What Nipsey Taught Me...
Serving as both the opening and title track of his last album, Victory Lap reflects the beauty of knowing and standing firm in your greatness.
Life is a Marathon
Proclaiming without hesitation, with the words “I’m prolific, so gifted, I’m gonna be the type that’s gonna go get it. No kidding,” reminds you the listener, that his album is the culmination of a lot of hard work and necessary confidence in self. Seeds planted for more than a decade by Hussle, with his latest, reflecting all the fruit born beforehand. So what is one to gain from that?
From making his rounds on the mixtape circuit to changing the game with his albums Crenshaw & Mailbox Money where he laid claim to what he knew he was worth, Nipsey taught me that no one is going to claim it for you until you do. As he did for so many, he showed me that our greatness starts from within. You must go in and tap into, and it’s a necessity because many things surrounding us, deters us from grasping it and instead, holding on to things familiar and comfortable, even if it’s not reflective of your highest potential.
You Have to Stay Dedicated
With lyrics so vivid like “This ain’t entertainment, it’s for n****s on the slave ship, these songs just the spirituals I swam against them waves with, ended up on shore, to they amazement,” One can’t help but think about what he is saying.
When listening to the song Dedication, I find myself dissecting each cadence and word in his verses. Feeling every ounce of the truth, spoken by Hussle. His knowledge, recall of experiences and lessons learned, continually serving as a playbook of many for those on their modern-day slave ship.
Instantly feeling the urge to fall deeper into his words giving a spiritual cleansing like the power of those that led many of our ancestors to the freedom he speaks on — his words serving as a blueprint for our survivals manual. Meant to help you learn how to get over the landmines life can throw at us.
Sometimes getting us off track of connecting with our north star, the purpose Nipsey often spoke of, that serves as our reason for existence. Each of us dedicated to our path, being triumphant against our own set of waves, often turbulent and unpredictive. But as Nipsey once stated, “I’m about seeing long-term, seeing a vision, understanding nothing worthwhile happens overnight, and just sticking to your script long enough to make something real happen.” Providing this necessary reminder at times when I find myself wanting to throw in the towel and go to what’s familiar.
His lyrics about dedication, self-awareness, culture, loyalty, love of self & thy neighbor, and living a purposeful life, resonated with so many.
Live a Purposeful Life
His impact is evident in the effect he had on so many — someone who was a Movement, not just a Man.
Reflecting a movement towards finding your purpose and using it to the utmost to be able to uplift both yourself and those around you. With verses like “Spoke some things into the universe and it appeared,” Hussle sheds light on the power of manifestation and as our elders say, speaking things into existence. He expressed his truth, made it happen and ensured that part of his legacy reflected his dedication to helping his community.
Nipsey later shares his sentiments that we all must find our purpose or if not “we’re wasting air.” Having no cut cards, Hussle speaking plainly that we are here to serve some purpose. A purpose that we must all seek.
Despite how easy it is to want to take the blue pill and remain in our usual cocoon of comfort, simply put, if it’s not feeding your soul, speaking to your spirit, you’re wasting your time on earth. Now, this isn’t meaning that everyone’s purpose is to start a business, become a hip-hop artist and become the next multi-millionaire, it speaks to something a lot simpler than that. See purpose is having an intention behind your action.
Don’t be afraid to jump off the deep end, even without a life jacket
I often find myself reflecting on life after hearing the aforementioned verse. Are my steps purposeful? Doing a constant check-in on whether I’m walking in alignment with that purpose and in what ways am I still out of alignment towards that purpose.
See this album came out during a time when I began wrestling with those two questions. Am I leading a purposeful life? Am I in alignment with that purpose. As I hit a point of absolute burnout from my then-work as an HR Director, recognizing that although I was relatively young and nearly 15 years junior to my peers, the work I was doing at that time no longer fed my spirit nor many of the gifts I knew I was denying by remaining in both an environment that left me comfortably uncomfortable.
Nipsey’s verses were serving as the perfect soundtrack during my times of ideating of days where I was finally walking in closer alignment with my purpose. The more I connected with people also sharing their interest in walking more towards the light and gift they felt inside, my burning desire to determine if I could connect intentional living practices, food, and overall self-care wellness practices to help guide those of us wanting to take a pause from the daily rat race and tap intentionally into their divine spirit.
As one who spent years, getting and even living a firsthand glimpse of people who choose to dim their light for the sake of being comfortable in the status quo, I learned that every frustrating moment and hardship I faced was a blessing. For it served as a type of intel and insight meant for me to help solve a problem all too familiar and accepted.
It’s amazing how the universe will shift things for you when you become more confident going towards that light.
Run Your Own Race
As he reminds us in Blue Laces 2, “You can have it all; it’s all about your race.” The latter verse serves as a gentle nudge to remember that life truly is a marathon, not a sprint that we all must run at our own God-given pace. As the old saying is “what is for you, is for you.” Remaining anchored in that fact is one albeit, at times hard to not get deterred from that reality, one must fight hard as hell to stay self-aware and grateful for their journey, every present moment of it.
Even the rough patches, the valley’s, it is all perfectly designed for you. Sometimes finding purpose and gratitude in those moments, helps with also helping us connect with the inner power we have to shift things as Nipsey would often talk about, making a shift in the positive energy we want to give out in the universe.
All the greatness and magnificent magic that you possess from within and may desire is attainable; you have to decide to show up and get into the race. Researchers like Brene Brown categorize this as “Stepping into the Arena.” As she notes in many of her talks, it is those who decide to step into the arena who bravely declare regardless of what others may think, that they will live life on their terms and reflect the talents given to them from the creator in a way that is of service to all. She also talks about how many of us aren’t willing to step into the arena, and in exchange decide to remain on the sidelines, serving as bystanders on the road of life, at times becoming naysayers towards those choosing to step into the arena.
The Point of It All
In his final track, I felt that Nipsey shed light on the fact that We are all God personified in human form. One day, we will sit at the right hand of God. Until that day, until our last breath, we are to use every bit of our magic, our joy to glorify both his name but also to breathe vibrant life into our communities.
Whether raising your children, leading your team at work, or hustling to get your business off the ground, whatever it is, do it in a way that is tackling and speaks directly to having a lasting impact on your community. From his lyrics, Nipsey wasn’t mum to share his inner visions and divine knowledge of what our earthly existence personifies.
This thing we call life is far more significant than the existence we usually attach to it. I find myself reflecting on this the more I age, life happens, and the transition of prolific lights like Nipsey who seem to move on just a moment too soon.
Times like these make you take a moment to sit back to ask about life’s purpose. Even if we can’t quite grasp it in the here and now, there will be a time where your dope self in your human form will no longer be. As anchored in the sentiments received from LA comrade Kendrick song “Sing About Me/Dying of Thirst,” one can’t help but reflect on are you living a life that has had an impact on someone other than yourself. For those are the people who generations sing of for decades.
Who do you inspire?
Do you serve as a place of inspiration for your children, nephews, nieces, colleagues, husband, wife, partner, parents or self? Not sure? That’s ok. But begin to ask yourself that.
Reflect on whether the energy you’re putting out is positive and reflecting love for yourself and those around you. If the answer is no, begin to unravel what brings you joy. What things don’t. I’m finding that when you have the courage to slowly but surely reveal more of yourself and the pure love that I feel resides in all of us, this is when you begin to find yourself as an inspiration to both yourself and others. Even in moments when you’re not even feeling as if you are. Nipsey reflected the power of how we all are attracted to people who boldly decide to reflect so much love and light to live as their authentic self and reflect that to their community and serve as a beacon for others.
Nipsey led the type of purposeful life that, even amid the sorrow and pain we currently feel, I find joy in the fact that he left his creative genius in the form of motivational spirituals. Each album serving as a hymnal of triumph in music form of what is like being a black person, particularly a black man in America. Each available for us to connect to, as another essential survival guide to boldly jump off the deep end and swim against those waves.
Giving a nod to Jay- & Beyoncé upon the release of their album the Carters, last summer Hussle posted on IG that “The Highest Human Act is to Inspire.” I couldn’t agree with that statement more.
In his lifetime he personified this unselfish human act by inspiring many generations now and many more to come.
Rise in Power King Nipsey.