LOS ANGELES — Bino Rideaux's body is covered in tattoos. Emblazoned on his outer forearm is a menacing portrait of Tony Montana from the 1983 film "Scarface." His son's name is inked across his bicep — a representation of the strength he gives him. There's a rose with his girlfriend's name on his right hand, and the number four, his "life path number," on the other.

But the two that stand out most drape along the right side of his face like a crescent moon: "Victory" and "God Will Rise." For Rideaux, the tattoos have layers of meaning. For starters, "Victory" is his daughter's name, but both phrases are also a direct nod to the late Nipsey Hussle, who had the same words etched on his face.

"It's a testament to the fact that every time you see me, you see bro," says Rideaux, born Brandon Rainey. He notes that Hussle's given name, Ermias, translates to "God Will Rise" in Tigrinya (his father's native language from Eritrea), while "Victory" doubles as a reference to "Victory Lap," Hussle's landmark debut and final album before his death in March 2019.

To the world, Hussle was known as a Grammy-nominated artist, visionary entrepreneur, and South L.A. community leader. But to Rideaux, who also grew up in South Central, Hussle was a career-shaping mentor and "sensei" who became an older brother. After catching wind of Rideaux's debut solo mixtape, "Life is Like a Movie," Hussle invited the young artist to visit his studio. That initial session yielded two new tracks, which Hussle included on his 2016 mixtape "Slauson Boy 2." From that point on, Rideaux kept returning to the studio to soak up game, observe Hussle's creative process and refine his craft. By 2017, he and Hussle released their first joint mixtape, "No Pressure."

Now, on the eve of what would have been Hussle's 41st birthday, the rappers are set to release their second collaborative project, an album titled "Prolific."

Unlike traditional posthumous albums that stitch together loose verses, "Prolific" was recorded and sequenced nearly two years before Hussle's death. Hussle even selected the cover art: a gradient blue photo of the two rappers chilling with friends at the Hollywood Roosevelt, the hotel they frequented during the recording of the album.

For years, Samiel Asghedom — Hussle's brother, key business partner and estate administrator; known as Blacc Sam — didn't feel comfortable releasing any new music from his younger brother.

People who weren't close to either of them were telling him, "Y'all need to drop now," Asghedom recalls. "I'm like naw man. That s— is not what we would ever do. When we drop the music, we gotta feel like it's the right time."

That moment arrived when Asghedom and his All Money In label revisited Hussle's unreleased tracks, including his sessions with Rideaux. After consulting family, Asghedom started a group chat with Rideaux and their teams. Everyone agreed the timing was finally right.

Rideaux understands the weight that comes with being a part of Hussle's first posthumous release. "I anticipate a lot of criticism," Rideaux admits, adding that 10 years in the music industry have prepared him for the scrutiny. "But the true fans, I'm just hoping, they receive this like we always intended and enjoy the music."

Navigating personal grief alongside his own budding career was a challenge. Following Hussle's death, Rideaux briefly stepped away from the studio, but returned after reflecting on his mentor's "marathon" mindset.

"He would want me to keep going. I can hear him saying, excuse my French, 'This s— don't stop,'" says Rideaux, adding that he felt "obligated" to continue.

In August 2019, Rideaux teamed up with L.A. rapper-singer Blxst for "SIXTAPE," which quickly became the soundtrack for summertime in the city. Featuring tracks like "Savage" and "Selfish," the critically acclaimed project paved the way for them to release two hit sequels. (The fourth installment, "SIXTAPE 4," is currently in the works, he says.) Rideaux followed with a string of solo projects including "Outside," "Sorry 4 Tha Wait ll" and his 2025 project "Tha Language."

So by the time, Asghedom reached out to finalize "Prolific" — which carried a different title during its original 2017 sessions — Rideaux was no longer just the promising mentee Hussle took under his wing. He was an established artist with a proven catalog of his own. The project was renamed "Prolific," taking its name from the word Hussle famously had etched on his right temple — the very spot where Rideaux now wears "Victory."

The foundation for "Prolific" was laid in 2017 when Hussle rented out NoName Studios in Tarzana. For three months, the two rappers slept, showered and worked there.

"It was like a big a— frat house," Rideaux recalls. "It was constant workflow. We had a gang of producers, a couple engineers and sometimes guys who weren't engineers would step in and record us if we just had something on our heart and felt like recording. It was like a summer camp, but we were there to do what we love."

While the rappers' 2017 project "No Pressure" is more street anthem-driven, their second effort highlights the ups and downs of relationships.

"I feel like on 'Prolific,' we're a lot more vulnerable. We're a lot more experimental sonically," says Rideaux. "We were trying a lot of out-of-the-box things." For example, the track "Miami Off the Plane" contains Caribbean riddim-inspired beat, a sound that neither of them had explored before.

"It was a different realm for us," he says. "We're making songs for women, so for me it was a completely different approach as far as the recording process and the content of the music."

Rideaux, who is known for his smooth auto-tune sound, serves as the melodic anchor on the album, while Hussle delivers his sharp, plainspoken vocal delivery. Featured guests on "Prolific" include Cardi B, Leon Thomas and L.A. natives Ty Dolla $ign, James Faunterloy, BH and Buddy (who also appears on Hussle's "Victory Lap" album). Several producers who worked on the album such as Axl Folie, Larrance "Rance 1500" Dopson and Mike & Keys were also a part of Hussle's "Victory Lap" album.

The rollout began in February with the single "Reckless," a smooth record that sees Hussle and Rideaux reflecting on the stress of fame and life's challenges. The accompanying video, which features footage provided by Hussle's family and new clips of Rideaux, has amassed more than 1.2 million views. They've also released videos for the tracks "Sacrifices" and "All Summer," which include clips from the original "Prolific" studio sessions. To commemorate the release, Rideaux and Hussle's team dropped multiple limited edition vinyl records of the album as well as cassettes and T-shirts.

Ahead of the album's release, Rideaux, Asghedom and their teams are prepping to host "The Prolific Experience"— a playback session and panel discussion at The Novo in downtown Los Angeles. As they prepare to share the music with a room full of dedicated fans, the emotional weight of Hussle's absence remains front and center.

"I think he would be happy that it's coming out," Asghedom says.

"I never knew why he believed in me so much," Rideaux says about Hussle. "But just the fact that he did and he was willing to put himself on the ledge for me time and time again," he adds, "there's nothing else I'd rather do with the rest of my career than honor bro."

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