Nipsey Hussle’s family has announced they will open “the Marathon Clothing store No. 2” in Los Angeles this year, which was a longtime goal for the late MC.
“This second location is a dream that Nipsey always had, and it’s important that his kids are able to see his plans fulfilled,” Samiel Asghedom, Hussle’s older brother, told the Guardian. Asghedom said his family purchased property in Los Angeles’ Melrose arts district and will strive this year to both open a new location and transform the brand’s flagship store on Crenshaw Boulevard and Slauson Avenue into a youth arts center.
The Marathon flagship store is currently closed but remains a memorial site for Nipsey, who was tragically gunned down in front of the business on March 31, 2019. Samiel says the community space they’re developing will offer free music lessons for young people, similar to a program Nip was part of as a youth.
“Everybody out of that program, including my brother, ended up pursuing a successful music career,” Asghedom said. “Just a little effort and a little resources directed toward the youth can really make a big impact. … So a youth center would be the best thing we could put there, in the vein of what Hussle stood for: something to inspire the youth and teach them skills that they can use to be productive and legitimate when they become adults.”
Asghedom said Nipsey Hussle’s family additionally plans to reopen Steve’s Barber Shop on that corner as a location for free haircuts for kids. He also hopes to create a museum that properly honors Nip. “We want a place where tourists and fans can come to pay homage versus a place that was all about sales,” Asghedom told the outlet.
While the Melrose Avenue Marathon shop does not yet have an opening date, Asghedom said the love and widespread support has kept the family focused on their goal.
“People from all walks of life have shown their love and respect for Nip: reporters, book writers, actors, doctors, lawyers, athletes, everybody,” he said. “They understood what Nip was trying to do and the mantra and the movement of the Marathon. That’s what Nip wanted—to inspire people. I think that was his genius.”
