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PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 26 april 2019
Street art of Nipsey Hussle in LA breathes life into legacy

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. Ansom, CEO of the Ven-
Associated Press ice Basketball League. He
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Along spearheaded a project to
busy highways, on the sides create the Nipsey Hussle
of buildings and inside a Memorial Basketball Court
school basketball court, at the nonprofit charter
more than 50 colorful mu- school Crete Academy,
rals of Nipsey Hussle have a few blocks from Hussle’s
popped up in Los Angeles clothing store.
since the beloved rapper The basketball court is
and community activist painted blue with a check-
was gunned down outside erboard border and a side
his clothing store. view of Hussle at midcourt.
Some show the rapper Ansom said he felt the urge
gazing into the sky or bow- to push forward the initia-
ing his head. One has him tive to create a basket-
standing with angel wings. ball court mural in honor
Others include inspiring of Hussle as a “thank you”
quotes. The street artists to the rapper who he says
who created the work said was “starting to reach his
they want his legacy to peak.” He and his partner,
grow and his entrepreneur- Michael McLeod, drove
ial spirit to live on. around South Los Angeles
“He wasn’t the biggest star, In this April 17, 2019 photo, mural artist Gustavo Zermeno Jr. walks on a basketball court mural he looking for possible schools
but I knew his music. His dedicated to slain rapper Nipsey Hussle in Los Angeles. before Crete Academy
passing led me to rediscov- Associated Press founder-principal Hattie
er him under a completely have now,” Ponce said. “In the shooting and have de- for his philanthropic work Mitchell agreed to em-
new light,” said Levi Ponce, my case, I’m a painter and scribed it as being the result that went well beyond brace the idea.
who created an elaborate paint in the streets. Nipsey of a personal dispute. the usual celebrity “giving Afterward, Ansom drew his
blue, black and white mu- was able to give it on a The death of the 33-year- back” ethos. vision for the mural on pa-
ral on 26-foot-building with greater scale. He went out old Hussle sent a shock After he passed away, per and called artist Gus-
Hussle’s image in one day. of his way to help the com- wave through the hip-hop Hussle’s peers, from Jay-Z tavo Zermano Jr. to design
A lyric from his song “Victo- munity. For me, that’s moti- community and beyond. to Snoop Dogg, along with it. He said about 40 people
ry Lap” was written above vation and inspiration. So I Fans poured out adoration political and community gathered to paint and
his head. Hussle was fatal- had to get my paint on the for a man whose career hit leaders, were quick and touch up the mural in a
ly shot on March 31 while walls right away after hear- new heights with “Victory effusive in their praise us- week’s time frame. Hussle’s
standing outside The Mara- ing the sad news.” Lap,” his first studio album ing words. For Ponce and father and sister attended
thon, his South Los Angeles Eric R. Holder Jr., who has that earned a Grammy others, paint was how they the ribbon-cutting ceremo-
clothing store, not far from been charged with killing nomination after he re- paid homage. ny to unveil it just days af-
where he was raised. Hussle, has pleaded not leased much sought-after “The world is uniting be- ter the rapper’s public me-
“As a muralist, my philoso- guilty. Police have said mixtapes for a decade. cause of him. You can see morial service, which drew
phy is that we can do our Holder and Hussle had sev- He was an up-and-coming the revival of all the mu- more than 20,000 people
part today with what we eral interactions the day of rapper and beloved figure rals going up,” said Nick to Staples Center. q

J.J. Cale’s posthumous album is vital and inviting

By PABLO GORONDI bum. It took the Oklahoma dio creations and gentle
Associated Press native well over a decade acoustic songs to full-band
J.J. Cale, “Stay Around” to release his first solo al- takes and even some ban-
(Because Music) bum, in 1972, and whatev- jo playing.
J.J. Cale’s “Stay Around” er changed by the slightest There’s excellence at
is a posthumous collection of degrees over the follow- both ends of the spec-
of 15 previously unreleased ing decades, some things trum — and everything
tracks that is as authentic stayed quite the same in between. Recorded in
as any of the original and — his relaxed but precise the kitchen, the persever-
compilation albums he’s sound, a devotion to his ing “If We Try” is just voice
released over his long ca- trademark country-blues and guitar and squeaky
reer. shuffle and the seemingly chair, while “Chasing You”
Cale, who passed away effortless atmosphere of his benefits from the live drums
in 2013, was held in very voice and grooves. and group sound. The Lat-
special esteem by many il- Compiled from a huge in-tinged “Maria” could
lustrious musicians, the kind accumulation of record- be a lost Drifters tune and
of admiration that led to a ings by longtime manager the restlessness on “Winter
2014 tribute album record- Mike Kappus and Christine Snow” is accompanied by
ed by Eric Clapton, whose Lakeland — Cale’s wife audible and claustropho-
early cover of Cale’s “After and occasional collabo- bic buzz.
Midnight” was fundamen- rator — one of the plea- “Stay Around” may be,
tal to both their careers. sures of “Stay Around” is strictly speaking, an archi-
Tom Petty, Willie Nelson This cover image released by Because Music shows “Stay its judicious song selection, val release, but it feels as
and Mark Knopfler were Around,” the latest release by J.J. Cale. which stretches from Cale’s vital and inviting as Cale
also part of the tribute al- Associated Press legendary one-man stu- usually did.q