Nipsey Hussle: Biography

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Nipsey Hussle.Image via Wikimedia Commons

Who Is Nipsey Hussle?

Ermias Joseph Asghedom (born Airmiess Joseph Asghedom; August 15, 1985 – March 31, 2019), known professionally as Nipsey Hussle, was an American rapper, activist, and entrepreneur. Emerging from the West Coast hip-hop scene in the mid-2000s, Hussle self-released his debut mixtape, Slauson Boy Volume 1, to moderate local success, leading him to sign with Cinematic Music Group and Epic Records.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Hussle gained a regional following for his Bullets Ain't Got No Name mixtape series, as well as The Marathon, The Marathon Continues, and Crenshaw, the latter of which was purchased 100 times by American rapper Jay-Z for US$100 each. After multiple delays, his debut studio album Victory Lap (2018), peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200, received critical acclaim, and was nominated for the Best Rap Album at the 61st Grammy Awards. His 2019 single, "Racks in the Middle" (featuring Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy), and guest appearance alongside John Legend on DJ Khaled's song "Higher", won Best Rap Performance and Best Rap/Sung Performance, respectively at the 62nd Grammy Awards.

Outside of music, 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 in South Central Los Angeles. Eric Holder, a 29-year-old man who confronted Hussle earlier that day, was arrested and charged with murder two days later. Holder was found guilty of first-degree murder on July 6, 2022. On February 22, 2023, Holder was sentenced to 60 years to life in prison.

Early life

Airmiess Joseph Asghedom was born on August 15, 1985, and raised in the Crenshaw District of South Central Los Angeles by his mother Angelique Smith (née Boutte), a Black-American, and Dawit Asghedom, an Eritrean who came to Los Angeles in the 1970s. He was raised with his brother Samiel, also known as Blacc Sam, and his sister Samantha. Asghedom attended Alexander Hamilton High School in the nearby Castle Heights neighborhood, and dropped out before graduating.

Early Life: Where Is Nipsey Hussle From?

At age 14, Asghedom left home and joined the local Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips, a sub-group ("set") of the larger Crips gang primarily based in his home neighborhood of Crenshaw. In 2002, at the age of 17, Hussle joined Buttervision, a creative multimedia Digital Guerrilla movement led by Dexter Browne where he was part of the BV Boys Sampler, Beats & Babes Vol. 1 DVD, and Shades of Butter Vol. 1 DVD. During that time, he completed the recording for his debut mixtape Slauson Boy Volume 1, and adopted his stage name "Nipsey Hussle".

His stage name, a play on the name of comedian and game show panelist Nipsey Russell, originated as a nickname given to Asghedom by a childhood acquaintance who respected his work ethic. In 2004, when Asghedom was 19, his father took him and his brother Samiel on a three-month trip to Eritrea. Asghedom credited the trip with inspiring him to become a community activist with an "entrepreneurial spirit".

Music career

2006–2010: Bullets Ain't Got No Name series

In December 2005, Hussle independently released his first mixtape, Slauson Boy Volume 1, to moderate local success. His debut project helped to build a small regional fanbase on the West Coast, and eventually led to Hussle being signed to Cinematic Music Group and Epic Records. In 2006, he appeared as a featured performer on the final posthumous album by 2Pac, Pac's Life. In 2008, Hussle released the first two installments in his Bullets Ain't Got No Name series of mixtapes, which helped to bring Hussle's music to a larger audience.

Nipsey Hussle's Career and Major Works

Nipsey's profile continued to grow into 2009 when he collaborated with Drake on the song "Killer", and also appeared, along with Snoop Dogg and Problem, on the song "Upside Down", from Snoop Dogg's 2009 album Malice n Wonderland. He released the third installment in Bullets Ain't Got No Name, as well as his commercial debut single, "Hussle in the House". Despite the song, which samples Kris Kross' 1992 single Jump, being well received by critics, it failed to make any impact on the charts.

After Epic experienced financial issues in 2010, Nipsey opted not to renew his contract and left the label. Not long after going independent, Hussle appeared on the song "We Are the World 25 for Haiti", and was featured by XXL Magazine as one of its "Annual Freshman Top Ten", a selection of ten up-and-coming hip-hop artists to watch. XXL labeled him "Most Determined" of his class, and LA Weekly called him the "next big L.A. MC".

Hussle was expected to release his debut album, South Central State of Mind, in October 2010. Prior to release, the album was supported by the single "Feelin' Myself" featuring Lloyd. While the production was set to be handled from J.R. Rotem, Scott Storch, Mr. Lee, Play-N-Skillz, Terrace Martin, and 1500 or Nothin', the album was set to be featured with the guest appearances from Trey Songz, Jay Rock, and Sean Kingston. Concurrently, he announced that he planned on releasing a mixtape with fellow rapper Jay Rock, titled Red and Blue Make Green. Following the release of a music video for "Feelin' Myself", the album was set for a December 21, 2010 release; however, both of these projects were eventually postponed indefinitely.

2010–2013: Leaving Epic Records and The Marathon series

After leaving Epic, Nipsey founded his own record label, All Money In Records. On December 21, 2010, he released his first All Money In Records mixtape, titled The Marathon, which featured guest appearances from Kokane and MGMT. On November 1, 2011, Hussle released a sequel titled The Marathon Continues, which featured L.A. rappers YG and Dom Kennedy. On April 17, 2012, Hussle released a collaborative album with fellow rapper Blanco, Raw. The album featured guest appearances from YG, Mistah FAB, Yukmouth, B-Legit, Kokane and Freeway.

Nipsey Hussle's Personal Life and Relationships

In May 2012, Nipsey released a single titled Proud of That, marking his first collaboration with Florida rapper Rick Ross. Nipsey was subsequently featured on Ross' Maybach Music Group's song "Fountain of Youth", which appears on the label's second album Self Made Vol. 2. The music video was released on October 1, 2012. Rumours began to circulate that Nipsey would sign with MMG, and in December 2012, Hussle himself hinted at signing, however, he also said that he was still looking for the right label.

Hussle said that he would be releasing his third and final installment of The Marathon mixtape series with TM3: Victory Lap in 2013, after it was pushed back from its initial December 2012 release date. He also announced that he was planning on releasing a joint mixtape with fellow West Coast rapper and frequent collaborator YG. Hussle performed at the 2013 Paid Dues festival on March 30, 2013, in California. After deciding against signing to a major label, due to a lack of creative freedom, he choose to make Victory Lap his debut album.

2013–2019: Crenshaw and Victory Lap

Beginning in 2013, he released various songs from his upcoming mixtape Crenshaw, including the 9th Wonder produced track "Face the World", and a Futuristics and 1500 or Nothin'–produced track "Blessings". On August 6, 2013, Hussle announced that Victory Lap would be released as an album, rather than a mixtape. Prior to the release of Victory Lap, Hussle announced on September 16, 2013, that he would be releasing a new mixtape, Crenshaw (hosted by DJ Drama), on October 8, 2013.

On September 24, 2013, he revealed the track list for Crenshaw, which contained guest appearances from Rick Ross, Dom Kennedy, Slim Thug, James Fauntleroy II, Z-Ro, Skeme, and Sade, among others. The production on the mixtape was handled by the Futuristics, 1500 or Nothin', 9th Wonder, Mike Free, Ralo and Jiggy Hendrix, among others. He also released the Crenshaw documentary that day in promotion of the mixtape. On October 3, 2013, he released another trailer for the mixtape, and attracted attention when he revealed 1,000 hard copies of the mixtape would be sold for $100 each. Jay-Z personally bought 100 copies. He reportedly sold out all 1,000 copies in less than 24 hours, effectively making $100,000.

Where Is Nipsey Hussle Now? Recent Years

Upon the release of Crenshaw, Hussle said that Victory Lap would be released in 2014. On November 20, 2013, Hussle confirmed that Victory Lap would feature production from Ralo, 1500 or Nothin', the Futuristiks and DJ Mustard. He later confirmed more producers, including Don Cannon and DJ Khalil on the album. After the year went by with no new releases, Hussle released a new mixtape, Mailbox Money on New Year's Eve 2014, again releasing 1000 hard copies for $100 each.

Hussle made a number of guest appearances throughout 2015 and 2016, working with Jadakiss, Trae Tha Truth, and YG. In 2016, he released another mixtape, titled Famous Lies and Unpopular Truth. He commented on the 2016 US presidential election by releasing the single "FDT" ("Fuck Donald Trump") with YG; the song was written about Hussle's positive experiences with Mexican immigrants in the United States, whom Trump had criticized.

After delays, Hussle's debut studio album, Victory Lap, was released on February 16, 2018, debuting at number 4 on the Billboard 200, selling 53,000 album equivalent units in its first week. The album was met with universal acclaim from critics, and songs entered the Billboard Hot 100, including "Double Up", "Last Time That I Checc'd" and "Dedication", marking Hussle's debut on the chart as a lead artist.

Victory Lap was nominated for a Best Rap Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019, but lost to Cardi B's Invasion of Privacy. Over 1 year after its release, the album reached a new peak of number 2 on the Billboard 200 in April 2019 after Hussle's murder on March 31. His single "Racks in the Middle" featuring Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy debuted at number 44 on the Hot 100, following his death. The song later peaked at number 26.

Business ventures

Nipsey Hussle's Legacy and Impact

Hussle's nickname came from his entrepreneurial spirit. He shined shoes for $2.50 to pay for school clothes at age 11 with a goal of a hundred shoes a day. Hussle sold his mixtapes out of a car trunk at a neighborhood strip mall at the intersection of Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard. After leaving Epic Records, he founded his own record label. Hussle experimented with unorthodox sales strategies by selling expensive copies of certain mixtapes even while the songs were distributed for free.

Hussle's Marathon branding inspired Steve Carless in 2013 when he founded Marathon Agency with business partners Karen Civil and Jorge Peniche. They designed the talent-based brand to attract a diverse set of clients in all stages of their careers. In October 2016, Carless, the head of the agency, told Billboard that Hussle had invested "like over six figures" in the Marathon Agency and described him as "kind of like our silent partner".

Hussle opened the Marathon Clothing store on June 17, 2017, which he founded along with partners Carless, Civil, and his brother Samiel Asghedom. Opening the store at this intersection in the Crenshaw commercial district was important to him because he wanted to invest and provide opportunities in his neighborhood of Hyde Park. The store is billed as a "smart store", which bridges the gap between culture and technology by giving customers access to exclusive music and other content created by rappers through an app created by software engineer Iddris Sandu. The year before his death, Hussle bought the small shopping center where his store was located, after partnering with the real estate investor David Gross.

Hussle created the record label All Money In after leaving Epic Records. He released his first major project, The Marathon, through the new label on December 21, 2010. He released subsequent projects under his label, including The Marathon Continues (2011), Crenshaw (2013), and Mailbox Money (2014). He also signed other artists, including J Stone, Pacman Da Gunman, BH, Cobby Supreme, Cuzzy Capone and Killa Twan.

In 2007, Hussle played a small role in Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's semi-autobiographical film I Tried, which was directed by Rich Newey. In 2010, he starred in the film Caged Animal, alongside Ving Rhames, Gillie Da Kid and Robert Patrick. In 2015, Hussle was featured in a cameo "The Sexy Getting Ready Song" in the pilot episode of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, rapping two bars.

Community activism

Hussle wanted to focus on "giving solutions and inspiration" to young black men like himself. He denounced gun violence through his music, influence, and community work. He spoke openly about his experiences with gang culture. Affiliated with the Rollin' 60s, he often performed and worked with rival Bloods-affiliated rappers to set an example.

He funded improvements to neighborhood schools and spent time with students, also participating on panels about growing up in the area and the influence of gang culture. Hussle started a co-working environment which he named Vector 90. From his own experience, he believed that the Crenshaw area was being underserved and that young people would benefit from communal workspaces. He wanted youths to be able to take classes in science, technology, and mathematics at the center.

Nipsey Hussle's career continues to be documented by reputable media; the facts above are drawn from Wikipedia's biography and public records.

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