Most marathons have a beginning and end, but even in spirit, Nipsey Hussle continues to run laps, without a finish line in sight. Several years have passed since the rapper, born Ermias Ashgedom, was gunned down in the South Central neighborhood that served as the nexus of his rise to fame, but the many seeds he planted during his lifetime remain fruitful.
At the time of his death, Nipsey had several projects in development, ranging from music to film and business endeavors, many of which have remained in play in an effort to honor his legacy. In addition to a planned sophomore album titled The Spook Who Sat by the Door – a follow-up to his Victory Lap debut and inspired by Sam Greenlee’s 1969 novel of the same name – Nipsey was also on the verge of releasing his second full-length project with Bino Rideaux, a recurring collaborator and friend who’s made it his mission to carry the checkered flags that Nip once waved.
For Bino, music was never a career choice. It was part of the inheritance. A native of Los Angeles, Bino was the product of musically inclined parents, with his father, also a rapper, securing a record deal while Bino was still a child. Despite living in separate households, that fatherly influence inspired Bino to begin writing rhymes in elementary school, a pastime which became a commitment by his senior year of high school. He started spending serious time in studios, getting behind microphones and deciding that a career as a music artist was worth the risks that came with pursuing it.Around 2015, Bino’s path would intersect with that of fellow rapper and local star Nipsey Hussle, whose influence reshaped the trajectory of his career. Meeting Nip, who had already established himself nationally as a force to be reckoned with following independent releases such as his Bullets Ain’t Got No Name mixtape series and Crenshaw, marked a different kind of education. It was also his first major feature and his first real step into the music industry.
