Rapper Slim Thug "Runs the Streets," Is Inspiring Others To Do The Same
- 5 years ago
“I work to inspire and motivate others. I’m not perfect, but I try my best every day to make the world a little better.”
Stayve “Slim Thug” Thomas has released 40 albums and mixtapes over the past 20 years. He has applied his famed “boss life” mantra to everything he does.
But in 2005, at the height of his late-night partying, he weighed 300 pounds. Thomas wore 4XL t-shirts; his blood pressure skyrocketed. He realized he “needed to live a balanced life.” Wanting to avoid a large dose of pills each day, Thomas took up running.
"When I first started, I couldn’t do three-fourths of a mile. Now, I can do the whole three. You’ve just got to start from the bottom and keep coming and you’ll be able to see your distance go further. It’ll motivate you to keep coming back. You’ll see progress, you’ll see how your body changes and how you’re getting better. It’ll motivate you to want to come back. "
He teamed up with his high school friend (and current trainer) Milton Harris to form the Get Better Gang. Thomas’ work with the crew helped him lose 40 pounds. His 6-foot, 6-inch frame is now 260 pounds, which is now pure muscle. Thomas now runs three miles each morning - no matter how late he was out the night before. He says he always “feels like a king” when he finishes his run.
"My advice to new runners is basically keep showing up. Keep showing up. I know you’re going to have certain days where you can’t make it and you can get thrown off of your schedule easy. The main thing is to keep showing up, stay consistent. If you miss a week, it’s like starting all over."
Thomas says running is like “meditating” and thinks it can be beneficial for anyone who tries it.
"The peace of mind you get when you’re out here running, you’ve got a long time to sit out there and think about what you’ve got going on in your life or whatever you need out of work or family or whatever it is, it’s just something I think that’s healthy."
He has expanded his “hustler” brand beyond music and wellness to philanthropy. His company, Boss Life Construction, recently built nine low-income houses in his old Houston neighborhood. He also donated a new home to a family who lost theirs to Hurricane Harvey.
Stayve “Slim Thug” Thomas has released 40 albums and mixtapes over the past 20 years. He has applied his famed “boss life” mantra to everything he does.
But in 2005, at the height of his late-night partying, he weighed 300 pounds. Thomas wore 4XL t-shirts; his blood pressure skyrocketed. He realized he “needed to live a balanced life.” Wanting to avoid a large dose of pills each day, Thomas took up running.
"When I first started, I couldn’t do three-fourths of a mile. Now, I can do the whole three. You’ve just got to start from the bottom and keep coming and you’ll be able to see your distance go further. It’ll motivate you to keep coming back. You’ll see progress, you’ll see how your body changes and how you’re getting better. It’ll motivate you to want to come back. "
He teamed up with his high school friend (and current trainer) Milton Harris to form the Get Better Gang. Thomas’ work with the crew helped him lose 40 pounds. His 6-foot, 6-inch frame is now 260 pounds, which is now pure muscle. Thomas now runs three miles each morning - no matter how late he was out the night before. He says he always “feels like a king” when he finishes his run.
"My advice to new runners is basically keep showing up. Keep showing up. I know you’re going to have certain days where you can’t make it and you can get thrown off of your schedule easy. The main thing is to keep showing up, stay consistent. If you miss a week, it’s like starting all over."
Thomas says running is like “meditating” and thinks it can be beneficial for anyone who tries it.
"The peace of mind you get when you’re out here running, you’ve got a long time to sit out there and think about what you’ve got going on in your life or whatever you need out of work or family or whatever it is, it’s just something I think that’s healthy."
He has expanded his “hustler” brand beyond music and wellness to philanthropy. His company, Boss Life Construction, recently built nine low-income houses in his old Houston neighborhood. He also donated a new home to a family who lost theirs to Hurricane Harvey.