Latest news with #Hussle
Eater
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Nipsey Hussle's Popular Marathon Burger Is Opening Its Next Location Just Steps From the Beach
One of Los Angeles's hottest burgers is about to make a major splash in Venice. After receiving a warm reception for its Melrose shop in March, Marathon Burger will debut its second location on Saturday, May 31. Samiel 'Blacc Sam' Asghedom (brother of the late rapper Nipsey Hussle) and his team will sling crispy-edged smash burgers on the Venice Beach Boardwalk next to the pickup basketball courts and Muscle Beach in a space once occupied by another LA burger favorite — the Window. In fall 2024, Marathon Burger started as a pop-up in Fairfax's former Johnny Rockets space while interior construction was underway. Since opening for full service in March, fans queue up regularly to order wagyu smashburgers, chicken wings, and fries, including a regular stream of notable music industry visitors like Young Thug, Boosie, and retired NFL player Marshawn Lynch. Though a Venice outpost was in Asghedom's sights for the future, he didn't plan to open a second Marathon so quickly. 'When opportunities present themselves, you gotta kind of jump on it,' Asghedom. 'We had an opportunity to present itself for that location on the boardwalk, and I'm like, 'Oh, we gotta do it.'' The Marathon team has quickly transformed the red-and-yellow exterior into its signature white with red and black accents for this weekend's opening. Asghedom says the team will serve a pared-down menu with smash burgers, hot wings, and a vegan patty. They'll also debut a new double cheeseburger with grilled onions, lettuce, Fresno peppers, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and a proprietary sauce. Breakfast will run from 7 a.m. until noon, with French toast waffles, a breakfast sandwich, orange juice, and coffee; ice cream, a boardwalk favorite, will be served daily. The Venice location will omit the salads, mushroom burger, and milkshakes served at Melrose to help eliminate long wait times. Outdoor seating is available. Asghedom and Hussle grew up working in a family restaurant. Hussle launched his Marathon brand in 2010 and was active in opening businesses in Los Angeles until he was murdered in 2019. Fans have long appreciated Hussle's focus on economic independence for Black entrepreneurs — the Marathon brand is music, fashion, entertainment, and restaurants. Asghedom says that future locations are in the works. 'We have a location we're eyeing, but I don't know if it will be location four or five. We're trying to figure out the best strategic location,' says Asghedom. The Venice Beach Boardwalk consistently has its share of restaurant flips and closures. After the Window closed, it became the vegan fast-food restaurant Mr. Charlie's, which eventually split into a group of adjacent restaurants that opened in early 2025: Epic Taco, Ubatuba Açaí, Mr. B's Mediterranean Grill, and Cane Man. In its new location at one of Southern California's most famous tourist draws, Marathon Burger has a good chance of being embraced by Venice locals and travelers during the high-volume, fast-paced summer season. Starting May 31, 2025, Marathon Burger Venice will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. with late-night delivery from 10 p.m. until 3 a.m. at 1827 Oceanfront Walk, Venice, CA, 90291. Sign up for our newsletter.
Los Angeles Times
21-03-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Rollin' 60s Crips, rappers arrested by feds and the case against ‘Big U'
Federal authorities this week announced that more than a dozen Rollin' 60s Crips members and associates — including Eugene 'Big U' Henley — have been charged in a sprawling criminal case. Henley, who helped launch rapper Nipsey Hussle's career, has been accused in a federal complaint of running a 'Mafia-like' criminal enterprise that carried out a series of racketeering crimes, including extortion, human trafficking, fraud and the 2021 murder of an aspiring rap musician. Henley, in a white T-shirt, black sweatpants and Nike sneakers with no laces, made his initial appearance in court Thursday afternoon. About two dozen family members and friends watched as he walked into the courtroom with his hands cuffed in front of him and his legs shackled. He will remain in federal custody at least until his detention hearing on March 31. The Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips take their name from the numbered streets between Slauson and Florence avenues. They were one of the first cliques — or 'sets' — of the Crips to spring up in the area, according to a 1992 Times article. In a 107-page federal complaint charging Henley and others, Andrew Roosa, an FBI agent, described the Rollin' 60s as 'a violent criminal street gang with associated sets in several other states.' Among their most notable members is Hussle, who shouted out the gang in the intro to his breakthrough 2013 mixtape, 'Crenshaw.' Hussle was killed in 2019 by a fellow member of the Rollin' 60s. Henley is an admitted member and 'original gangster,' or 'OG,' of the Rollin' 60s, Roosa wrote. Although law enforcement called Henley a leader within the Rollin' 60s, Skipp Townsend, a gang interventionist in L.A., said 'there is no leader.' He added that the group is 'not structured as a gang. There's no hierarchy.' The FBI began investigating the Rollin' 60s in August 2020, according to the federal complaint charging Henley and others. The following year, the federal agency launched an investigation into Big U Enterprise and its association with the Rollin' 60s. On wiretap calls, according to the complaint, Henley allegedly recounted being bigger than any Rollin' 60s member, including Hussle. After a years-long FBI investigation, federal authorities have accused Henley of kidnapping and fatally shooting a young rapper in the face and leaving his body in the Las Vegas desert over perceived disrespect. He also is accused of directing the robbery of an unlicensed L.A. marijuana dispensary that had stopped making extortion payments. Henley also allegedly defrauded companies, donors, athletes and celebrities — including professional basketball player Draymond Green and former NBA MVP Shaquille O'Neal — persuading them to donate to his charities and later allegedly transferring the money to his own personal bank accounts. Authorities have also accused Henley of fraudulently obtaining funding from the Gang Reduction and Youth Development program overseen by the L.A. mayor's office. His nonprofit, Developing Options, was allotted $2.35 million from the city from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2023, according to the complaint. Henley's organization is one of more than 20 involved in GRYD, according to the city. In a statement, De'Marcus Finnell, Mayor Karen Bass' press secretary, said the city 'has zero tolerance for malfeasance and over the past two years increased oversight on GRYD programs.' 'The City has strict oversight in place, however the complaint alleges a sophisticated effort to thwart oversight for many avenues of funding including the City,' Finnell said. 'This alleged act does not reflect the work of the GRYD program overall, which has helped lead to a dramatic decrease in gang-related violence citywide two years in a row.' Before he surrendered to authorities, Henley made videos blaming the allegations against him on Internet gossip. In recent years, posts on social media have accused Henley of killing Rayshawn Williams. Authorities made a nod to that in the federal complaint, pointing out that within days of Williams' death, multiple people sent Instagram messages to Henley 'demanding answers for what happened to R.W., all of which went without response.' 'All ya'll who be sending shit around the internet, promoting and listening to what they're saying, all of ya'll supporting this,' Henley said in one video, referring to accusations that have been made against him. Although Henley did not specifically address the murder in his videos, he called the allegations against him 'bull crap.' 'What crimes am I committing to cover up with Developing Options? I ain't committed no crimes and covered up anything with Developing Options,' Henley said. Although the biggest name on the list was Henley, authorities also announced that they had charged 18 other members and associates of the Rollin' 60s. Henley, Mark Martin, aka Bear Claw, and Sylvester Robinson, aka Vey, have been charged with violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Martin, the chief financial officer of Developing Options, is well-known in the gang intervention world and credited with mentoring many youths. Termaine Ashley Williams, a rapper known as Luce Cannon, was arrested in Las Vegas and is charged with robbery. In the complaint, Roosa described Williams' involvement in the robbery of an unlicensed marijuana dispensary in L.A., allegedly at the direction of Henley. Roosa wrote that Williams later admitted to the robbery on the 'No Jumper' podcast. That podcast episode was removed, Roosa wrote, after Henley allegedly served a cease-and-desist order. According to the complaint, Henley allegedly paid Armani Aflleje $1,000 to transport three women from California to Las Vegas to engage in prostitution. Aflleje later spoke to the FBI, Roosa wrote, and admitted to promoting prostitution, noting she was known for 'bringing the hoes.' Henley allegedly later said on a wiretapped call that investigators were going to charge Aflleje with sex trafficking based on a recording they had of Henley saying Aflleje could find women for them. 'Shit, so you gonna get me and say my crime is sending girls money for sex. Is that my crime? Adult girls too. You hear me? It's not like it's some kids. Not like it's a boy,' Henley allegedly said on the wiretap. 'We're talking about grown-ass women.' Aflleje has been charged with transportation of an individual in interstate commerce with intent to engage in prostitution. Frederick Blanton and Tiffany Hines have been charged with bank fraud. Authorities have also charged Christian Forbes, aka Bus, Danavian Hughes, Lamont Green and Zihirr Mitchell, a rapper and YouTube personality known as Bricc Baby, with being felons in possession of firearms. Joshua Hala and Zachary Garcia, aka Z, have been charged with distribution of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime. Ron Antoine Britten, aka Ronnie Mac, has been charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Derrick Andrew Pollard, aka Grimsky, has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and distribution of meth. According to the U.S. attorney's office in L.A., Phuoc Kien Huynh and Bryan Mejia have been charged with various counts of being a felon and undocumented immigrant in possession of firearms and dealing in firearms without a license based on sales from New Leaf Clothing, a store in Koreatown. Tiyon Jones, aka Blue Face, is charged with possession of machine guns. Jaiquan Smith, aka Jay Jay, aka Hydeparc Blue, has been charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition for selling firearms and ammunition. In the videos made before he surrendered, Henley said authorities arrested people 'I don't even talk to.' 'What they gonna say?,' Henley said. 'You ruining people's lives.'
Los Angeles Times
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Nipsey Hussle's legacy lives on with Marathon Burger, a new Melrose diner
You can smell the char of the Wagyu burgers from down the block, which is coincidentally how far the line often stretches. But at Melrose Avenue's newest diner, the food isn't the only draw. Marathon Burger is an ode to late community activist and rapper Nipsey Hussle, and his legacy continues with this new family venture and extension of Hussle's lifestyle company. 'He was always talking about branding, like, 'We need a Marathon Water, we need a Marathon Burger,'' said Hussle's older brother, Samiel 'Blacc Sam' Asghedom. 'This is definitely Nip's vision and imprint. I know he would have been like, 'Yeah, this is perfect.'' The Grammy Award-winning Hussle — legally named Ermias Asghedom — was gunned down in 2019 outside the Hyde Park clothing store that he and his brother built into a lifestyle brand together. In the years since, murals, community organizations such as the Neighborhood Nip Foundation, music and memorials have kept Hussle's memory strong. Now, there's a branch of his legacy in the food world. Marathon Burger held its grand opening March 1, bringing fresh crowds to the former home of the original Johnny Rockets. Hussle looks on from a large black-and-white portrait along a wall of the dining room, where guests stop to pose for photos. The new diner is owned by the Marathon group — which includes Asghedom and the rapper's children via his estate — as well as new business partner Casey Parker, a second-generation L.A. restaurateur. Inside, guests perch on roughly a dozen stools at a counter overlooking the open kitchen and grill. They order organic hot wings, fried tail-on shrimp, salads piled with grilled seasoned vegetables, overnight-marinated portobello mushroom burgers and milkshakes made with Thrifty ice cream. Wagyu, Asghedom feels, is the best-tasting burger meat: The high fat content melts in the mouth. They season it and smash onions into the patties on the grill, and when they're assembling the stacks, drape them in a tangy spread and fluffy brioche buns. The Marathon team always wanted to open a restaurant. At one point, Asghedom tried to buy the Bayou Grille in Inglewood, where he and Hussle worked during adolescence; later, they tried purchasing a fish market next to one of their clothing stores, planning to flip it into a restaurant named for their grandfather. Eventually it would be a love of burgers that proved the right fit for Marathon. The Marathon crew's casual lunch runs turned into a months-long quest to find the best burgers in L.A., dissecting and debating which components made the patty stacks and sauces sing the sweetest. Eventually they realized they could put all of their taste tests to good use: They'd open a Marathon burger stand, combining all of their favorite seasonings, buns, toppings and meat blends. 'Finally it hit us, like, 'Man, we need to do this ourselves,'' Asghedom said. But it wasn't Marathon's first attempt. Years before, Hussle helped launch a Fatburger location near the Marathon Clothing store at Crenshaw and Slauson; he'd negotiated minority partnership and the run of a special burger there. The deal never materialized, but Asghedom said that last year the owner of that Fatburger began advertising a rebrand as 'Marathon Premium Burger' — unaffiliated with Marathon. The Marathon group knew they'd have to jump into action and announce their own, legitimate Marathon Burger, even though they didn't have a business plan. They took to Instagram anyway, and last July announced that Marathon Burger was coming soon. 'I'm glad that happened,' Asghedom said, 'because when we saw that we said, 'Hey, post. Post right now, make a post that way we can let people know that's not ours. This is ours.'' Asghedom and Hussle had spent some of their teen years working at New Orleans-inspired restaurant Bayou Grille. They started with $40 stints cleaning the floors and trash bins; when three of the cooks left, Hussle and Asghedom filled in. Some of that base knowledge has made its way to Marathon Burger, with cornmeal-dusted fried shrimp similar to Bayou Grille's, as well as the secret-recipe wings, now made at Marathon with Jidori chicken. Chefs Adrian Vela and Eduardo Osorio had cooked for Hussle for years — and every time they would, Asghedom asked them to bring their house-pickled Fresno peppers. Naturally, those made it onto the signature Marathon Burger when they consulted on the project. Parker also lent a hand in developing the menu, especially when it came to vegan items. Every morning, the team whips up patties built from whole ingredients, such as wild rice, potato, parsley, garlic and shallots. At first, they started with only 20 patties. Now they're making 150 vegan patties each day, and they still sell out. For Parker, it's his way of continuing his father's legacy of Larry Parker's 24-Hour Diner in Beverly Hills, which became a hub for clubgoers, actors, hip-hop artists and other musicians at all hours of the night. Parker wanted to build his own cultural, musical hub and diner with the Marathon team. In a way, that's exactly what happened. Celebrities such as 2 Chainz and YG have dropped by to eat and, occasionally, jump behind the grill themselves. 'The street feels better now,' said Parker, who was a minor partner in the building's previous tenant, Nomoo. 'If this place is happening, Melrose is alive — I've seen the difference.' The positive energy is unmissable. Family-friendly music — mostly oldies — blares both indoors and on the patio. Friends bump into each other, hug, laugh, dance. Like Hussle, Asghedom is also beloved in the community. He periodically stops to take photos with guests or sign merchandise. Brian Payne was one such diner, posing with Asghedom in a corner of the restaurant. The Detroit resident wore a black hoodie to lunch that had 'Legends live forever' written in gold, with a split photo of Hussle and Kobe Bryant across the back. 'I had to stop here before I left,' he said. 'I've been to a lot of really amazing places since I've been here [in L.A.], but this one touches my heart. Nipsey's legacy will always live on, like Tupac, but to see what his brother's doing in putting this out here for the community is amazing.' Payne brought his son and nephew with him, and called the Wagyu burger one of the top three burgers he's eaten in life. 'I don't know if I haven't met anybody that isn't a [Hussle] fan, you know?' he said. 'Not just for what he's done in the rap game and being famous all over the world but what he's done for other people and where he's from. ... It's great for the community that we have a place to go and eat phenomenal, phenomenal food.' The support from fans like Payne, Asghedom said, has been overwhelming. He's recognized roughly 20% of Marathon Burger's guests: friends, neighbors and collaborators, some of whom bought sweaters from him off the streets years ago, others who purchased bootleg movies from him and others still who ate his and Hussle's cooking at Bayou Grille. But he said the remaining 80% are entirely new to him, and the response has been '1,000 times bigger' than he'd ever imagined. The positive feedback and the multi-hour lines down the block aren't just incentive for the Marathon team to keep pushing (they're already looking at expanding to the Westside). It's proof, especially to Asghedom, that Hussle's marathon continues for anyone who can use the restaurant's success as encouragement. 'Hussle's mission is still going,' he said. 'It shows that ideas and the hard work behind the ideas can flourish, and Hussle's mission was to inspire people.' Marathon Burger is located at 7507 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, and open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Breakfast service is expected to resume in the coming weeks.
CBS News
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Nipsey Hussle's legacy lives on with Marathon Burger opening Saturday
The late rapper Nipsey Hussle's Marathon brand is in the burger business and its Los Angeles restaurant's grand opening is on Saturday, March 1. Marathon Burger first opened as a pop-up in October 2024. It's now revamped with a dining room, and Saturday's ribbon-cutting ceremony welcomes diners to the new space. Hussle's brother Sam "Blacc Sam" Asghedom will be behind the grill Saturday, carrying on Hussle's entrepreneurial spirit. "I think Marathon brand, created by Hussle, was kind of like to inspire and to just motivate, and it just means to keep going," Asghedom said. "it's not a race, it's a pace, do it on your own." Hussle launched his Marathon brand nine years before he was murdered in 2019. The 33-year-old Grammy-nominated rapper was shot and killed outside his Marathon Clothing store in South Los Angeles. His convicted killer was sentenced to 60 years to life for murdering Hussle. Born Ermias Joesph Asghedom, Hussle lived up to his stage name as he started selling mixtapes out of the trunk of his car, then owning and operating several storefronts on Crenshaw in the South LA neighborhood. His passions for business centered around music, fashion, entertainment and restaurants. "Anything we can continue doing in that spirit, it is always a blessing," Asghedom said. The ribbon cutting for Marathon Burger at 7507 Melrose Ave, takes place at noon. The first 100 customers will get free food, and according to Asghedom, the Marathon Burger with wagyu beef is the most popular menu item.
