Hussle Hard

Ermias Joseph Asghedom (August 15, 1985 – March 31, 2019), known professionally as Nipsey Hussle (often stylized as Nipsey Hu$$le), was an American rapper, entrepreneur, and community activist from Los Angeles, California. Emerging from the West Coast hip hop scene in the mid-2000s, Hussle independently released his first mixtape, Slauson Boy Volume 1, to moderate local success,[2] which led to him being signed to Cinematic Music Group and Epic Records. Hussle became known for his numerous mixtapes, including his Bullets Ain’t Got No Name series, The Marathon, The Marathon Continues and Crenshaw, the last of which rapper Jay-Z bought 100 copies for $100 each. After much delay, his debut studio album Victory Lap was released in 2018 to critical acclaim and commercial success, and was nominated for the Best Rap Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019. Also known for his entrepreneurship and community activism, Hussle inaugurated the “Marathon Clothing” store, which he founded along with partners Carless, the head of the agency, Karen Civil and his brother Samiel Asghedom in 2017, and started a co-working environment which he named “Vector 90”. On March 31, 2019, Hussle was fatally shot outside his store, “Marathon Clothing”, in South Los Angeles. Eric Holder, a 29-year-old man who had confronted Hussle earlier in the day, was arrested and charged with murder on April 2, 2019.

Upon hearing the news of his death, numerous celebrities offered their condolences on social media. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti also offered his condolences to Nipsey’s family. A petition was started to rename the intersection of Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw BoulevardnearHussle’s store Marathon Clothing to “NipseyHussle Square”. On the day of his funeral, the council announced it was set to be renamed Ermias “NipseyHussle” Asghedom Square to honor him and his contributions to the neighborhood. Hussle’s memorial service was held on April 11 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, with tickets given away free of charge. A letter from former president Barack Obama, which praised the rapper for his work in the community, was read: “ While most folks look at the Crenshaw neighborhood where he grew up and see only gangs, bullets, and despair, Nipsey saw potential. ”

Hussle Forever