Four years ago, the world and specifically the community of Los Angeles, lost rapper Nipsey Hussle after he was gunned down in front of his clothing store and community center in Crenshaw. But while his death was untimely, his legacy continues.
LISTEN NOW: Switched On Pop: The legacy of Nipsey Hussle's 'Victory Lap'
The year before his murder, he released his first and only full length album, Victory Lap. Nate Sloan of the Switched on Pop podcast sat down with King of Crenshaw podcast host, Justin Tinsley, to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Hussle’s legendary album and dissect his identity as an artist.
With a career extending back to the early 2000s, Nipsey had been releasing mixtapes through his own record label, All Money In Records. Some of his most popular projects include The Marathon and The Marathon Continues.
After plenty of delays, he released Victory Lap in 2018 and it was a commercial success and gained him the notoriety he deserved. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and plenty of the songs hit the Billboard 100 like “Last Time That I Checc’d” and “Dedication.” The project was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 61st GRAMMY Awards.
Tinsley described this album as a symbol of everything Hussle preached and believed in. As a community advocate he heavily promoted financial independence and hustling. Quoting the leading song, “Victory Lap,” Hussle said “I’m integrated vertically,” noting that, he couldn’t just be a rapper to the people, he had to be that and more– a rapper, entrepreneur, community leader and role model.
It’s important to note that Nipsey was more than just a rapper, he “saw the strength in what Hip-Hop could provide,” and wanted to share valuable lessons with those in his community in a way he knew that they’d receive it. Tinsley shared that Hussle was never one to “learn a lesson and keep it to himself,” and it’s evident throughout his lyrics.
People know Nipsey as an artist that lived the life he rapped about and it’s evident throughout the project but especially in his song “Dedication,” where he rapped “Royalties, publishing, plus I own masters, I'll be damned if I slave for some white crackers”-- continuing on with the theme of being independent and self-sufficient, not letting others control you. Nip wanted to own his own story, so he did.
Talk about a song that absolutely slapped, “Last Time That I Checc’d” was truly an ode to the West Coast and the L.A. rap scene. Tinsley and Sloan shared how you can hear the influence of L.A. rap legends like Snoop Dogg and Dr.Dre.
Closing out, Sloan asked Tinsley what was a standout moment of this project that exemplifies his legacy on this release. Tinsley responded with “Real Big” saying that it was practically a eulogy to himself. The six-minute song is a walk through Nipsey’s life, highlighting all he has accomplished up until that point.
“I can't listen to ‘Real Big’ and not get chills.”
Listen to the full episode of Switched On Pop above.
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