To say that Nipsey Hussle has been around the block is a gross understatement. Certified in the heart of south central, this boldly bulletproof street soldier has seen it all. A victim of the depressingly inevitable tale of gang life seduction at age 13, Nipsey underwent years of trials and tribulations before reaching his fork in the road: music or the streets. Time eventually told him that the two were not conducive to one another, and—luckily for fans of hip hop—Nipsey’s love for music prevailed.

Nipsey’s musical spread is a refreshingly diverse gem in a genre notorious for monotony. With eye-opening anthemic gang beats and faithful rhymes for the grind of the working class, Nipsey makes sure that no one (himself included) doubts his devotion to his roots. Nipsey’s creations stem from his origins, and burst with unrelenting social commentary as a result. The eerie track “Payback” exposes a government fueled by greed and the inhumane measures they take to achieve their desires, while “Bullets Ain’t Got No Name” manages to threaten and warn hubristic rivals. From gang life to 9/11, this raw rapper acknowledges the game and paints the most realistic ghetto perspective since N.W.A. But it’s not all pessimistic. In the gorgeously delicate “The Hu$$le Way,” the uplifting life story of Mr. Hussle is set to music. The ballad begins with Nipsey questioning his passion for music as true love or lust before speaking directly to all other downtrodden dreamers in the world,  “Hard to focus on my dreams when I was lookin’ at the facts. . .All night grindin’ I don’t take no breaks/ don’t call me a dreamer/ mine is a reality/ grind no salary/ I came a long way from sellin’ grams off grammercy.”

Never over-produced, Nipsey Hussle’s debut release gushes with superior lyrical content and well-known guest spots. This rapper may have come along way but he is also going places.  Be sure to check him out so you can say you knew him when!