the only ppl who called him a thug were the white folks who hated him. the kids (as you refer to as "hipsters" for some reason) who loved him didnt see a "thug", they saw an exciting basketball player at an obtainable height who dressed how they dressed (or wanted to), had cool hair and rapped. the "thug" label put on him by people who hated him, caused him nothing but trouble and LOST him money.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXJkeoDwBrs