Rapper Nipsey Hussle was pronounced dead on March 31 after he was shot in front of his store, The Marathon. For urban studies major Kenneth Sampay, 22, this loss hits close to home. Having grown up right across from The Marathon on Slauson, and gone to Crenshaw High School, Sampay, now a Citrus student, feels especially hurt by the loss of Hussle, who he describes as “an aspect of Crenshaw culture–that whole staying fly and getting money motto is the whole approach of the culture of Crenshaw.”
Sampay found out about Nipsey Hussle being shot through friends and family. As soon as he heard the news, he called his sister at home to ask if she had heard any gunshots and could confirm the rumor. When she stepped outside and saw the crowd gathered outside The Marathon, the story became real for Sampay.
He recalls feeling deeply hurt by the news right away, and wanting to reach out to his friends in the area, as he knew the impact this would have on everybody in Los Angeles. Hussle was seen as a symbol of safety and hope for the area. Sampay said that his music “made the gang members feel cool, and made the regular people feel protected.”
As vigils and memorials began taking place, Sampay and his friends and family decided to honor Hussle at home by “smoking a blunt or two and listening to his albums.” They talked about Hussle throughout the night, remembering his impact and expressing their grief.
Kenneth Sampay is one of many Citrus students from South Central. It is important to understand Nipsey Hussle’s impact on the area, and the gravity of his loss.
