The Marathon Continues: Nipsey Hussle's contributions to his community

Writer: Noel Austin

On March 31st, 2019; Rapper, Activist, Pioneer, and Father, Nipsey Hussle, was shot and killed outside of his marathon store in Southwest L.A. The death of Nipsey Hussle shocked everyone from rap enthusiasts to the chief of the LAPD.

If you judged a book by its cover you would think Nipsey was just a no good thug in southwest L.A., but if you knew what he really did you would think differently. During his lifespan, Nipsey inspired a lot of rappers and young kids by his hustle mentality.

Nipsey was an artist who knew his worth and did not accept anything less than that. Nipsey sold his Crenshaw mixtape for a $100 a piece and sold out making a good $100,000. Nipsey then opened The Marathon store in 2017. In the store, Nipsey sold clothing along with his music and other items for everyday needs. He also opened up a burger place, fish market and barber shop in the Crenshaw area. The unique thing about all of these business ventures, is that he would employ the locals of Crenshaw. Some that just got out of jail and couldn't get a job, young kids out of high school and aspiring rappers as well.

Nipsey also bought the plaza where his store is at with hopes to eventually build a six-story apartment complex, having the Marathon store as the center of it all.

Besides opening businesses, Nipsey did a lot for the kids in the community. Wanting to change the culture of Crenshaw, he invested in Vector 90, a place where young kids can take classes that teach them about STEM. It also served as a cultural hub and co-working space for up and coming entrepreneurs. He partnered with Puma to renovate a basketball court at the 59th Street Elementary School, where he hired a local artist to paint art on the court to make it unique. Nipsey and Puma then donated $10,000 to the school.

Overall, Nipsey was a giver and not a receiver. He wanted to help as many people as he could. People always ask why do bad things happen to good people. Bad things happen to good people because of the impact they will have when they are gone. The legacy Nipsey left on the city of Crenshaw will never be forgotten.

Recently, multiple gangs in the L.A. area have come together to call a truce and meet each other. Also, California Rep. Karen Bass will make Nipsey Hussle's community contributions indebted in United States History forever.

“Sometimes you have to take two steps back to take ten forward”- Nipsey Hussle.

Even though Nipsey is gone, what he has done will never leave. And like he said, “The marathon still continues”.