Marathon's Princess

000.

Prologue

9 year old Essence was outside at the park playing with her basketball just practicing her shots. AAU season just ended so she was now practicing so she could play for her school team. Even though she knew she was gonna make it, she wanted to be the best.

"Look at my first born y'all. This my pride and joy right here. My baby so talented, she sing, rap, dance, play sports. She do it all and she be so dedicated to whatever she do. This lil girl got me sitting out here at the park with her at 7 inda morning on a Saturday so she can practice basketball. Now that's dedication right there. She don't even know I'm about to take her to meet Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. He reached out to me and we got to talking about our daughters, told him Essy is in love with basketball and he said to start bringing her to come practice with him and little Gigi at his gym. Essy gonna be so excited when I surprise her" Her dad Nipsey says sitting on the bench recording his oldest daughter play basketball.

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"Yall im at my store right now with my baby, just making sure shit straight. The others kids ain't wanna come with us but y'all know my mini me gone come with me everywhere she can. That's my shadow right there. Look at her just admiring everything she so precious" Nipsey says recording his daughter and posting it on his instagram story.

Everything he was saying was true. Essence, his firstborn daughter, was no doubt his mini me. She went everywhere he went and wanted to do everything he did. Even if his other kids never wanted to go with him and stay home and play with their toys, Essence was always with him.

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"Babygirl tell them what you wanna be when you grow up" Nipsey says showing Essence his instagram live.

"Uhh when I grow up I wanna play basketball and work at my daddy store" she says smiling causing Nip to laugh.

"Nah babygirl you better than that. When you get older you taking over the store. Then you gone make your own clothes to sell there too. You gotta be your own boss, everything up to you. And you gone be the best WNBA player this world ever seen. This yo world Essence" Nipsey says to her.

"Yeah me and my sister" Essence says referring to Emani, her younger sister by 8 months. They just call themselves twins. In their minds they basically are.

"Yeah baby you and your sister" Nip tells her.

•••••••••••••

"Tell me why my baby finna be 11 next month" Nipsey tells his vlog for his ig story.

"Damn she really growing up on me. She doing her sister hair right now so I can take them to get some ice cream. My oldest 2. I love my baby girls. They can have the world for real" he says.

"Essence is my mini me, my jr. She just like me, she soft spoken for real. She more of an observer she very observant and smart as hell, you can't get nothing pass that girl there she peep everything. My baby always make straight A's, never nothing less. She so mature and humble. The way she takes care of her siblings she's a leader. She always helping people, she so selfless, her heart so big and that's the best part about her. Emani is the opposite of Essy. She's so talented as well she really love singing. Her voice is beautiful. She the more outgoing one of the two. But she always making sure to include Essence in every move she make" Nip tells his camera.