Nipsey Hussle Square Officially Unveiled
Los Angeles officially unveiled Nipsey Hussle Square at the intersection of Slauson and Crenshaw. Nipsey's brother, Samiel 'Blacc Sam' Asghedom, detailed plans for scaling The Marathon brand, including partnerships with Snoop Dogg and expansion of Black-owned businesses inspired by Nipsey's legacy.
The intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and Slauson Avenue holds deep significance; it's where Nipsey Hussle began his career selling mixtapes from his car trunk and later established his first Marathon clothing store. Before his death, Hussle purchased the entire commercial plaza as a foundational step in his strategy of community reinvestment and ownership. The original Marathon store, the site of Hussle's tragic 2019 murder, will not reopen for retail. Instead, the location is being reimagined as the headquarters for the Neighborhood Nip Foundation, a community hub focused on investing in the youth of South Los Angeles. A key feature of the new foundation headquarters will be a music program for children. This initiative is inspired by a similar free program Hussle attended in Watts as a youth, which he credited as being crucial to his development and the careers of his peers who participated. Beyond the store, Hussle's entrepreneurial vision included co-founding Vector 90, a STEM center and co-working space in the Crenshaw district. This venture was designed to provide local youth with access to technology and career opportunities, bridging the gap between underserved communities and the tech industry. The Marathon brand is now expanding into the food industry with Marathon Burger. The newest and fourth location is set to open in Long Beach as a partnership with Snoop Dogg and his son, Cordell Broadus, marking a strategic and symbolic expansion into one of Nipsey's earliest mixtape markets. This expansion reflects Hussle's long-term goal for The Marathon to be a comprehensive lifestyle brand encompassing music, film, fashion, and food. His brother, Blacc Sam, emphasizes that these new ventures are the execution of a blueprint Nipsey laid out to build a national model for Black ownership. The dedication of Nipsey Hussle Square follows other local honors, including the temporary renaming of the nearby Hyde Park Metro station for what would have been his 40th birthday. The permanent renaming of the intersection was championed by city officials like L.A. City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Assemblymember Isaac Bryan.
