Nipsey Hussle posthumously awarded rap stardom, whose impact, in my opinion, hasn't been fully recognized in totality. Still, when it comes to ambitious, thought-provoking leaders, who transcend the time they were in, Nipsey had the ambitions of a rider. Not intending to write an exposé on Nipsey Hussle's life; I will reserve that for someone else. Nipseys' connection to the community's pulse was like an artery's relation to the veins; he was a visionary that connected dots most others wouldn't see existing until years to come. Those dots became what we know now as The Marathon store. The first and only 'smart' store(customers can purchase merch and use an app to preview exclusive content) of its kind in the United States of America! Back when he shared his ideas for the store, even after opening up, giving us a physical glimpse of his vision, We still didn't fully grasp it. I often wonder if he fully recognized it himself.
Nipsey's 'smart' store, with Idris Sandu's help, a visionary in his own right, not only introduced tech to an underdeveloped, overly neglected urban section, in my opinion, he also introduced us to the first active use case for NFTs. NFTs(Non-Fungible Tokens) are unique, one-of-a-kind assets that can represent people's identities, property rights, and more. Once Bitcoin hit record new all-time highs in January 2021, it seems you can't go a day without hearing about NFTs. Taco Bell created one; many celebrities have begun to develop them. Even Marc Cuban, the owner of Dallas Mavericks, mentioned NFT's in multiple news interviews adding diesel fuel to the fire. Yet in 2017, a rapper from Compton CA's streets would introduce us to a revolutionary concept. Customers would scan tags, revealing limited edition digital content only available in store.
Entering The Marathon store, you immediately notice walls lined with merchandise from hats to t-shirts to art. Every product or logo had a tag programmed with content. Upon purchasing, you are accessible to exclusive content that is not available anywhere else. Streaming directly from the clothing tag gave him the ability to upload content at any time because you bought it; you get it first. Nipsey was all about cutting out the middle man. Unfortunately, his potential, which like his talents, we didn't realize until now! Many will claim to be the first to do a thing. Then, there are actually those first to do something; they are Prolific! Not worrying about money or fame, their ultimate goal is to be an inspiration, so to use the words of a wise man, 'The highest human act is to inspire.' He inspired many, and that marathon continues, on the block and THE BLOCKCHAIN.
