Nip definitely had a nationwide following before he died... but it wasn’t a major mainstream following like what Drake, Migos or Travis Scott has. Nipsey was putting up Larry June numbers. Meaning he was definitely getting millions of views on YouTube, he was known in the Hip Hop world, but millions of casuals and even some serious Rap fans didn’t know who he was or knew who he was but could go a lifetime without even hearing a single song of his.
He was selling out shows at small to midsized venues nationwide. I knew about Nip since 2008 from the early blog era, but never got into his music because I prejudged him as another post millennium L.A. gangbanging rapper and I don’t really resonate with those themes as a Bay nikka. I’m sure hella people felt that way.
But I do remember him having a sizable following in the DMV before died. I think Nipsey had a DMV following off the strength of him being half East African and being Americanized and looking East African because there are hella East Africans in DC, Montgomery County, PG and Northern Virginia. He definitely filled a void in Rap representation for them. I remember they had a big ass Nipsey mural near U street in DC after he died and East Africans own half the businesses there.