →The most amazing feeling I feel_x000D_ _x000D_ Words can't describe what I'm feeling for real _x000D_ _x000D_ Maybe I paint the sky blue _x000D_ _x000D_ My greatest creation was you.
Jay-ZRead
Far from a Harvard student, just had the balls to do it
Jay-ZRead
I never ask for nothin' I don't demand of myself. Honesty, loyalty, friends and then wealth
Jay-ZRead
It was a very intense and stressful situation. There was playing in the Johnny-pump (an opened fire hydrant) and the ice-cream man coming around and all of these games that we'd play, and suddenly it would turn just violent and there would be shootings at 12 in the afternoon on any given day.
Jay-ZRead
I would run into the corner store, the bodega, and just grab a paper bag or buy juice - anything just to get a paper bag. And I'd write the words on the paper bag and stuff these ideas in my pocket until I got back. Then I would transfer them into the notebook.
Jay-ZRead
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Luck has nothing to do with it.
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