On Sunday, the hip-hop world lost a powerful and unique figure. Nipsey Hussle, who was gunned down Sunday evening in front of his Marathon clothing store in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, will be remembered as much for his music as his tireless commitment to building independent power, capital, and opportunity for himself and for his community.
While his major label debut Victory Lap was released just last year through Atlantic, the 33-year-old had spent more than a decade releasing independent projects and developing a loyal, devoted fanbase. On Sunday night, that fanbase showed up both in person and on online to pay their respects to the late rapper.
And it seems that fanbase has grown in the wake of his tragic death. According to Billboard, sales of Hussle’s music increased 2,776 percent following his death on Sunday night. Nielsen Music reports that songs and albums from the Los Angeles rapper’s catalog sold a combined 15,000 copies, an exponential increase from what was previously under 1,000 on Saturday. Over 1,000 copies of Victory Lap alone were scooped up on Sunday.
Throughout his career, Hussle preached how important he felt it was for young, black artists to own a considerable stake in the work that they were producing. The surge in purchases from the late rapper’s catalogue feels like a fitting tribute to his longstanding mission.
Nipsey Hussle is a Warner Music artist. .
