The Hustle is Sold Separately With Jamila Mustafa

Jamila Mustafa is one of the most prominent voices shaping the millennial generation as an international award-winning broadcast journalist, host, and actress. She has corresponded for FOX, A&E, BET, Nickelodeon, iHeart Media, ESPN, and MTV NETWORKS to name a few. Mustafa has hosted for live crowds upward 80,000 people and has sat down with political leaders like Congresswoman Maxine Waters and entertainers such as Sean “Diddy” Combs, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Issa Rae, Mark Wahlberg, Migos, Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Hart, Anthony Hopkins and more. Mustafa is one of the most decorated millennials of her time, having received four Resolutions/Key to the City from Delaware City Council presidents. She also received a letter of recognition from former U.S Vice President Joe Biden and was recently named one of the Most Influential People of African Decent Under 40 by the United Nations.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD AND WHAT GROWING UP WAS LIKE FOR YOU?

Jamila: I was buck wild and energetic. People always compare a kid’s talent to the superstar of that genre. If they see a kid moving around they’re going to say, “Oh, that boy is going to be a dancer like Michael Jackson. If they see a kid singing they’re going to say, “Oh, this is next Mariah Carey.” I was always running my mouth so people would say, “Oh she’s going to be a lawyer!” It didn’t take my mother long to realize I wasn’t hitting those books. I wouldn’t even do homework. Then it became, “Maybe she should be an actress or model because she’s nice to look at.” Before this, I started off doing martial arts. I was definitely Bruce Leroy or Dragonfly Jones. These are all idols that I really love. I had no choice; my dad was a grandmaster. Some people actually believed I was a boy until I was about 12. That’s how I would go and compete. It was like an alter ego almost.