Much more than a rapper, NIPSEY HUSSLE was an inspiration and represented hope, and changed the narrative. Young, black, and from the hood - born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, all odds were stacked against him. Although he got caught up in gang life at an early age, he overcame that lifestyle, turned to music, evolved as an artist, and in the process literally became Tupac of his generation.
He was an activist, humanitarian, philanthropist, community organizer, an entrepreneur and innovator and most importantly, he was a leader. He was loved by everyone because he was humble, treated every one with respect, and was all about the Hussle. He was self-made; he didn't get any hand outs. He went from selling CD's from the trunk of his car in front of what is now his Marathon clothing store, to literally buying the whole complex. He reinvested in his neighborhood and created Vector 90 - a co-working space promoting entrepreneurship and launched a STEM program where youth could learn coding and programming. His dream was to uplift his community, both socially and economically, and created a long lasting impact.
Personally, we have been following Nip since 2008 and we were drawn to him because of his music, his attitude, and because we also shared a similar heritage through our common Eritrean roots. His motto, and name of his record label, All Money In No Money Out - stands for keeping money inside the community. He wasn't trying to get rich quick, or stunt, but rather create sustainable wealth.
Nipsey was very proud of his Eritrean roots and we truly believe that his sense of community is strongly influenced by his Eritrean and African heritage. He went back home twice. First, when he was 18 years old and more recently, summer 2018. In his own words "the history of our country, the underdog story, the resilience of the people and our integrity is something I feel proud to be attached to".
He led by example and gave us the blueprint. Now he's passed the baton and is watching us from above. It's on us to carry his legacy, message and bring the movement forward. Life is a Marathon and Nipsey just ran his victory lap. It's our turn to continue the marathon he started. Let's keep his dream alive and collectively step into greatness.
Thank you for everything you taught us Nipsey. We love you and you'll be dearly missed. May you rest in peace Brother.
-EYP TEAM
