Nipsey Hussle
August 15, 1985 — March 31, 2019 — Los Angeles, California
Nipsey Hussle was a rapper, entrepreneur, and community builder — shot and killed outside his own store on March 31, 2019, at thirty-three, on the same block in Crenshaw where he had grown up and chosen to build a future.
Crenshaw Roots
Born Airmiess Joseph Asghedom on August 15, 1985 in the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles, he founded All Money In Records after leaving Epic Records in 2010. A prolific run of independent mixtapes — The Marathon (2010), The Marathon Continues (2011) — built a devoted fanbase without a major label. In 2013, his Crenshaw mixtape sold 1,000 copies at $100 each; Jay-Z bought 100.
Victory Lap & Community
His debut album, Victory Lap (2018), debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album. He opened Marathon Clothing at Crenshaw and Slauson in 2017 and co-developed Vector 90, a South LA tech education space. He was shot outside his store on March 31, 2019.
Did You Know?
His legal name, Ermias Asghedom, reflects his father's Eritrean heritage — making him one of the few major American hip-hop figures with East African roots. Ermias is the Tigrinya form of the biblical name Jeremiah. His stage name was a tribute to comedian Nipsey Russell.
Legacy
President Obama wrote a public tribute. Posthumously: a Grammy for "Racks in the Middle" (2020), a Hollywood Walk of Fame star (2022), and the Crenshaw/Slauson intersection renamed in his honor. Like Bill Withers, his most important work was always inseparable from where he came from.