“In our culture, there’s a narrative that says, ‘Follow the athletes, follow the entertainers,’ And that’s cool but there should be something that says, ‘Follow Elon Musk, follow [Mark] Zuckerberg.’ I think that with me being influential as an artist and young and coming from the inner city, it makes sense for me to be one of the people that’s waving that flag.”
Los Angeles, the Black community, and all those about the Hussle know that Nipsey’s killing was different. His death was exceptionally devastating, not only to those of us who live and breathe hip-hop but also those that reside in his birthplace of South L.A. He was more than a rapper. (Not that there’s anything wrong with just rapping, because there isn’t.)
Hussle became an entrepreneur, community organizer, activist and mentor as he grew from being a rap star to being a voice and sound of a generation. His death in front of the strip mall he was redeveloping feels particularly cruel. His death in front of his hometown and family even more so scarring. The attempt at silencing his message however, is even crueler still.
Los Angeles, the Black community, and all those about the Hussle know that Nipsey’s killing was different. His death was exceptionally devastating, not only to those of us who live and breathe hip-hop but also those that reside in his birthplace of South L.A. He was more than a rapper. (Not that there’s anything wrong with just rapping, because there isn’t.)
Hussle became an entrepreneur, community organizer, activist and mentor as he grew from being a rap star to being a voice and sound of a generation. His death in front of the strip mall he was redeveloping feels particularly cruel. His death in front of his hometown and family even more so scarring. The attempt at silencing his message however, is even crueler still.
Nipsey is physically not here anymore. He left hope more so than anything. The hope he outlined in his blueprint was not just for his personal come up, but the liberation that comes with “buying back the block”. He invested in Destination Crenshaw, a mile long stretch of rotating and permanent art installations; helped renovate World of Wheels, the old Mid-City roller rink that was one of the establishments responsible for birthing West Coast Hip-Hop. He was early into redeveloping a strip mall into a mixed-use property that would include low-income apartments and be anchored by his own Marathon Clothing shop. He was not only buying back our blocks but redefining them and reflecting our narratives, showing that our Black lives can lead to a road that does not end in a bullet. Though he could not see the end of his marathon, he showed us the way to truly rise out of the conditions that oppress us. His death also showed us that it cannot be us that deal the final blow to our very own. We cannot build our own home if we tear apart our own foundations. Life is hard, and sometimes even harder for those that this nation and world oppress. But in Crenshaw, Nipsey showed that if we continue our race we can truly live forever. Now we have to begin to exchange ideas rather than bullets.
Nipsey proved that it is possible to escape the trap that is the hood. It is possible to rise above the negative influences and poverty. Not only that, he also proved that is was possible to get to the mountaintop, then do all in your power to bring your community up there with you. There aren’t much more excuses to run on now. We have a job to do, and that’s advance as a people and learn from the examples that Nipsey set forth. With that being said, let’s get to it, let’s build together. The Marathon Continues…
