Nipsey Hussle may be gone, but his impact is still being felt. He was one of the most celebrated and praised businessmen in hip hop. He always found a new angle from which to promote an album or to benefit his L.A. community. Nipsey Hussle's team has continued this legacy by announcing a new L.A. burger restaurant. The restaurant will open March 1, and be located right next to the clothing store that bears Hussle's Marathon branding. Marathon will now represent food, too.
Nipsey Hussle's team issued a statement confirming the brand expansion. "The Marathon team is excited to expand the brand into the restaurant industry here in L.A," the statement read. "When Nipsey birthed the Marathon [brand], launching it with The Marathon mixtape in 2010, the goal was always to enterprise this into a full lifestyle brand. Music, fashion, food/hospitality, and entertainment." The late rapper's team identified the restaurant as "another step" towards realizing his ultimate vision. There's been attempts to sell food under the Marathon name before. A pop up restaurant selling sandwiches debuted in October 2024, and Hussle's team was evidently pleased with the turnout.
Who Owns Nipsey Hussle's Marathon Brand?
The Marathon pop up was the brainchild of Nipsey Hussle's brother, Blacc Sam. He has been part of the brand since day one, co-founding it with Hussle, Steve Carless and Lauren Civil. Born Samiel Asghedom, he has done an excellent job of carrying on Hussle's legacy and curating the Marathon brand. Blacc Sam reflected on this huge responsibility during the 2022 documentary The Marathon Cultivation. As the title suggests, the brand has become even bigger than Nipsey Hussle's music. This was always supposed to be the plan.
"This is something we always spoke about," Blacc Sam explained. "Nipsey, Fatts, Adam and I had a goal to get a legitimate licensed store and have our brand in other stores across the state. We’re so honored to be able to fulfill the dream." Blacc Sam also spoke on Nipsey Hussle's unreleased catalog, and plans to release posthumous albums. He assured fans that he is working to ensure that new Nip music is out by summer. "It sounds amazing," he told Power 106.1. "It should be coming out around this summer."
