Lauren London shared a personal story about her time with late-rapper Nipsey Hussle during the street renaming ceremony.
On Saturday (Feb 27), London, the girlfriend of the late Grammy Award-winning rapper, made an appearance at the intersection of Crenshaw Blvd and Slauson Ave for the ceremony.
Joined by friends, family and friends, London explained how “Nipsey Hussle Square” was always destined to happen.
‘”When me and Nip first started dating, we would drive by over here and he would be like, ‘You know, Boogie, one day, they’re gonna name this whole section after me.’ And here we are today.”
“So thank you all for showing up. Thank you to our family for being strong, beautiful, and inspiring me. So God bless you all, and peace and love.”
Nipsey’s brother Blacc Sam highlighted his brother’s mission and why the Marathon Clothing store at this exact corner mattered so deeply.
“Hussle inspired the youth, inspired the people from the hood, inspired the uninspireable, as people would say, and he put a light on it,” he told the crowd.
“I say all that to say how important this parking lot is and how important this corner is, from little kids to ownership and even what happened to my brother in this parking lot,” he said.
Significance of the Parking Lot
The intersection not only houses Hussle’s famed clothing store, “The Marathon,” but is the location where Hussle was fatally shot by Eric Holder. Before Hussle became a community activist and Grammy-winning artist, he and his brother often stood at the same intersection selling his mixtapes.
Hussle frequently spoke about reducing gang and gun violence in his neighborhood. The newly named square is also home to the Neighborhood Nip Foundation, which continues his work by creating programs that support and encourage local youth.
The name change comes after tens of thousands of petition signatures were submitted to City Council members urging the city to honor Hussle’s legacy.
Hussle was also commemorated by the Metro Station with two limited-edition Nipsey Hussle TAP cards.