The Legacy of Nipsey Hussle, the Light of Los Angeles

Behind a deli on Crenshaw’s busiest stretch, Nipsey Hussle is painted on an alley wall, in shades of goldenrod and crimson. It is hardly an anomaly. Throughout South Los Angeles, the specter of Hussle can be found all over: on storefronts, inside galleries and coffee shops, alongside freeways.

Ermias Joseph Asghedom was shot and killed outside his clothing store on March 31, 2019. Weeks of headlines and remembrances followed. He was deeply committed to shaping his hood the way he wished when he ran these streets as “Neighborhood Nip,” and it’s what motivated him to open his Marathon Clothing shop in the very strip mall where he spent years hustling mixtapes—before buying the entire strip. It’s why he opened Vector90, a coworking space and STEM incubator for inner-city youth. It’s why he advocated for art-centric beautification projects like Destination Crenshaw and personally helped renovate World on Wheels, the legendary roller rink on Venice Boulevard that partially birthed West Coast hip-hop. “He was not confused about who he was and what his mission was,” his life partner, Lauren London, tells me. “And it was the upliftment of us, as a people.”

It’s rare to meet someone in these parts who doesn’t have a Hussle story, but his imprint was far-reaching—just ask any black American or Habesha youth living in rough enclaves across the country what he meant. Hussle’s passing was an enormous loss, the depths of which are especially crippling to those who saw him not as a rapper or community activist but as a father, son, brother, lover, and friend. This is his story, told by those who knew him best.

Samiel Asghedom (brother): We was real close in age. I was three when [our parents] brought him home from the hospital. I’ll always remember, he would be crying whenever I was in the room, and Mom would come in there and spank me!

Dawit Asghedom (father): Ermias was very outgoing. He loved to read. And he also knew who he wanted to be.

Samiel Asghedom: We did everything together, from summer camp to karate. We liked all the same shit: Ninja Turtles, Batman, Pogs, basketball, football, music—everything. We used to walk to Crenshaw High and [jump] the fence and play basketball. He was shorter than everybody for a while. If he lost, he’d take the basketball and kick it over the fence. We probably lost 30 basketballs.