THE MARATHON (Understanding Gentrification and Buying Back the Hood)

Nipsey saw gentrification as an exploitation of his Crenshaw neighborhood and sought to combat it by promoting community ownership through investment in local businesses and real estate.

He worked on projects like the Destination Crenshaw, a community-driven project that rapper Nipsey Hussle was integral in founding, with his team even creating the initial logo. It is an ongoing project to create a 1.3-mile outdoor art museum and cultural hub in the Crenshaw neighborhood of South Los Angeles, celebrating the area’s Black history and culture. The project aims to transform the Crenshaw corridor into a destination, rather than just a thoroughfare, reflecting Hussle’s broader vision of investing in and “buying back the hood” to empower the community.