These Artists Are Honoring Nipsey Hussle Through Their Work

To honor Nipsey Hussle on the anniversary of his death, Okayplayer curated this collection of artwork dedicated toward the late, great Crenshaw rapper.

"Built my own lane, ain't no nigga ever hand me shit. Slauson Ave., do you understand the averages?"

Nipsey Hussle released one official album: the Grammy-nominated Victory Lap. But men lie, women lie, and so do numbers. Over a career that spanned over a decade, Nipsey Hussle built one of the most impressive rap legacies ever seen.  Even though he only had one only one album on the board, he had a catalog with classic mixtapes, verses, street albums, and freestyles. 

But it was never just about the music with Nipsey. Following the days that Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed in Hyde Park, Los Angeles — just minutes away from Crenshaw, the neighborhood he grew up in — plenty of people were playing songs like "Hussle & Motivate" or "Last Time That I Checc'd." Or they were debating if Nipsey's best verse was on "Blue Laces 2" or "Keys 2 The City." But it was the clips that really stood out. The internet was flooded with videos of gestures we saw from Nipsey over the years. There were clips of him hanging around his neighborhood, joking with his friends, dropping words wisdom. Even more striking was the testimonials from the people who knew him best: friends, family, fellow artists described a soul that was authentic and grounded. A far contrast when you consider what gets amplified in rap music now — the fake and the exaggerated.

It's not hyperbolic to say that his death impacted the country. From LA to Arizona to Connecticut, you saw massive murals get displayed throughout the country. You saw painters, fashion designers, and graphic illustrators dedicated pieces of work to Nipsey. There are now thousands of Nipsey Hussle pieces of artwork in the world. Not bad for a rapper who released one album. 

To honor Nipsey Hussle on the one year anniversary of his death, Okayplayer, in association withThe Bishop Art Gallery, curated this collection of the finest pieces of work paying homage to the legendary figure.

Artist: Robert Peterson

Artist: Justin Wadlington

Artist: Sahle Jack

Artist: Ron Bass

Artist: Pope Phoenix

Artists: Hila Yeshayahu & Hadar Yeshayahu

Artist: Malik Ducote

Artist: Umahani Abdulla

Artist: Marilena Hamm

Artist: Brianna Madrigal

Artist: Damian Peterson Jr.

Curated by Okayplayer and The Bishop Art Gallery.