At the age of 33, Nipsey Hussle had only put on one official studio album. And while it was Grammy-nominated, his fans will forever cherish the legacy he built through his mixtape run. The Marathon Continues became a slogan to carry on his legacy but it truly began with the release of his 2011 mixtape of the same name. TMC remains a pivotal project in Nipsey’s career but also one that became synonymous with the blog era. Laced with 14 songs in total, Nip’s desires and ambition shined as he basked in the success he’s accomplished independently.
No song sums it up better than “Rose Clique.” Glossy synths and wavy guitar chords lead the way as Nip paints a picture of a young boss manifesting a life far from where he came up. “LAX to JFK then on our way to Heathrow/ At the polo lounge in here sippin’ cappuccino,” he raps. “Spendin’ pounds, every purchase, man, this feeling has no equal/ if you come from where I come from, it’s rare that you see folk.”
“Rose Clique” became a highlight off of the project, though it was released months before when Nip had celebrated 107K followers on Twitter. Released as a free mixtape and available on iTunes, Nipsey’s TMC laid down the foundation of the independent grind he would pursue with projects like Crenshaw that were sold as hard copies for $100.
Check out the song below.
Quotable Lyrics
Faith in my transition, I knew I’ll be back in beast mode
Catch a case, that’s the tradition, either that or six believe no
Still somehow I understood that I could make the seed grow
And that one day that tree will bear fruit to feed my people
That one day is upon us, grab your fork it’s time to eat, bro