Nipsey Hussle is one of the greatest souls to ever walk this Earth. Many people recognize him for his inspirational, hustle motivated music and others have seen the great things he has done for his community and city.
Nipsey Hussle, given the name Ermias Joseph Asghedom, was born on August 15, 1985 in Los Angeles. He was raised in Southside Crenshaw and attended Hamilton High School. At age 14 he dropped out of school and got involved with the Rollin 60’s Neighborhood Crips. People take this aspect of his life and associate it which great negativity, but I believe that he compared this to his concept of family, just as many young males do when they get involved with gangs. He did not let the chaos of that lifestyle break him or nest hate in his heart. He survived and managed to blossum into this great man.
One thing about Nipsey that inspires me is his self-starter attitude. He was an independent artist and entreprenuer; he worked hard for everything that he accomplished in his 33 years. He took advantage of his learning outcomes, taking his failures and turning them into victories, and shared them to promote the idea od growth. He believed that failures shouldn’t discourage you, just push you to work harder. Nipsey was an observer. He would sit back and teach himself the ropes of areas he found interest in and applied that pressure to his own ideas. He wasn’t someone stagnant. He knew it was always something to learn and room for improvement in everything we do. With all of these gritty tendencies, Nipsey was able to hit the ground running in the early 2000s. In 2005 he dropped his very own mixtape, Slauson Boy Volume 1, independently. This gained him local recognition and led to him being signed to Epic Records.
For someone coming from a rough area, this was a big opportunity for Nipsey that unraveled into a career. He worked with Cinematic Music Group and Epic Records for a few years but did not call it home forever. In 2010 Nipsey decided not to renew his contract with the label and started his own label, All Money In. He began developing and building an image for himself. Under his label he released The Marathon, The Marathon Continues, Crenshaw, Mailbox Money, and Victory Lap. All of these great works of art, beautifully put together, gained him recognition but you would be selling yourself short if you thought that was all that Nipsey has given to us.
Nipsey was very invested in his community and he made it clear in many interviews, and with his actions, that he believed in providing for and inspiring the youth. Although Nip was a Crip himself, he always made it clear that he was opposed to gun violence. He would use his music to promote his stance on gang violence but was also hands on. He would go and speak with young men involved in gangs, opening up to them about his own experiences in hopes to wake them up and get them to live and prosper. His friendship with YG, a rapper and member of Piru Bloods, illustrated his view on how gangs should be able to coexist peacefully. He would take time to participate in panels and listen to kids and teens discuss how gangs have impacted their lives and community lifestyle. He has donated to schools in his neighborhood and took it upon himself to open Vector 90, a workplace for young people in the community.
Nipsey had high hopes for saving the younger people, for they are, indeed, our future. He believed in using his hustle to motivate young minds. With this drive he was able to create and open his own business, Marathon Clothing, in 2017 right in Crenshaw to show everyone there that they don’t have to leave or let the current conditions stop them from achieving more. That hunger, dedication and positive energy is what will always come to my mind whenever I think of Nipsey Hussle and all that he has left behind.
Ermias Asghedom was not just another California rapper. He was a great father and husband, a music icon, an entrepreneur and an activist within his own community. Although he is not here walking this Earth physically, he is definitely here in spirit with anyone who has been personally touched by who he was and what he stood for.
R.I.P. Nipsey Hussle (August 15, 1985 – March 31, 2019)