‘The Marathon (Cultivation)’: Nipsey Hussle Creates Cannabis Strain in New Doc

Nipsey Hussle’s music career and cannabis business are the subjects of the new documentary The Marathon (Cultivation), which premiered on YouTube on Friday.

The film follows the late rapper/entrepreneur as he launched his music career and opened his first dispensary, where he developed the Marathon OG cannabis strain produced by The Cure Company. But along with the highs, the doc also touches on the challenges he faced as he grew the business to a multi-million-dollar empire alongside his brother Samiel “Blacc Sam” Asghedom. Weaving photographs, early footage, and new interviews with friends who helped cultivate the business and were there from the early hustle days help tell the story. Snoop Dogg is among the friends who appear in the film.

Alongside premiering the film, Saturday marks the grand opening of The Marathon (Collective), a cannabis retail store in Los Angeles.

“This is something we always spoke about. Nipsey, Fatts, Adam, and I had a goal to get a legitimate licensed store and have our brand in other stores across the state. We’re so honored to be able to fulfill the dream,” Asghedom said in a statement.

Nipsey Hussle, who was fatally shot in the parking lot of his Marathon clothing store in 2019, won two posthumous Grammys in 2020 — one for Best Rap Performance for “Racks in the Middle” with Roddy Ricch and Hit Boy, and a Best Rap/Sung Performance for his work alongside John Legend on DJ Khaled’s “Higher.”

Since his death, he has appeared on a few posthumous tracks, including Dr. Dre’s Grand Theft Auto Online: The Contract’s “Diamond Mind” and Jay-Z’s “What It Feels Like.” Last year, Nipsey’s The Marathon received an interactive production on YouTube.

The late rapper’s alleged killer’s murder trial begins in June.