Nipsey Hussle’s wax figure made its public debut at Invest Fest in Atlanta. The piece featured Nipsey’s signature braids and beard with a nod to his Marathon Clothing company in his “Crenshaw” t-shirt. Attendees and social media users reacted in real time to the artwork but not everyone thinks the reveal of Nipsey Hussle’s wax figure is a victory lap after unveiling on Aug. 23. The internet weighed in on how lifelike the figure looks.
“A tribute to greatness meets the grind for success,” captioned the post.
While the figure did stay true to the late rapper’s roots, others criticized it for its awkward posing.
“I love it, but what’s up with the one leg tho,” questioned one commenter under the picture.
While others followed suit, confused by the odd stance, supporters of the art considered it extremely well done.
“It looked soooo realistic in person,” exclaimed another Instagram user. “My goodness!! One of the BEST wax figures I’ve ever seen!!!!”
Actor Laz Alonso also chimed in. He added that it is “better work than 90% of the wax figures I’ve seen.”
While the internet had mixed reviews on the wax figure, Nipsey remains a revered hip-hop figure. The festival also did more than showcase a wax figure in his honor.
Sponsored by Earn Your Leisure (EYL), Microsoft, and Nipsey’s The Marathon, a business grant pitch competition, also took place at Invest Fest. The winner received nearly $100,000 to go toward expanding their enterprise.
Nipsey’s life became a legacy when the rapper was shot and killed outside his clothing store in March 2019. Since then, his “Hussle & Motivate” mantra has inspired countless fans to embrace community and entrepreneurship.
A tribute to Nipsey was already in the works
at the festival. However, a conversation with the late rapper’s brother, Blacc Sam, led EYL CEO Rashad Bilal to do more to honor his legacy.“When we were putting together the Invest Fest lineup, I definitely wanted The Marathon to be a part of it in some capacity,” Bilal explained to Revolt.
“The first idea was to have The Marathon as a pop-up shop. But Sam wanted to do something more impactful than just have merch there.”
Although Nipsey’s wax figure did not meet all expectations, his commitment to bettering his community and elevating Black business lives on.
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