"A lot of artists come into the game with a radio record, but they don't establish the fans as fans of their style of music." — Nipsey Hussle

Born Ermias Ashgedom on Aug. 15, 1985, in Los Angeles, Calif., rapper Nipsey Hussle is known for his humor and took his stage name from a twist on comedian Nipsey Russell. A West Coast classic who got started in 2005, his own way of doing things consistently stands out, for example pricing his 2013 mixtape Crenshaw at $100 each. In 2018 Hussle released his first full-length album, Victory Lap, and described more of his signature style on the Recording Academy video-series launch for #NoCover.