In the wake of his tragic death on Sunday (Mar. 31), tributes have been pouring in far and wide for Nipsey Hussle — from fellow artists, celebrities, athletes and politicians to residents of his beloved neighborhood. Nipsey was loved and respected across the board, not just for his motivational music (including last year’s GRAMMY-nominated Victory Lap), but for the very important work he did to uplift and inspire his local community.
Read more after the jump…
In tribute to his philanthropic efforts, Nipsey Hussle will be officially recognized by the Congressional Record. Yesterday, Congresswoman Karen Bass announced on Twitter that she “will be heading to the House Floor next week to formally enter Nipsey Hussle’s contributions to South Los Angeles into the Congressional Record where it will be a part of United States history forever.”
I will be heading to the House Floor next week to formally enter Nipsey Hussle’s contributions to South Los Angeles into the Congressional Record where it will be a part of United States history forever.
— Congressmember Bass (@RepKarenBass) April 4, 2019
Nipsey not only preached financial wisdom in his lyrics and interviews, but invested in in his ‘hood in very concrete ways. Earlier this year, he bought up the shopping plaza off Slauson Avenue where his flagship Marathon Clothing store is located (and where he also used to hustle) with plans to knock it down and build low-income residential units above shops with healthy food options.
Additionally, he cut the ribbon on Vector 90, a co-working space and STEM center that aims to bridge the gap between underrepresented communities and Silicon Valley, and co-founded Destination Crenshaw, a 1.3-mile “open air museum” of art exhibitions celebrating “Black Los Angeles.”
Nipsey’s generosity manifested itself in more intimate ways, too. According to the L.A. Times, “he was known to give jobs to residents who were struggling to get by, some of them homeless. He once gave a pair of shoes to every student at 59th Street Elementary School. He also donated money to renovate the school’s playground and basketball courts.”
In fact, a new TMZ report claims that Nipsey was buying clothes for a friend who had just been released from prison the day he was shot and killed.
With every new story of Nipsey’s kind spirit and community work, his death only feels like a bigger loss. But may his vision live on — in the Congressional Record and, more importantly, in Crenshaw.
