THE LATE, GREAT NIPSEY HUSSLE TO BE CELEBRATED

AT BET EXPERIENCE 2024 PRESENTED BY WALMART

WITH LIMITED EDITION MERCH COLLABORATION

 

THE MARATHON CLOTHING AND BETX UNITE FOR LIMITED EDITION APPAREL,

AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY VIA THEMARATHONCLOTHING.COM

AND AT SELECT BETX 2024 EVENTS

 

BETX 2024 TAKES OVER HUSSLE’S BELOVED HOMETOWN OF LOS ANGELES, CA ON JUNE 26-30

 

PERCENTAGE OF PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT HUSSLE’S NEIGHBORHOOD NIP FOUNDATION

 

 

The groundbreaking legacy of the late, great Nipsey Hussle will be celebrated at the upcoming BET Experience 2024 Presented By Walmart (BETX) in Los Angeles with an exclusive merch collaboration between BETX and Hussle’s world-renowned brand, The Marathon Clothing (TMC). The limited-edition apparel will be available, exclusively via www.themarathonclothing.com and at select BETX 2024 events. A percentage of the proceeds will benefit Hussle’s Neighborhood Nip Foundation, providing grassroots programming and strategic funding to Los Angeles community organizations serving underprivileged youngsters in need. 

 

Set to takeover Hussle’s beloved hometown of Los Angeles on June 26-30, BETX 2024 promises the ultimate in Black culture and entertainment. With a lineup of Black culture’s most influential artists, experts, and tastemakers, attendees will enjoy unforgettable live performances, comedy shows,  immersive workshops, and much more. Highlights include the BETX 2024 FanFest, a free event taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29; a star-studded concert at the Crypto.com Arena headlined by Cardi B, Gunna, Davido and more on Friday, June 28; and the all-star Roots Picnic: Hip-Hop Is The Love of My Life concert event featuring The Roots, Queen Latifah, Common, and more at the famed Hollywood Bowl on Saturday, June 29. Co-produced by Live Nation Urban, BETX 2024 will culminate with the annual “BET Awards” 2024, airing live on BET from Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater on Sunday, June 30 at 8:00 pm (ET/PT). For more information, visit BETExperience.com.

 

“We’re honored to be a part of this year’s BET Experience. BET has always supported Hussle throughout his journey,” says The Marathon team. “With this capsule, we’re happy to present iconic moments that he’s shared with BET along the way.”

 

“In the spirit of Nipsey’s advocacy to reach back to underserved communities in the great city of Los Angeles and celebrating his insurmountable talent, we look forward to honoring him with this exclusive partnership at the BET Experience 2024,” said Brian Rikuda, EVP, Enterprise Growth Strategy, Business Operations and Programming Strategy, BET Media Group. “We are invested in keeping the Marathon going strong and doing our part to empower the many people he touched across the globe, and we will continue our efforts to impact and create positive social change for our community.”

 

The TMC/BETX partnership continues the long relationship forged by Hussle and BET throughout his career. From Hussle judging “106 & Park” Freestyle Friday, to his first-ever performance at the 2009 “BET Hip Hop Awards” alongside Dorrough, Jim Jones, Soulja Boy, and Snoop Dogg of “Ice Cream Paint Job (West Coast Remix),” as well as participating in the cypher the same year alongside Wale, GSan, KRS ONE to the iconic “BET Awards” 2018 Pre-Show performance, to the “BET Awards” 2019 blue carpet, posthumous Humanitarian Award, and on-stage unforgettable tribute by Marsha Ambrosius, DJ Khalid, John Legend, and YG.

 

This year saw Hussle’s Neighborhood Nip Foundation serve as an official charity partner in the 2024 Los Angeles Marathon, with The Marathon Clothing, The Marathon Water, and Puma joining together to sponsor a team which raised over $100,000 benefitting the rebirth of the Nipsey Hussle Plaza, home to the Neighborhood Nip Foundation headquarters at 3420 W. Slauson Ave. (at Crenshaw Boulevard) – the original location of Hussle’s trailblazing The Marathon Store in Los Angeles. Following Hussle’s passion for creating a program that aids and encourages youth to reach their highest potential, the renovated site – set to officially open later this year – will serve as a massive community center for elementary through high school level students. Led by staff members of the Foundation and additional volunteers from the community, programming will range from academic studies to music and studio-specific access. Additionally, Nipsey Hussle Plaza will offer exclusive access to The Marathon Store, which will not be open to the public, as well as free haircuts at Steve’s Barbershop (named after Hussle’s childhood friend and business partner, Stephen “Fatts” Donaldson).

 

In addition, Atlanta, GA’s Invest Fest, the annual in-person experience combining investing, entrepreneurship, pop culture, and entertainment in a festival setting, recently announced its plans to partner with The Marathon and Microsoft for the inaugural Nipsey Hussle Business Grant: $100,000 Invest Fest Pitch Competition, awarding $100,000 to one outstanding entrepreneur to fuel their business ambitions. The top four finalists will compete for the Grand Prize on the Main Stage at the upcoming Invest Fest ‘24, set for ATL’s Georgia World Congress Center on August 23-25. For complete details and submission information, please visit Invest Fest Pitch Competition.

 

Since his passing Nipsey Hussle’s family has continued his work with the Neighborhood Nip Foundation, created in 2019 with a mission to extend Hussle and his Marathon brand’s legacy into the Los Angeles community through initiatives that benefit underprivileged youngsters in need. The Neighborhood Nip Foundation provides grassroots programming and strategic funding to local organizations serving at risk or at need youth populations. 

 

ABOUT NIPSEY HUSSLE:

Ermias “Nipsey Hussle” Asghedom founded his record label, All Money In, in 2008, making an epochal debut with its very first release, Bullets Ain’t Got No Name Vol. 1. Hussle’s fourth mixtape released under All Money In, The Marathon, was deemed one of XXL’s “100 Best Mixtapes of 2010.” In 2011 Hussle released The Marathon Continues followed in 2013 by Crenshaw, the latter of which morphed into a media sensation when 1000 first-edition cassettes priced at $100 each sold out in less than 24 hours at an All Money In pop-up on Los Angeles’ Fairfax Avenue (with none other than JAY-Z purchasing 100 copies of his own).

 

A year later, Hussle embarked on the Crenshaw Tour before releasing Mailbox Money. This time, the budding entrepreneur offered a limited-edition run of 100 physical copies priced at $1000 each, all of which sold out instantly. After creating a weekly #MarathonMonday series, Hussle released the 17-track Slauson Boy 2 in 2016. The rapper later teamed with hip-hop peer YG for the landmark single, “FDT (F*** Donald Trump),” praised by the Los Angeles Times as “the most prophetic, wrathful and unifying protest song of 2016.”

 

Hussle announced his partnership with Atlantic Records in 2017, releasing his label debut album, Victory Lap, in 2018 to worldwide popular success, critical applause and a “Best Rap Album” nomination at the 2019 GRAMMY® Awards. The following year saw Hussle awarded with posthumous GRAMMY® Awards for “Best Rap Performance” for his own “Racks In The Middle (Feat. Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy)”) and “Best Rap/Sung Performance” for DJ Khalid’s “Higher (Feat. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend).”

 

Hussle’s creative vision wasn’t limited to his roles as an artist and label executive. The savvy businessman created The Marathon Clothing (TMC) brand in 2009, then years later remodeled and opened his first flagship smart store in 2017 in his beloved Crenshaw District. The owner of several other successful business ventures including The Marathon Agency and SC Commercial Ventures, Hussle also launched a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) initiative for Crenshaw neighborhood youth in 2018 called Vector 90, which would serve as an incubator for local students and upcoming entrepreneurs. 2022 saw the long-awaited grand opening of The Marathon (Collective), a premier THC and CBD retail store at 7011 Canoga Ave. Los Angeles, CA 91303. Hussle’s legacy continues with the rebirth of the Nipsey Hussle Plaza, home to the Neighborhood Nip Foundation headquarters at 3420 W. Slauson Ave. (at Crenshaw Boulevard) – the original location of Hussle’s trailblazing The Marathon Store in Los Angeles, set to open in the Fall of 2024.

 

ABOUT BET EXPERIENCE:

BET Experience is the destination for elevating unapologetic Blackness with authentic entertainment, access and lifestyle experiences. Through the lens of millennial and Gen Z audiences, BET Experience cultivates the intersection of who this coveted segment is and where it’s headed.

 

ABOUT BET MEDIA GROUP:

The BET Media Group, a unit of Paramount (NASDAQ: PARAA; PARA), is the world’s largest media company dedicated to entertaining, engaging, and empowering the Black community and championing Black culture. Connecting Black audiences through a portfolio of brands including BET, BET+, BET Gospel, BET HER, BET International, BET Jams, BET Soul, BET Studios, and VH1, the BET Media Group is a thriving media ecosystem of leading interconnected platforms across cable TV, streaming, digital, studios, live events and international.

 

For more information about BET, visit www.bet.com and follow @BET on social platforms. For more BET news announcements, visit www.paramountpressexpress.com/bet.

 

 

ABOUT LIVE NATION:

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Media & Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.

 

Live Nation Urban (LNU) remains North America’s preeminent producer of concert experiences, festivals, and platforms headlined, curated, and owned by black talent. Operating in partnership with Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s leading live entertainment company, the company sets the tone for culture with over a dozen sought-after festival brands such as Roots Picnic, Broccoli City, Exodus Music & Arts Festival, ONE Musicfest, Strength of a Woman, and more.

 

Beyond their captivating live events, Live Nation Urban has established themselves as key social architects in black culture with their innovative initiatives that include Juneteenth: A Global Celebration (broadcast on CNN), Kerry Washington’s THICKER THAN WATER book tour, and a special Hip-Hop 50 event at the home of Vice President Kamala Harris in addition to tours by artists such as Ari Lennox, Kirk Franklin, Davido, LL Cool J, Jill Scott, Jodeci, and Raphael Saadiq. The LNU-produced “A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop” special garnered a nomination at the NAACP Image Awards for “Outstanding Variety Show.” Live Nation Urban continues to grow across hip-hop, R&B, soul, and gospel as the most trusted purveyor of live urban music. For additional information, visit https://livenationurban.com/.

 

# # #

 

CONNECT WITH NIPSEY HUSSLE

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

THEMARATHONCLOTHING.COM

 

NIPSEY/TMC PRESS CONTACT

BRITTANY BELL | BRITTANY.BELL@ATLANTICRECORDS.COM

 

BET PRESS CONTACT

Johnny Cooper | JOHNNY.COOPER@BET.COM