The Marathon Don’t Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle. Rob Kenner. 2021. Atria Books. 446 pages. [Source: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.]
The Marathon Don’t Stop is the book I’ve most anticipated since it was announced in 2019. Nipsey Hussle’s official debut album, Victory Lap, is deeply personal to me and remains in near-daily rotation three years after its release. His sudden murder in 2019 rocked me with shock and disbelief that was more acute than what I felt as a 13-year-old hearing of Tupac Shakur’s death. This book, then, is a fitting opportunity for fans and newcomers alike to better understand the full trajectory of Nipsey’s life as “the Tupac of his generation.”
In this biography, Kenner examines Nipsey’s life from the lens of, unsurprisingly, a marathon. Starting with his childhood in South Central Los Angeles and following his resolute pursuit of success on his own terms, The Marathon Don’t Stop is a retrospective of Nipsey Hussle as a multifaceted man — Ermias Asghedom — not just a Crip turned rapper.
Kenner approaches The Marathon Don’t Stop as one would expect of a journalist. It is abundantly clear that Kenner did ample research, with an extensive bibliography to back up more than a decade of covering Nipsey’s career. There is a plethora of new interviews from Nipsey’s neighborhood, music, and business associates and family members to provide insight, which is coupled with existing media coverage. Where Nipsey’s own words are used, they come from an expansive collection of print, online, and video interviews, as well as his own social media posts. Interviews are a mix of those conducted with the author as well as those sourced from outlets, representing more than a decade of coverage. The result is a narrative that unfolds from various perspectives, with an honest and balanced portrayal of the complexity of Nipsey’s relationships, experiences, and legacy.
The Marathon Don’t Stop isn’t solely focused on Nipsey, though. Kenner certainly provides background for Nipsey’s life and gives the personal and professional chronologies one would expect. However, it’s impossible to speak of Nipsey’s upbringing and career without also scrutinizing the environment that made him who he was. In doing so, Kenner provides context not just for the Los Angeles of Nipsey’s experience, but he explains how Los Angeles’ political, social, and economic conditions evolved over decades to create the unique circumstances that led to Nipsey’s gang affiliation, pivot into music, and eventual success as a community investor and activist.
In an industry where artist exploitation is an open secret, Nipsey was renown for eschewing the same pitfalls as other artists who simply wanted to make it big. He wanted to have that success, but, as Kenner demonstrates, he also had a code that dictated how he moved toward that goal and how he leveraged that success. The Marathon Don’t Stop highlights the wins and losses Nipsey and his team experienced on his rise. Even as a die-hard fan, it’s difficult to know the intimate details from simply following headlines and lyrics; Kenner synthesizes publicized incidents with intimate details from those who were involved first-hand. One thing becomes clear — Nipsey learned and played the game well. But in games, there are always winners and losers. And Kenner details, with heart-rending precision, how Nipsey’s willingness to look out for the neighborhood eventually led to his death.
It’s worth noting that The Marathon Don’t Stop is an unauthorized biography. Kenner leans heavily on primary sources, and the book is dense with information. But lacking in that are the voices of some of Nipsey’s family. So while the book holds incredible depth, there is no getting around what feels like the missing perspectives of those who were undoubtedly closest to him speaking directly with this author since Nipsey’s death. It’s hard to read a biography about Nipsey without wondering how much more insight could be learned from those who held notably close relationships with him — those who are now at the helm of making sure his marathon continues.
The Marathon Don’t Stop is important reading for long-standing fans of Nipsey Hussle or those learning of him after his death. Kenner has crafted an comprehensive book that will leave any reader with a far greater understanding of Nipsey Hussle’s life, career, death, and legacy than can easily be gleaned in any single place.
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