Review by Booklist Review
Kenner, founding editor of Vibe, writes a biography of hip-hop artist and entrepreneur Nipsey Hussle, who was murdered on March 31, 2019, leaving a lasting impact on the music industry and his South Los Angeles community. Kenner traces Hussle's life and work: "More than a rapper, more than a businessman, Hussle was a cultural activist, a philanthropist, a role model and leader for young Black men seeking to overcome a troubled past and achieve greatness." Throughout the book, Kenner highlights conversations, quotes, and memories from many of Hussle's friends, family, and those he interacted with through his music. Kenner explores Hussle's upbringing as an Eritrean American, his youth in South L.A., his music and his fame, vision, values, and personal struggles. Readers interested in hip-hop history and biographies of business professionals, musicians, and activists will enjoy this insightful and engaging look at Nipsey Hussle's artistic legacy and the deep respect and admiration that he garnered from his community, his fellow artists, and his business circles.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Journalist Kenner debuts with an arresting biography of the late hip-hop artist and activist Nipsey Hussle. Tracking down Hussle's family members and friends, Kenner chronicles his subject's life, from his childhood in Los Angeles's Crenshaw neighborhood to his murder there at age 33. Hussle grew up reading computer magazines and built a computer from a pile of discarded parts, and as a teenager was a member of the Crips. To support himself, Hussle started going on "get-money missions," selling everything from weed to DVDs. From there, he turned his love of rap into a hustle, burning mix CDs, which he sold for $5. He soon began rapping on his own mixes, and his popularity--charted by Kenner with a contagious reverence--soared after Jay-Z purchased 100 copies of his mixtape Crenshaw in 2013. Nearly a decade later, his official debut album, Victory Lap, was nominated for a Grammy. Hussle returned his success to his neighborhood, starting businesses that employed felons, and a STEM program to "bridge the gap between South Central and Silicon Valley." Only a year after his album's release, Hussle was shot and killed outside of a store he'd just opened, prompting widespread grief in the music industry. This is a story of determination and heart that no music fan will want to miss. Agent: Robert Guinsler, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Mar.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
A founding editor of Vibe magazine, hip-hop journalist Kenner has written the first biography of the complicated, innovative rapper Nipsey Hussle (1985--2019). Much like Hussle's work, Kenner's narrative is raw and unfiltered, the language of the streets of South L.A. unedited. Those who knew Hussle intimately share stories of his life and contributions to the music industry and dedication to giving back to his community. Born into poverty, Hussle was a straight-A student who built his own computer from scratch but became a member of a local gang and the target of harassment by local police. Determined to create a productive life, Hussle became an independent mix tape rapper whose autobiographical music focused on political awareness and activism. His murder in front of his Los Angeles storefront in March 2019 left a significant hole in the music world. VERDICT Kenner provides a behind-the-scenes look at the rap business and a musical genius. Rousing and powerful, this work will be devoured by Hussle's fans and appreciated by students of Black culture and the music industry.--Lisa Henry, Kirkwood P.L., MO
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
The first full biography of the multifaceted entrepreneur, committed philanthropist, and rising rap star. Before his tragic murder in 2019, Nipsey Hussle (born Ermias Asghedom in 1985), who was already a fixture in the hip-hop community, was destined for a mainstream breakthrough year. In 2018, after a series of well-received mixtapes, he released his debut studio album, Victory Lap, a critical success that showcased how to transcend expectations and transform one's environment--in Nipsey's case, the violent streets of South Central Los Angeles, "a once-thriving Black neighborhood blighted by decades of divestment and a policy known as redlining that amounted to real estate apartheid." As veteran music journalist Kenner shows in his welcome dissection of a complex artist and activist, Nipsey, through his talented lyricism, was able to envision and actualize a brighter future that would feature persistent progress, constant evolution, and holistic self-improvement. In the same shopping-center parking lot where his crew had once engaged in illicit activities to survive a landscape without opportunity, they were now providing jobs and opportunities. Their flagship Marathon Clothing store and Vector90, the business incubator and STEM youth space, offered models to the entire hip-hop world about what it meant to be fully committed to one's community. The Eritrean American rapper, alongside his real and chosen brothers, made it clear how to "get it straight up out the mud" through grit and principled action. Kenner, a founding editor of Vibe who covered his subject's hard-earned success for more than a decade, smoothly pulls together many of the relationships, influences, and avenues of study that made Nipsey one of Black music's beacons of hope. His signature tagline, "The Marathon continues…," stood for endurance, and it is still widely used by his many fans. As Nipsey raps on a track from Victory Lap, "It's all I'm tryna do: hustle and motivate." A well-executed recognition of the dynamic presence and unrelenting impact of a hip-hop legend gone too soon. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
