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If you have strong faith, your God will love you. – Nipsey Hussle
Hip-hop heads around the globe experienced tragedy with the death of Nipsey Hussle on March 31, 2019. The artist was among the most-respected rappers in the game, with fellow artists and fans mourning his loss. At the time of his passing, Ermias Joseph Asghedom aka Nipsey Hussle had a net worth of $8 million.
The rapper had a successful career, collaborating with some of the biggest names in the hip-hop game. He worked on projects with Drake, Snoop Dogg, and Rick Ross, to name a few. At the time of his death, Nipsey Hussle was 33 years old. Nipsey is survived by his children.
Nipsey Hussle: The Facts
Net Worth: | $8 Million |
---|---|
📆 DOB: | August 15, 1985 – March 31, 2019 (33 years old) |
🌎 Country of Origin: | United States of America |
💲 Source of Wealth: | Rapper |
✅ Updated: | 2023 |
The rapper was shot dead outside his Marathon Clothing outlet store in South Los Angeles on March 31, 2019. On the day of his demise, the rapper had taken to social media to tell the world he had ‘strong enemies.’
LAPD released a statement on Twitter regarding the rapper’s death. “At approximately 3:20pm (11:20BST), there was a shooting reported in the area of Slauson Ave and Crenshaw Blvd. 3 victims were transported to a local hospital where one was pronounced deceased.”
In a further tweet, LAPD announced, “The suspect in the shooting is described as a male black & LAPD South Bureau Homicide is conducting an investigation to locate him and anyone else involved.”
Nipsey Hussle – The Early Years
Born Ermias Asghedom on August 15, 1985, in Los Angeles, California, ‘Nipsey Hussle’ was the son of Dawit Asghedom and Angelique Smith. The rapper grew up in the rough Crenshaw neighborhood of south-central LA with his siblings, Samuel and Samantha.
Nipsey attended Alexander Hamilton High School in Castle Heights, dropping out before graduating. The rapper left home at 14 to join the gang life with the Crenshaw Crips.
When he turned 19 in 2004, the gangbanger went on a trip with his father to Eritrea in East Africa. The family spent three months there before returning to LA. On his return from Africa, Nipsey saw the error in his ways, leaving the crips to start his work as a community activist in Crenshaw.
Nipsey Hussle – Career
Nipsey Hussle started his music career in 2005 with the release of his first mixtape, ‘Slauson Boy Volume 1.’ This album garnered a fanbase for the rapper, giving him instant industry credibility thanks to his prior association with the Crips.
His success in the west coast hip-hop community led to the artist signing a deal with Epic Records and the Cinematic Music Group. With his release of ‘Bullets Ain’t Got No Name’ in 2008, the rapper’s fame exploded, landing him national acclaim in hip-hop communities across the United States and the globe.
The rapper soared to success and acclaim with his collaborations with top artists like Drake on his single ‘Killer’ and Snoop Dogg on ‘Upside Down.’ Upside Down featured on Snoop Dogg’s 2009 album, ‘Malice in Wonderland.’
Nipsey released a 3rd rendition of ‘Bullets Ain’t Got No Name,’ featuring the single ‘Hussle in the House.’ Despite the single containing a sample of the hit 1990s track ‘Jump’ by Kris Kross, it failed to make it into the charts.
Nipsey was well-known for his mixtapes, and his release, ‘Crenshaw,’ saw rap mogul Jay-Z buy 100 copies for $100 each in support of the rapper. Nipsey was forced out of his record label in 2010 after Epic records experienced financial difficulties.
The artist wasn’t discouraged by the loss of his record label. He featured in the ‘Annual Freshmen Top ten in XXL’ magazine as ‘the most determined artist’ in his niche. LA Weekly called Nipsey the next hot emcee in LA.
After departing Epic Records, Nipsey decided to form an independent record label, calling it ‘All Money In.’ He released the mixtape ‘The Marathon’ as his first work on his new label. The album was a resounding success for the rapper featuring collaborations with rappers Kokane and MGMT.
Nipsey followed up his success with his next mixtape, ‘The Marathon Continues.’ The mixtape featured collaborations with Dom Kennedy and YG. In 2012, Nipsey released a collaborative album with Blanco and a single featuring the talents of Rick Ross called ‘Proud of That.’
Rick Ross responded by featuring Nipsey on his album ‘Self Made Vol.2,’ released by the Maybach Music Group. Nipsey collaborated with Rick Ross on the track ‘Fountain of Youth.’ Nipsey released the third installment of ‘The Marathon,’ calling it ‘The Victory,’ in 2013.
He also announced the release of a collaborative album with YG in the same year. The album featured the hit singles, ‘Face the World’ and ‘Blessings,’ produced by 9th Wonder and The Futurists. He announced the release of ‘Victory Lap’ in September 2013, as a studio album, instead of a mixtape.
Nipsey released the track listing of the ‘Crenshaw’ album and went on to create a documentary for release alongside the album. Nipsey released a limited mixtape run, selling 1,000 copies for $100 each. All copies sold out within 24 hours of release.
He went on to release the ‘Mailbox Money’ mixtape in late 2014, using the same model of selling 1,000 copies for $100 each. Its success spurred the rapper to release ‘Famous Lies and Unpopular Truth’ in 2016.
‘Victory Lap’ debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at number 4, selling 53,000 copies in the first week. The album featured smash hit singles like ‘Dedication,’ ‘Double Up,’ and ‘Last Time I Checc’d,’ all of which entered the Billboard Hot 100. ‘Victory Lap’ earned a nomination for ‘Best Rap Album’ at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, losing to ‘Invasion Of Privacy’ by Cardi B.
The hit single, ‘Racks in the Middle’ featured Roddy Ricch, entering the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019 at number 44.
Nipsey Hussle – Business Interests
Nipsey Hussle earned respect from his peers as an entrepreneur. The rapper leveraged his business skills learned from his meetings with Jay-Z and Diddy. He earned $100,000 in less than 24 hours on two separate occasions through selling limited editions of his mixtapes.
His record label, ‘All Money In,’ produced several notable mixtapes from the artist, with ‘Victory Lap’ selling 300,000 copies and streaming 21,000 album equivalents. Nipsey decided to take a stab at owning a clothing brand, opening his ‘Marathon Clothing Store’ in LA on June 17, 2017.
His patrons could buy his merchandise and view upcoming releases by downloading the Marathon Clothing Store app. Nipsey funded the South Central L.A’s Vector 90 development alongside David Gross, offering the community a business incubator to assist business growth from the next generation of community-based business leaders.
Nipsey’s investment of time, energy, and money into the local LA community earned the rapper a prestigious reputation in the hip-hop industry. At the peak of his career, the rapper and entrepreneur earned $1.5 million annually.
Nipsey Hussle – Real Estate and Assets
At the time of his death, Nipsey Hussle had an estate valued at $8 million. There’s no official word on his earnings or if this $8 million was pre or post-tax earnings. His estate included assets like short-term investments, stocks, and cash.
The rapper also had a real estate portfolio and legal trusts to manage his financial holdings. Some 18 months after his death, Nipsey’s estate filled official documents stating the value of his estate was $4.2 million. The assessment also included a valuation of Nipsey’s likeness to be a paltry $913,000
This valuation didn’t include the rights to his unpublished albums and publishing. The valuation also didn’t account for the cash placed in his trust or the value of the masters for his music. Unlike other hip-hop artists, Nipsey owned the masters of all his recordings upon death.
In the months after his death, several GoFundMe campaigns were set up to support Nipsey’s kids. However, his estate closed all of these crowdfunding campaigns because the value of his estate is more than adequate to support his family’s needs.
Nipsey’s family politely declined all the offers of financial support from the hip hop community, including an offer from Reggie bush. According to industry reports, Nipsey’s kids are financially comfortable and won’t lack money in the wake of their father’s death.
Nipsey was a clever entrepreneur and investor, and the rapper prepared for his potential demise through financial planning. His ownership of his master means his estate will receive passive income from album sales and streams for his family.
Nipsey Hussle – Personal Life
Nipsey was far from being a platinum-selling artist, but he earned respect from the rap community and throughout Los Angeles due to his support for the local community. After returning from Africa with his father, Nipsey developed an affection for the people of Las impoverished communities, especially those around his hometown of south central LA.
Nipsey focused his time and energy on building the careers of many local rappers, launching them into the spotlight. The rapper was a proponent of stopping gun violence in the community, and his lyrics didn’t feature gang violence or promote weapons use.
The rapper shared his gang life experience through his music and through interviews. His work with Vector 90 saw Nipsey working with underprivileged students to get them the education they so sorely needed in their lives.
Nipsey believed that the south LA community was underserved by the city, leaving its residents to riot. The rapper saw it as his responsibility to add value to the people. He particularly encouraged under-served youths in LA to focus on STEM classes.
Nipsey also had a daughter named Emani, but he didn’t live with her mother. The rapper started dating the actress Lauren London in 2013. The couple had a child together in 2016.
Nipsey passed away after a shooting outside his LA clothing store on March 31, 2019. The rapper was shot ten times in the incident but didn’t die at the scene. LAPD arrested Eric Ronald Holder Jr., 29, as the prime suspect in the shooting.
Nipsey Hussle was laid to rest in a ceremony involving his family and close friends at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Southern California. The funeral occurred after a huge memorial service at the Staples Center in LA.
Who Inherited Nipsey Hussle’s Estate?
According to an industry insider, Nipsey Hussle was murdered as part of an ongoing dispute with gang members on the profits generated by his Marathon Clothing Store. The rapper was transported to the hospital after the shooting but died of his wounds.
Nipsey is survived by his partner Lauren London and his two children, Emani and Kross. At the time of his passing, the rapper had amassed a huge global fanbase, with people around the world mourning his death.
According to TMZ, the rapper left behind a $4 million estate and prudent financial planning for his family, covering their needs. Most of the rapper’s net worth comes from his trademark catalog, company shares, and cash holdings. The rapper reportedly did not own any real estate at the time of his passing.
Nipsey’s estate goes to his two children, each receiving 50%. The kids are minors and will have access to the estate when they turn 18.
Until the kids come of legal age, Lauren London will control the finances on behalf of her son, and Nipsey’s family manages his daughter’s inheritance on her behalf. His siblings and mother have custody of Emani due to her mother being deemed unfit to raise her.
Nipsey Hussle Quotes
You gotta go hard, you gotta believe in yourself.
Ain’t nobody gave us nothing. I just got my own!
Turning up my hustle’s how I give myself a raise.
Don’t expect from others – Put in your own work.
I identify myself as a hustler since I was a young kid.
Every artist wants something different out the game.
My God will never make me and break me. I have faith.
I am an anomaly in my space. The way I exist is unique.
Circle got smaller everybody can’t go
Ownership is everything. Own your mind – mind your own.
Stay Ahead of the Market with Benzinga Pro!
Want to trade like a pro? Benzinga Pro gives you the edge you need in today's fast-paced markets. Get real-time news, exclusive insights, and powerful tools trusted by professional traders:- Breaking market-moving stories before they hit mainstream media
- Live audio squawk for hands-free market updates
- Advanced stock scanner to spot promising trades
- Expert trade ideas and on-demand support