Netflix Picks Up Ava DuVernay's Documentary About Late Rapper Nipsey Hussle

Netflix clearly likes being in business with director Ava DuVernay. The streaming service is already host to her acclaimed series When They See Us and her Oscar-nominated documentary 13th. Now Netflix is picking up a forthcoming documentary directed by Ava DuVernay that will shine a light on the late rapper Nipsey Hussle.

Deadline has news on the Nipsey Hussle documentary landing at Netflix. Ava DuVernay's ARRAY production banner is behind the film, along with Nipsey Hussle's Marathon Films banner. In fact, it was Hussle's family who approached DuVernay about the project after seeing When They See Us and 13th. But in order to land the movie, Netflix had to beat out some other contenders with a high eight-figure bid.

Nipsey Hussle (or Ermias Joseph Asghedom) was a rapper who emerged from the West Coast hip hop scene in the mid-2000s. Hussle became known for producing mixtapes that were popular in the rapping scene, including one that Jay-Z bought 100 copies of for $100 each. However, he didn't gain massive popularity until his debut studio album Victory Lap dropped in 2018, garnering acclaim from both critics and listeners.

Hussle earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album in 2019 at the 61st Grammy Awards. He added three more nominations last year for the 62nd Grammy Awards, and he ended up winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap/Sung Performance when the awards were handed out earlier this year. Unfortunately, those awards were given posthumously, because Hussle died after being shot multiple times in the parking lot of his store, Marathon Clothing, in South Los Angeles.

In addition to being a successful entrepreneur, Hussle was known for his philanthropy and community service. Unlike some high profile rappers, Hussle denounced gun violence in his music and tried to keep those he could influence away from gang culture, and he took steps to help the Crenshaw area of Los Angeles get access to classes in science, technology, and mathematics in order to help keep kids off the dangerous streets. Hussle was even slated to meet with LAPD and Roc Nation on April 1 in an effort to prevent gang violence. But he was killed on March 31.

The story of Nipsey Hussle being told in a documentary has the potential to inspire more kids to pull away from a possible life caught up in crime and gang culture. And in the hands of DuVernay, it will undoubtedly resonate with the crowds that Hussle hoped to help.