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Elegy for the Prolific Nipsey Hussle, Who Was About His Business

For the fallen rapper, one must remember his ability to elevate the game for himself.

By Skyler SaundersPublished 5 years ago 3 min read
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Hussle smiles at his success.

As shots rang outside of the store that he owned, the late Ermias Davidson Asghedom, better known as Nipsey Hussle, represented the Young Black Entrepreneur. Through the channel of hip hop, Nipsey Hussle showed how an individual can rise from the doldrums of the streets, and achieve wealth and prosperity in America.

His output remained abundant as his molasses flowed and cool persona permeated over beats, in his own stores, and on stages. His death signals the reality of a young man gunned down in his prime, who leaves behind two children and girlfriend actress Lauren London.

A businessman through and through, he shared one of his greatest financial losses. A six figure studio had to be scrapped, as he would be evicted from the premises. His latest musical achievement, VictoryLap (2018), paints a picture of a grown man navigating the world of riches and fame while still holding onto sanity. The Marathon Company, among other enterprises, provided Hussle with opportunities to succeed. The irony that he would be silenced forever outside of one of the stores that granted him a living should be lost on noone. In between writing, producing, and being a self-proclaimed revolutionary, Hussle dropped a mixtape for $100. Unheard of in the music industry, Hussle stood on his own terms and remained a businessman and a gentleman.

The business of music stayed on his consciousness. Without having to worry about catering only to the hood, he stood on the outer limits of the pathway to superstardom. He really didn’t even need to go platinum or gold, although his catalogue warranted such certifications. Quality stayed a sticking point for Hussle.

By always perfecting his songs, ensuring that real estate and his own clothing brand, Puma, among other undertakings stayed above board, he could enjoy the millions that these properties generated. His mind sparked illustrations through his raps. With his legal woes, Hussle had to show restraint, and throw away the negatives of the streets, while remembering the virtues and morals he learned. This amount of ethics brought Hussle to realm of signing contracts and mixing them, with his knowledge of the streets.

In a poignant song about a fallen friend, Hussle raps, “If it was me I would tell you n–––, live your life and grow,” which exhibits an eerie look at his own demise. But the gang member turned tycoon set his sights ever higher than the average MC. Like a young student eager to please no one and engage with his own way of learning, Hussle took his cues from the street, while never letting the streets steal his soul. His business acumen propelled him to think on his own and chart his own course. He focused on all of the business avenues, and strategically showed a way for someone from off of the block to enter the sphere of business.

With Lap, his only studio project, the frustrations and torment over his life spilled out into the microphone. It solidified him as one of rap’s greats. Hussle had designs of forming a robust film company to add to his collection of endeavors. His positive and upstanding position as a man of honor and respect spread throughout the industry of music.

His gold and diamond pendant with Malcolm X in thought showed that the young man possessed aspirations of a more social bent, even larger than the deeper raps that exist in his body of work. This represented a thinking young man who appreciated the slain intellectual. That he received a similar end as X exemplified how nefarious factions continue to not see the power of a man of substance that should be respected and protected. It appears that streets still gotta eat.

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About the Creator

Skyler Saunders

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PayPal: paypal.me/SkylerSaunders

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