Location: Crenshaw,Los Angeles

Erin couldn't believe how small the homes were in Crenshaw not to mention the metal bars on the windows and doors like they were prisoners to their own homes.

These were questions swirling around in Erin's brain stepping out of the town car with her small duffel bag with her underclothes and ankle socks, her skin crawled at the neutral-colored non-brand sweat suit provided by John.

John S:

Erin grimaced at the thought of having to ride the bus or even walking without her body guard, who would keep her safe?

" Damn you shorty from dat white movie" A random guy yelled from across the street snapping his fingers trying to figure out where he recognized Erin.

"Erin London"

She replied in a duh tone.

"Never mind I got you mixed up with somebody else cuz"

"Oh" Erin unlocked the door walking inside unsure of what was going to meet her on the inside.

It was tiny compared to her home in the Hills and the carpet was a fake grass texture, there was no way Erin would walk around this home without wearing shoes. She checked each room that was already furnished with decent furniture, clearly John was using this when he visited out here because one of the rooms had sneakers and fitted hats like he liked.

An email notification came through her cellphone, the only thing from usual life that she really needed.

JSingleton

Expenses & Instructions

Budget: $10,000

Rent: 2,500/ monthly

Utilities:$200/ monthly

Nipsey's locations: On the curb at Crenshaw and Slauson, I'm sure you have already googled his pictures and know who to look for.

Good luck, John

Erin has chosen against taking a peek at Nipsey's pictures wanting to keep the surprise factor when they first met, with the cigarette smoke smell embedded into the home, Erin decided that now would be the perfect time to introduce herself to Nipsey Hussle and to get fresh air.

Crenshaw & Slauson

Walk: 14 minutes

Erin kept her eyes opened while following the directions from her phone, the more she walked the more she realized it was sort of peaceful to not have cameras following her and people jumping in front of her for selfies.

"Who dat cuz?" A man leaned up against a car that resembled at cop car smoking a blunt.

"I don't know but she walking like dis her block cuz"

It was a lot of cuz being thrown around Erin thought to herself, clearly they were cousins.

" what's yo set bitch?"

Erin looked around her trying to find out who they were speaking to, it couldn't be directed at her.

"You da only female on da block, what's yo set?"

" My set? Well I worked not too long ago on a movie set in Hollywood Hills"

The two men looked at each other and back at Erin falling over hysterically laughing at her reply.

"She just one of dem crazy females, go ahead yo keep it moving"

Erin was just as confused as the strangers were she picked up her speed trying to get off the block they were on.

14 minutes later and out of breath Erin finally reached Crenshaw and Slauson, two rectangle tables were set up with shirts and socks packaged in plastic on top of it, two men sat behind it talking to each other.

The first man in a gray hoodie with a beard and glasses caught her attention, he looked normal a little too normal to be Crenshaw's most famous gang banger, on the other hand the younger man with two pig tails and a five o'clock shadow along with tattoos on his hands and neck fit the description.

"How you doing we selling tees and socks, tees fifteen and socks five"

"Which one of you is Nipsey Hussle?"

The men both stood up on cue pulling up their pants looking up and down the block and behind them cautiously like they were being followed.

"Who wanna know?"

"John Singleton said he told Nipsey about me coming to stay out here for a few months for a movie role"

The one in glasses took his hand from his hoodie sucking his teeth sitting back down, while the other still stood tall looking down on her with a smug look on his face.

"You don't roll up on a nigga like dat when yo ass is a stranger, on hood yo ass would have been laid out dead if John ain't hit me up"

"So you're Nipsey? I'm Erin London"

Erin smiled holding her hand out ignoring the fact Nipsey had just almost put a bullet in her, he looked to the other man shaking his head.

" I don't do all dat shaking hand shit"

"Oh okay that's fine, I actually came to see you about something"

"Time is money"

Of course, Erin remembered " money talks and bullshit walks" Taking out forty dollars passing it to Nipsey.

"Two small shirts and two packs of tube socks"

He put the money into a lock box on the table grabbing two t-shirts and two packs of tube socks putting them into a white plastic bag.

"What you want?"

"I'm here trying to study life in Crenshaw for a movie role and John suggested that I come here for a couple months and follow you on your day to day life"

Nipsey shook his head looking off to the side.

"Nah shit too crazy out here to be having you following me I don't need yo blood on my hands if shit go side ways"

Erin was desperate, she needed this role to help open more doors for her to show her God given talent and at this point she would take her chances.

"I'm willing to pay for your services"

"You gonna pay me what? Forty little dollars ain't gonna cut it"

"I'll pay you 1,000 cash" Erin blurted out not realizing she was making her money even shorter for the next three months

$ left and she still hadn't paid rent or utilities, Nipsey nodded his head.

"I know you ain't carrying dat type of bread on you right now cuz?"

There was that cuz word again, she definitely needed to spend more time googling slang words because she knew for sure that this man wasn't her cousin.

"I always do what's the problem?"

"You got away with dat up in Hollywood but if a nigga out here find out you strapped wit cash like dat you setting yo self up to be robbed"

Erin nervously cradled her fanny pack that carried at least three thousand dollars in it.

"So will you help me?"

"Yeah gimmie a stack" Nipsey chuckled at how much she didn't know about the streets and the lingo " Stack translates to 1,000 dollars"

"Dis my brother Blacc Sam"

Erin didn't try reaching out for a handshake knowing they weren't into that type of greeting, Blacc Sam just raised his hand up and nodded his head once. Erin decided to copy him making the brothers laugh.

"When can I start?"

Blacc Sam stood leaning into his brothers ear with his eyes on her fanny pack, Nipsey nodded at whatever he had told him.

" Late tonight, since my brother and I were raised up to protect Black women I'm going to give you a lift back to your hotel so you don't get robbed"

"I'm not staying in a hotel, I'm living at West 60th"

"You what?" Nipsey raised his eyebrows at Erin in disbelief. Every spot he knew about out that way was taken.

"I'm staying at a house on West 60th"

Erin spoke slower so he could understand, it wasn't that he couldn't hear it was he didn't understand how she moved into any home out there without kicking someone out of their place.

"What's da house number?"

"2809"

Blacc Sam fell down into his chair laughing with his fist over his mouth, Nipsey scrunched his face up shaking his head and hands.

"Why is he laughing? Is it something wrong with the house?"

"Yeah it's something wrong, it's my fucking house cuz!"

couldn't believe his ears. When John notified him of Erin coming to his hood he didn't think he meant moving her into his spot.

Cuz what's dis about Erin staying at my crib? You ain't tell me dat when we spoke

Well since I'm the owner I didn't think it was a problem especially when she will be paying rent and utilities for the next three months.

It didn't sound so bad after finding out he wouldn't have to pay his high ass rent.

" I didn't know it was your place, John said it was his childhood home"

"It was he let me rent it out for cheap"

"2,500 is cheap?" Erin asked baffled, even though she lived in more expensive places the place she saw was clearly not worth that amount.

"It was 3,700 you do da math"

Nipsey used the extra bedroom as a recording area to create his music, that wouldn't change even if Erin occupied the bedroom.

"Here's your stack"

He noticed how she properly pronounced a word that required a little flavor to it. Nipsey took the money taking off a rubber band off his wrist rolling and tying it up tossing it to his big brother.

"You need to go some place before I take you back?"

"No I'm okay"

Nipsey stood looking at Erin dressed in a plain sweat suit with sneakers without a brand, he could have sworn when he looked her up that her net worth were in the multi millions.

"Gimmie a minute to break down my shit and put it in my car"

Erin stood off to the side watching them put everything into both of their cars.

"Aight bro" Nipsey dapped his brother, unlocking his car.

"You getting in?"

Erin didn't budge with her arms folded tapping her foot against the sidewalk.

"Aren't you going to open my door?"

"Hell nah either you catch a ride or you walk wit dat cash on yo ass and get shit took"

"I thought you said you protect Black woman"

"I do but from what I read you only half so I can only protect you halfway" Nipsey laughed at his joke while Erin snatched the door getting in.

"Asshole"

Erin sat back in Nipsey's Benz that she bit her tongue about asking where he had gotten that type of money from to purchase a Mercedes.

"I got house rules"

"Okay what are they?"

"If you see anything dat is mine don't touch it, you mess wit it and it go missing you replacing it, I wake up early in da morning to record in da room you gonna be sleeping in if you can't take da noise go to bed earlier or sleep down on da couch"

"That's not fair I'm paying rent why do I have to deal to wake up early because you are recording?"

Nipsey pulled into the drive way killing the engine.

"You tryna figure out what some niggas do in da hood, my music is a big part of me and my life out here, so you gonna either deal wit it or try to find somewhere else to lay ya head"

"Can I at least sleep in your bed while you do that?" Nipsey shook his head getting out of the car.

"Hell no, I don't know yo ass like dat it's bad enough you in my crib without my knowing"

Erin sucked her teeth following behind him to the front door.

"NAYBAHOOOOOD!"

Nipsey threw up his set proudly to his boy across the street.

" I see you my nigga settling down and shit"

Erin scoffed, he was handsome as hell but she could never seeing herself stooping down that low to date someone like him.

"Nah she doing a documentary on my life and shit I'm showing her da ropes cuz"

"Word congrats cuz"

The pair entered his home, Nipsey curiously looked around for the dozens of bags of luggage that Erin had brought along with her.

"Where yo stuff?"

"Right there" He peered over to a small duffel bag sitting on his couch. With the money she made that couldn't have been all she brought with her.

"Dats all you brought witchu ?"

"Yeah why?"

"Y'all celebrities known to take a lot of shit when y'all travel" Erin shrugged.

"John gave me instructions so I can really learn how to learn this lifestyle"

Erin grabbed her bag going up the steps to her room.

"You got anything black in dat little ass bag?"

"Yes" Erin sat the bag down on the Queen sized bed, digging into it, she retrieved a making black sweat suit showing him.

"Wear dat tonight"

"What are we going to do? Rob somebody"

Erin snorted laying her outfit out, Nipsey stood silently in the doorway.

"Are we really going to that?"

"Welcome to da hood life where our motto is by any means necessary"

Erin scrunched her face up into a smug look at Nipsey being proud of the lifestyle he lived.

"Whew Chile the ghetto"