– Victory Lap, Nipsey Hussle
On March 31, 2019, the Hip-Hop community was left in complete shock by the murder of someone very impactful and influential to the culture: Nipsey Hussle.
I do not want to get into details of his killing as information released by the media, unsurprisingly, conflicts with accounts of what the streets say occurred. Regardless, the news weighed so heavy that murals and marches were formed to honor the work Hussle was already doing, the Marathon he was already running.
On April 14th, a unity march called “Kings Stop Killing Kings” was organized in the Bronx by NY Rapper Mysonne and Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. Abstract Lifestyle, No Voice Unheard, and many other organizers were present. The universal goal was to bring unity in the community. Many of those who attended were gang affiliated or have family/ friends who are affiliated.
In this blog, while painful to acknowledge a man of Nipsey’s stature is gone physically, his influence continues to live on. We will be remembering the man and legacy of Nipsey Hussle and what the Kings Stop Killing Kings march represented.
Nipsey Hussle, born Ermias Asghedom, was the modern day Percy Miller AKA Master P. In his 1st and only album, which he dropped last year, he said:
We the No Limit of the West, ni**a
Percy Miller at his best, ni**a– Rap Ni***s, Nipsey Hussle
This comparison came from Master P being the first major rapper to go independent. He invested in himself by distributing his own music, owning his revenue streams and becoming a multifaceted business mogul (ie. clothing line, movies, etc). The reference “We the No Limit of the West” refers to Master P’s music label “New No Limit Records.” Being from the South, Master P still signed artists from all over, including Snoop Dogg from Cali. The comparison tells Nipsey was more than a rapper, he was an entrepreneur and ambassador for the hood.
But why not choose to compare himself to Death Row, a West Coast super power in the 90’s, Nipsey being a Tupac fan (Death Row artist) and West Coast man himself?
The reason: Hussle believed in ownership and building up the community.
Death Row, although one of the most influential labels in rap history, was known to have had many internal issues being run by Suge Knight (known to power trip and is now serving 28 years). Nipsey’s principles and values reflected in his music and actions, leading him to start ventures and initiatives that serve the community.
While Nipsey did respect the label, he wanted those who put work to eat.
Through his label All Money In, he started his entrepreneurial journey by selling his mixtape for $100 a piece. He made $100,000 off selling 1,000 copies, went on to open his own studio and launched what would be an impressive independent artist career as he was nominated for a Grammy last year. Nipsey did not stop there, in collaboration with Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson and other community partners, he assisted in the creation of Destination Crenshaw, a 1.3 mile long strip dedicated to acknowledging Black artistry in L.A.
Nipsey also went on to co-found and create a networking space for entrepreneurs and creatives to work from called Vector 90 in the heart of South Central, LA.
Developing his community and ownership of the hood was his focus as he saw the trend of gentrification, especially up north in Silicon Valley. Apart from owning The Marathon Clothing Store and the entire plaza it was located out of, Hussle started working on a larger real-estate project with several partners and investors.
In February of this year, Forbes reported that Nipsey was part of a group who were interested in bidding for a property. This was located in L.A. and the goal was to build a “six-story residential building” where The Marathon Store would be the anchor tenant. Nipsey said, “The vision is to launch franchises,” which included Marathon Clothing stores, barbershops, fish markets, and restaurants.
What made his death more bitter was the media reported Hussle was scheduled to meet with LAPD the day after his murder on ways to fight gang violence.
Nipsey, being associated with the Rolling 60s Crips, knew the realities of gang culture first hand. Sadly, for many, it means a dead-end. Many have chosen this life however because they were desperate. Desperate to be loved, desperate to survive.
Even both.
The reality every person affiliated with a gang faces at one point is the difficulty of transitioning out of gang culture. Many will not deny their set as many are proud of their colors, regardless of the actions one may have took to prove loyalty. The gang may have been the first group of people to accept them when even their own flesh and blood did not, regardless if what they do is wrong. However, the other component is, as much as its “all love,” leaving your gang comes with serious repercussions (being beaten out of it badly or even death). For these reasons, gang members rarely deny their affiliation outright, but may slowly stop “putting in work” due to wanting to build a family or pursue a career.
“Putting in work” can mean several things, but it generally means doing anything that will benefit the gang. It can range from making money for the set, beating someone into initiation or even killing a opp if it escalates that far. A lot of gangs operate under the principle of “Blood In, Blood Out.” Due to the nature of activities many gang members engage in (often illegal), it is important for a set to see how serious a recruit is about “the code” as there is no going back once you are in it.
Personally, I have been up close to what the lifestyle does to people. I have seen people get jumped (even stabbed) one day to find out in school they got stitches or are in a coma the next. I’ve been around classmates who’ve talked about shootings like its a sport and have chopped it up with people about recent homicides. Reality is, at one point, I had to consider for myself if it was worth joining a gang due to situations I lived through. All because no one showed us how to live, only survive.
Nipsey acknowledged these truths and, while there are intelligent people in gangs, any opportunity those intellectuals may have had to become more than just gangstas generally gets lost when they catch their first criminal offense.
An offense they caught as a result of proving loyalty to a gang, a gang they joined at an insecure stage of their lives when they were teenagers.
– Dedication, Nipsey Hussle
Having worked in the community and experiencing some of these realities myself, I created Abstract Lifestyle as a platform to push Black & Brown youth to pursue higher education and/or entrepreneurship as an alternative to street and gang life. I incorporate my artistry heavily in it because I realize how much music and culture influences our realities in the community, especially for youth.
Trends and patterns develop out of it and Nipsey knew that. In fact, the model used to build Abstract Lifestyle was very much inspired by Nipsey Hussle, which is why his death impacted me deeply. Once I learned of his music and how he built around it, I saw myself doing similar, impacting in an informative and diverse way.
Another organization that was present was No Voice Unheard. They do a lot of transformative work in the community regarding confronting youth violence and creating unification. Their custom-made flag, different colored bandannas stitched together, became the viral image that toured the internet. From Snoop Dogg to Busta Rhymes’ Instagram pages, the moment the flag was captured and shared became the moment the march received its highest point of exposure.
Unfortunately, the news did not cover this historic event as it is not in their best interest to portray people of color (especially those gang affiliated or formerly incarcerated) joining together to uplift the positive message Nipsey left.
However, we as woke citizens have the power of reporting events via social media.
No Voice Unheard shares their trademark flag with Abstract Lifestyle during march
My name is Melody Jimenez and I am CEO of No Voice Unheard. My organization was designed to give a voice to all youth lost to gun, gang any form of street violence. My effort for change brings families together once a year to bring awareness to community peace building and justice for the youth.
– CEO & Founder of No Voice Unheard, Melody Jimenez
What that flag represented was that we can COEXIST. We do not have to beef and wage war with each other on the basis of what set, color or block one reps.
Our DIFFERENCES can be our STRENGTHS
What many who are currently gang affiliated lack is an understanding in the history of their own gang. Some of the major gangs started as a response to the infringement on civil rights and as a means for protecting their own. Although the acronyms may vary, the origin for terms themselves hold meaning:
CRIP – “Common Revolution In Progress.”
BLOOD – “Blood Love Overcomes Our Depressions”
Latin Kings, originating out of Chicago, were also created to combat prejudices and inequality. The goal was to uplift, which is where the terms “Kings” and “Queens” were inserted. The revolving and consistent truth as to why these gangs have deviated far from their original intents: poverty affects the crime rates.
Why was this march important?
This march was important because it showed a level of elevation on our end.
It showed we UNDERSTOOD what Hussle was doing and are ready for BETTER.
Let me clarify. We displayed that, we, many (if not all) coming from the hood, RESPECTED and APPRECIATED the work that Nipsey was doing and CLEARLY yearn to see more of it across state lines. While the media and powers that be would like to depict Black and Brown people as animals and people who ENJOY SELF-SUPPRESSION, this march was proof that WE WANT CHANGE.
On very few occasions have we seen a public display of urban citizens, many gang affiliated from different sets, uniting as was done at this march. The only other time I know of a comparable time was during the Death Row sentencing of Stanley “Tookie” Williams; One of the Founding Members of the Crips.
For the wrong Stanley did in his life, he shifted his life while in prison to writing children’s books. He advised kids to not join the same organization he helped create, earning him four Nobel Peace prize nominations as a result. This is the standard to which Nipsey’s impact on the community can be felt.
While there are business moguls in Hip-Hop championing financial freedom, none have arguably put such a focus on restoring their hood the way that Nipsey did.
He became a standard
Nipsey was proof that it is possible to be “lost” in life, lost in the system, lost in the streets and be able to make a comeback by winning at the Oppressor’s game.
Nipsey Gave Hope
Nipsey gave us all hope. He became the example a lot of people in gangs and in the streets needed. He exemplified that the same hustle applied to selling drugs or committing any crime can be used to make money legally, avoiding being slaves to the system while embracing entrepreneurship. Keeping up with the street lifestyle is a hustle all on its own and reality is, it does not always benefit the individual. For a bag or clout, many spend years away from loved ones being incarcerated or lose their life in the process. Nipsey taught it is better to take that energy and invest in oneself rather than living paranoid, looking over one’s shoulders.
Most of us are scared or fall back on pursuing our dreams when we become older and take the “conventional route.” What Hussleman proved was, with the right work ethic and dedication, you can build your own empire and pass it down.
Nipsey taught self-worth
Society has taught us to be dependent on others. It has taught us to become dependent on an employer to provide us our income and tell us how much we are worth. To depend on schools and institutes to tell us how intelligent we are.
While there is definitely a place for these things and they are building blocks for people to start from, it is not the end all. The hustle and motivation can only come from SELF. While others can impact and influence, just like Nipsey, you have to want to learn and put in the work. The investment of your time and efforts will NEVER satisfy as much as when you invest in SELF.
For this reason Nipsey sold his mixtapes at $100 a piece. it wasn’t about the quantity of fans for him, but the quality. For this reason he also worked his own dispensary as it is more than just a logical business move. It is proven that Black communities, being the most disproportionately targeted for marijuana possession by police, are benefiting the least from its legalization. Hussle knew his worth.
Nipsey is the Marathon
Most importantly, Nipsey showed it is possible for a man who came up in gang-culture to preach to kids the importance of staying out of gangs and pursuing a more promising future. Nipsey showed us that we go through many stages in life on the way up. Even deeper, Nipsey showed us that, for as tough a skin we may have had to develop, it is okay to love and to love deeply. From rapping about one of his friends bleeding out in the vehicle to the way that he showcased his woman and children, Nipsey showed it is okay to love.
Too many men in the Black and Brown community have adopted this idea that to show love is to show weakness, making you susceptible to pain. While, there is a level of vulnerability that exists in the process of loving people, there is also a level of strength that comes because of it.
To Unlearn and Relearn, Nipsey proved that he IS the Marathon.
What takes people a lifetime to achieve, Nipsey accomplished in 33 years. The sad and amazing part of it all… Nipsey was literally JUST hitting his prime and realizing his potential.
This being the ultimate reason for the march: honoring Nipsey’s legacy
But hoping and striving to be more like him in these ways
There is a Nipsey Hussle in every neighborhood, let us make sure we support them. Some folk I can name off the top are Killer Mike, David Banner and Derrick Grace, but there are of course many more. The No Voice Unheards and Abstract Lifestyles of the community. Of course, peace and acknowledgements to Mysonne and Ruben Diaz Jr. for putting this march out there on their platforms. These and so many others are always looking to build up the community, but will you support them?
Will you, from a distance, be proud of them, but not lend a hand? If this is to work, if we are to claim back ownership of our communities, we need to work together.
Join us in continuing the legacy that Nipsey left for to move forward.
The Marathon Continues
– Victory Lap, Nipsey Hussle
Abstract Lifestyle 