Nipsey Hussle was well-known as a bookworm, dropping his favorite titles in numerous interviews and referring to novel protagonists in his songs. After his passing, a Wisconsin fan compiled an ever-growing list of books he’d mentioned throughout his career.
According to a story by the L.A. Times, the reading list has since inspired the Marathon Book Club. The outlet reports that the book club includes 74 members and four chapters who meet once a month in cities cross the US, including Oakland, New York City, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.
The L.A. Times notes that the club has primarily become a safe space for mostly African American men to convene, discuss and practice Hussle’s teachings.
“We all have to learn how to [navigate spaces] whether we’re with our own people or we’re in spaces with prominently white people,” Los Angeles member R.J. Harris said. “You have to master that skill to be successful in the real world.”
Discussion topics include entrepreneurial pursuits, family, hardship and more. Other members told the outlet that the meetings have even spurred conversations of mental health—a subject they previously felt was taboo.
“It used to be how tough you are and how many women you could bag,” Prof. Charles H.F. Davis III, a Los Angeles member, told the Times. “It’s OK to talk about issues, [to] be vulnerable and fail. That’s the true essence of manhood.”
Lauren London previously told the L.A Times about Hussle’s reading habits, revealing he’d listen to books on tape for hours.
“We read a lot of books together,” she said in an interview just days after his death. “We inspired each other to be better versions of ourselves. He was a truth seeker and a truth speaker.”
The L.A Times also reports that since Hussle’s reading list was compiled, his must-read novels have been flying off the shelves. According to outlet, the rise in sales has particularly be seen at Eso Won Books, a Los Angeles bookstore that Hussle used to visit. The shop has experienced increased sales in several of the rapper’s favorites, such as “Sacred Woman,” “The Spook Who Sat by the Door” and “The Way of the Superior Man.”
See Hussle’s reading list below.