The Marathon Don't Stop is an in-depth look at the life of Nipsey Hussle (RIP 3/31/2019). However, Rob Kenner goes beyond Hussle's life, this is also an in-depth view on the history of Los Angeles, CA (specifically the Slauson and Crenshaw areas), the history of gang development, evolution of major players in hip-hop, and the racism prevalent in the entertainment industry. California has this rep of being so progressive, but the book does an excellent job of displaying the racist policies in housing/real estate development, the police (this wasn't covert...), and the entertainment industry that are systematic in shaping and continuing to oppress Black folks in this country. Kenner relies heavily on interviews with some of the major players in Hussle's life, social media posts, and interviews of Hussle, which includes a very extensive bibliography for each chapter.

I felt like I was watching a documentary on Nipsey Hussle (born Ermias Asghedom) and how LA influenced his art and creativity. Kenner emphasizes Hussle's spirit of giving back to the community that shaped him and being a beacon of hope for younger generations to pursue creative interests and see their own value rather than the worth (or lack thereof) placed by society. There was no set timeline of the narrative in terms of chapter breakdown because there was a lot of history and players intertwined with the major events of Hussle's life. Nevertheless, I truly appreciated how in-depth Kenner goes into the history of the area beyond the scope of Hussle's life. This is more than a biography on an influential person, this is a history book that touches the tip of the iceberg of the intricacies that shape a human life: this is the development of someone who was complex, well-respected, and left the world too soon.

This was such an interesting read about Nispey Hussle.

I have known of him in circles with my students, but to be able to do a dive into his history was welcome!

I liked how Kenner really seemed to bring us alongside Nipsey's life, his struggles, and his untimely death.

Thanks for allowing me to review this before hand! It is a great resource for cultural awareness and connectedness amongst generations.

Greatly appreciated this title that caused me to process much more than I expected. Breadth of content included business, creativity, gang life, racism, hustle and determination, innovation, identity and integrity. A reminder that being anti-racist requires us to truly value the lives of people of color, to believe their contributions to society are invaluable, and to see what we need to learn from them. Change will only begin when we fight for more than a cause, but to amplify voices we need to hear from and relationships we need to enter into.

I’m a totally in my feelings as I write this. Rob Kenner 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 did a phenomenal job with this biography! 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 is an emotional journey that touched my heart in ways I honestly didn’t expect.

What made this journey so impactful is that it took me through Nipsey’s entire life, from his birth to after is assassination.

Let me be clear in stating there is no fluff in this book. No B.S. about his romantic relationships ( 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘯 𝘕𝘪𝘱𝘴𝘦𝘺’𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯) no mentions of beefs Nip may have had, and no TMZ gossip type of foolishness. In other words, this is a solid body of work.

TMDS explains just how a person like Nipsey can end up in a gang. I found every story in this book significant. This biography is packed with information that allows a reader like me, someone who didn’t know much about Nipsey, to walk away feeling as if I knew the legend personally. After reading this book I honestly feel cheated! Cheated that such a great man is no longer here, and I’m just learning the details of his prolific life!

Reading this book was like being on a roller coaster. The first few chapters was like going uphill, it’s a little slow, but weighted with necessary details and information about LA’s history and the climate that created Nipsey. Then came the middle of the book, the top of the of the hill, this is where everything picked up. The story got real. I could clearly see the direction Kenner was taking . This is when I began to understand the importance of the beginning chapters. I embraced the story. There was no turning back. I was fully invested. Then came the final chapters, the dramatic, fast paced climax that caused my heart to pound! This part of the book made me want to scream! It caused my stomach to drop and brought tears to my eyes.

To take in Nipsey’s entire story at one time makes for an extremely emotional read. Understanding everything he stood for, only to be assassinated the way he was is so freaking heartbreaking!

One of the saddest moments was reading how Nipsey often spoke of one day selling out the Staples Center. Only to sadly accomplish that goal at his memorial.

Although I found this narrative heartbreaking, it would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the inspiration I gained as I read Nipsey’s story. As I read I took down titles of the books Nipsey read. I purchased all of them. I wrote down the lessons shared throughout each chapter. And as a result, I feel like I’ve now been passed a touch! The Marathon Don’t Stop!

Also, Kenner does an amazing job of detailing how the marathon was built.

I highly recommend this book for everyone! It is not reserved for Nipsey fans only. Because in the end, this is the story of how one man turned nothing into something! He stood for what he believed. And he truly did it his way!

( 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 @𝘈𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘥𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 @𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘈𝘙𝘊 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.

The Marathon Don’t Stop is the story of. Nipsey Hussle, one of hip hop’s most notable icon. This book tells the story of his beginnings on the street and how he built his empire from the ground up.

Using interviews, the author gives insight to Nipsey’s early life, events that influenced him, and set backs that pushed him to keep moving forward.

As a fan of his song “FDT” (if you know, you know) I was interested in learning more about this figure. Knowing literally nothing about him, I was impressed with the lengths he went to keep giving back to his neighborhood, and the effort he put into planning for its future.

Overall, a good read about a life cut tragically short.

This book was a history lesson on so many levels. Obviously this is about Hussle’s life but we also get an in-depth look into Los Angeles, its race relations history, and the power of community. We all had an idea of what Tupac could have been if he wasn’t murdered at 25 and the positive impact he would have made on the world. Nipsey was the manifestation of Tupac’s quote, "I'm not saying I'm gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world." In actuality, he was that and so much more!

I am not a fan of hip hop. I have never given the genre a real chance to be honest. I just didn’t think the music, the lyrics, or the artists themselves were relatable. Reading the blurb of this book I was intrigued. I honestly don’t remember ever hearing the name Nipsey Hussle, which makes sense since I am not a hip hop fan, nor did I grow up on the streets. I now wish I had listened to the music before, given it a real chance and learned the true stories. Nipsey Hussle’s story is inspiring, real, and tragic. I really enjoyed reading this book and learning about the young man, Ermias Joseph Asghedom, who became Nipsey Hu$$le. How he wanted to give back to his community, his work ethic, his love for his family, and how the people he met in life may not have believed in his plan at first, they soon came around and were amazed by his intelligence. I got the feeling that he was a presence that most took for granted and didn’t believe he would accomplish anything worth while.