It’s been a few months since LA rapper Nipsey Hussle died, but as he would say, the marathon continues. The “marathon” in this case is the legacy that Nipsey left behind and the inspiration his words continue to give to unexpected recipients. His words still pop up in the most surprising places like the Instagram captions of international soccer superstars like Megan Rapinoe, who used an ice-cold Nipsey quote to celebrate the US Women’s National Team World Cup win.
Ain’t really trip on the credit, I just paid all of my dues
I just respected the game, now my name all in the news
Trippin’ on all of my moves, quote me on this, got a lot more to prove.
The quote comes from the song “Hussle & Motivate” from Nipsey’s debut (and final) album, Victory Lap. It’s about as perfect a summary of his work ethic and life philosophy as it gets: Although Nipsey was never quite as notorious in life as many of his notable peers, he earned respect from big-name rap moguls like Jay-Z and Rick Ross for his business acumen and social consciousness, eventually receiving as much shine for his money moves, like buying all the businesses on the block he used to hustle on, as for his music.
Likewise, the USWNT’s press coverage tends to take a backseat to other sports unless they’re agitating for fair wages or preemptively declining White House invitations, but they’re hard to ignore when they win back-to-back World Cups, earning four titles in total to become the most successful team in the history of the tournament. And if that last bar is anything to judge by, it looks like they’ve already got their sights set on the next big achievement — just as Nipsey would want it.
