As the Hip-Hop community and fans around the world continue to mourn the untimely death of rapper and activist Nipsey Hussle and prepare for his large-scale memorial service this week at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the Wall Street Journal honored Hussle as an entrepreneur, investor, and innovator.
Comparing him to many of his hip hop contemporaries, authors James Hagerty and Ian Lovett noted that while Hussle played the part of the successful rapper with the cars, jewelry, and swag, he also emphasized entrepreneurship and encouraged young people to succeed outside of just music and entertainment- namely by getting involved in tech or business.
Through his partnerships and investments, he developed commercial and residential real estate projects in his own neighborhood in South Los Angeles (such as the plaza that housed his own Marathon clothing store) as well as established tech programs and collaborative workspaces such as Vector 90- both moves that brought jobs and opportunities to traditionally disadvantaged youth. The Wall Street Journal noted how he often cited visionaries such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerburg as role models for youth, noting that through his endeavors, he hoped to provide “a bridge in between Silicon Valley and the inner city.”
Yet, the tribute article also pointed out Hussle’s first love, which was a passion for hip hop music, noting that he often credited it for not just being a reflection of the culture, but serving as a mechanism for change. While he certainly inspired change through his music, he also demonstrated a savvy understanding of the business side of music and entertainment, forming his own record label, ‘All Money In, No Money Out,’ and then establishing an advantageous partnership with Atlantic Records- a partnership that would lead to a Grammy nomination in 2018.
Tickets for the memorial service, which will be held on Thursday, April 11, will be available starting Tuesday, April 9, 2019, at 10:00 AM via axs.com, to California residents only. More information can be found at here.
