The Marathon Continues” was Nipsey Hussle’s catchphrase. Over one year after his death, his impact on hip-hop and the community he did so much for shows that this philosophy rings true even after he is gone, Nipsey Hussle’s legacy continues.
In January, the quality of Nipsey Hussle’s music was recognized with two posthumous Grammys. And in his hometown of Los Angeles, the late rapper’s legacy continues to have a lasting and positive effect.
Nipsey Hussle and Girlfriend Lauren London — Source
“LUCK IS JUST BEING PREPARED AT ALL TIMES, SO WHEN THE DOOR OPENS, YOU’RE READY.”The Late Nipsey Hussle
Nipsey Hussle’s Music Legacy
Nipsey Hussle was a respected artist at the time of his death, especially amongst his peers, but it took his tragic killing to bring him to the attention of a much wider audience.
Hussle averaged close to 2 million streams before his death. In the week after the tragedy, that number had jumped to an incredible 57 million. And video streams jumped from 900,000 to over 9 million on the day he died on March 31st, 2019.
A Tribute to Nipsey Hussle at the Grammy Awards
After taking part in a Grammy tribute to Nipsey Hussle’s legacy, collaborator DJ Khaled had this to say about the man and the importance of his music:
“HE WAS SO MUCH OF A BLESSING AS A FATHER, ENTREPRENEUR, AN INCREDIBLE ARTIST, AND YOUNG MOGUL. WE LEARNED A LOT FROM HIM, AND WE’RE STILL LEARNING. HIS MUSIC SPOKE VOLUMES. IT TOUCHED PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT WAYS. I WAS BLESSED TO WORK WITH HIM.”DJ Khaled
Nipsey Hussle’s Community Legacy
While his music will now undoubtedly live on for many generations to come, Hussle’s immediate impact on the community in which he grew up is probably where his loss is most keenly felt.
The community lost a leader but his death has not been in vain. Many Nipsey murals which have turned up across the city, but his needless violent death has possibly saved others’ lives.
Like many rappers from the LA projects, Hussle made no secret of his ties to one of the city’s many gangs. It only adds to the sense of waste that his suspected murderer was a fellow member of the Rollin’ 60s.
That senseless killing, however, saw long-held feuds be put on ice and gang truces be called. A fact that will no doubt have saved lives.
Anne Tremblay, director of the Gang Reduction and Youth Development program had this to say about the immediate impact of the rapper’s shooting:
“IT CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CONVERSATIONS TO HAPPEN, FOR COMMUNICATION TO HAPPEN, FOR LEADERSHIP TO HAPPEN THAT MAYBE WOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED OTHERWISE IN THE MEMORY AND SPIRIT OF NIPSEY HUSSLE.”Anne Tremblay, Director of the Gang Reduction and Youth Development Program in Los Angeles
Nipsey Hussle’s Leadership Legacy
It is not surprising that Hussle’s death made his peers in the community take stock of their own lives.
Hussle was well-known for the positive role he played in trying to drive up the standard of living in the impoverished area in which he came from.
He owned the store in front of which he was killed, and it was only where it was because Hussle wanted to keep money and work in the community.
It is said that it was the trip his father took both him and his brother Samuel on to Eritrea, East Africa for three months in 2004 that shaped his worldview and his strong desire to give something back.
It is a great tragedy that he was so needlessly taken away just at the moment that his craft was beginning to be appreciated by a wider audience.
“BEING SELF-MADE MEANS NEVER MAKING AN EXCUSE AS TO WHY YOU CAN’T TAKE STEPS TOWARD WHATEVER YOUR GOAL IS”The Late Nipsey Hussle
But there is some solace in knowing that the inspirational life he lived before his death still empowers those within his own community to want to follow in his footsteps and to strive to overcome their circumstances and live their lives in a more positive way.