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Article and podcast of the week

Ahead of his time, Nipsey Hussle: More than a rapper
BY N’SAUN GENTRY

Grammy nominated Los Angeles rapper Ermias Asghedom, known by his stage name Nipsey Hussle, was murdered in his own clothing store on March 31st.
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Many of his beloved fans, celebrities, and people across the country were in shock of the news that he was shot six times, pronounced dead at the age of 33. Nipsey was heavily known for not only his rapping figure but also his work in his community, making it to the top and coming back giving back to his neighborhood of Crenshaw, in the harsh ghettos where gang violence was the norm.

“Nipsey was separated from other artists because he came in the rap game with the mindset of ownership, taking back his community and setting an example to those around him. He also made sure he would own all his masters and wanted to set his family up for generational wealth,” Chantay Ingram, M.A.C employee, said.

Showing black excellence at its finest, how black people should aspire to own their business as he came up into the music industry as an independent artist that most dream of, owning his own label, clothing store(The Marathon Clothing), and purchasing the whole plaza where he grew up at, with plans to transform it into a six story residential building.

One of the main arguments people make pertaining to artists that come from lower class places and make it big, is that they forget where they come from, never giving back to their community. Nipsey raised the bar when it came to this argument as he came back in attempts to raise his neighborhood from the ashes.

Reported by the LAPD, Nipsey was scheduled to meet with the chief of police to discuss ways to put an end to gang violence in the city. Along with other smart investments and programs empowering the youth. One of the most notable is his STEM program(Too Big to Fail), which aims to create a network where students can tap into knowledge sharing and networking.

“Within the community he’s been able to do something that has never been done and that’s unite the gangs. His death is just as any other black man gunned down in America they talk about it for a few days, then it's back to your regularly scheduled program,” Ingram, Hussle fan, exclaimed.
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Hussle’s long awaited debut album “Victory Lap” debuted in 2018, already gaining a mass following for the album as he was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap album of the year competing against some of the biggest names in hip hop. Nipsey spent 10 years in the rap game starting from mixtapes in 2008, he was the first artists to make 1,000 copies and sell his CDs for $100 a piece, instead of the market value that was $9.99.

​This brilliant strategy caught the attention of Jay-Z as he purchased 100 copies of his own. This idea would end up proving successful as of when his next mixtape dropped he pressed 60 copies and sold each for $1000, building up his revenue from scratch because he believed in his own worth and knew the real fans would pay for it. This idea would also catch on, inspiring other artists such as Chance the Rapper and Frank Ocean.

In a society where most black men are depicted as abandoning their responsibilities of fatherhood, Hussle was a father of two, building a family with his long-time girlfriend, actress Lauren London. Also the sad truth, that many who were gone before him are only loved and truly respected until they leave the earth.

“I think you should always be given your flowers while here, but unfortunately the way of the masses it’s the opposite it's not right but seeing that this has had a tremendous impact hopefully people will acknowledge you and show their genuine support while you're above ground”, Ingram addressed.

Nipsey Hussle was a man who was beloved by many and definitely ahead of his time as he did what few would actually do, pouring their heart out into their community which he ultimately ended up paying the price for it. A man that has been lost to the world too soon but will never be forgotten.

APEX LEGENDS 
By Thomas MacDougall and Oliver Weaver
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