It was announced that the intersection between Slauson Ave and Crenshaw Boulevard will be named in honor of recently deceased rapper Nipsey Hussle. The Grammy-nominated artist was gunned down outside his clothing store on March 31 and today Los Angeles Council announced that the intersection will now be named Ermias “Nipsey Hussle” Ashgedon Square. The square in south Los Angeles is in the same area where Nipsey Hussle grew up.
After the rapper’s death two Sundays ago, an online petition to rename the intersection was started and has now accumulated almost 500,000 signatures,. Some argued that the streets should remain untouched and that the intersection should be left as they were when Hussle grew up there. But the amount of fans that favored this memorialization, won in the end. In addition, Hussle’s family will be hosting a public memorial service for the rapper at Staples Center.
Los Angeles owes Nipsey Hussle, not only for the timeless music that he recorded, but also for his investment in the city. Besides sponsoring Destination Crenshaw, a 1.3 mile artistic celebration of black people living in the city, Hussle founded his own clothing store and Vector90, and helped improve the infrastructure of the city. This honor is a good start.
What else should be done to honor Nipsey Hussle? Let me know in the comment section.