Written By: Patricia Riffe
Edited By: Jayna Davis
“As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him;” Gandhi a man of great change made this statement over seventy years ago, and it perfectly describes the life of the legendary Ermias Joseph Asghedom, also known as Nipsey Hu$$le or Nipsey Hussle. Ermias was born in Los Angeles California and grew up in the Crenshaw district of South Central L.A. Society’s stereotype of a “hood lifestyle” was against him; however, he had other ideas in mind. He lived his life overcoming many challenges ultimately bringing an unexplainable amount of change to the entire city of L.A. Nipsey Hussle took the odds that were against him and started selling mixtapes. He used his artist platform to speak truth into the ears of his listeners.
Nipsey believed in ownership, creating jobs, and making a way for his people. He purchased The Marathon Clothing Store in 2017 and was working towards buying out the entire shopping center on Slauson Avenue to give jobs to the people of his neighborhood of Hyde Park. Nipsey Hussle was driven by people. He wanted to create a better, safer home for the people of South LA. He was working with the Los Angeles police department to create a plan to end gang violence. This Grammy nominated rapper wasn’t just trying to create a safer neighborhood; He started “Vector90,” to bring attention to the lack of diversity in scientific fields such as engineering. Ermias Asghedom was not just an iconic rapper, he saw the strength and potential his people could have if given the opportunity. His purpose was to open doors and create opportunity. When he opened The Marathon, he gave jobs to people in the neighborhood and enforced a “no gun” policy. Throughout his life, and through his actions he became a guidepost for an unexplainable amount of people. He gave hope and changed the way opportunity was viewed by the people of South Central LA.
Nipsey Hussle was murdered outside of his clothing store on March 31st, 2019. The great Nipsey Hussle will forever be a man who changed the entire worlds attitude towards him. He overcame the challenges of the former life he lived and created an everlasting effect, not only on the people who met him, but everyone who watched all of the amazing things that he was doing for his people. The Legendary Nipsey Hussle was a business man, an activist, and an entrepreneur. The intersection of Crenshaw and Slauson, where Nipsey grew up, will now be renamed to “Nipsey Hussle Square.” On April 10, 2019 all of the contributions made by Nipsey Hussle to the city of South Los Angeles were entered into the Congressional Record. For one man’s life to have such an everlasting effect on the world speaks volumes about his life and legacy.
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