As I’m sure you’ve all heard by now, rapper Nipsey Hussle (real name Ermias Asghedom) was shot and killed on Sunday the 31st of March 2019 in front of his clothing store 'The Marathon Clothing' in South-central Los Angeles.
I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I am a Nipsey Hussle fan based on his music because, although I have Nipsey’s Grammy nominated debut album 'Victory Lap' on my iTunes, I haven’t actually gotten round to listening to all of it #NotRudeHonest. I did however become a fan of Nipsey’s work before I knew who he was or what he looked like. His work is now the legacy he leaves behind.
As I’ve stated before on this site, I am big on supporting black talent and culture so hearing what Nipsey was doing for his community through social media is what lead me to getting his album. On 'State of The Culture' a few weeks back, Joe Budden announced that Nipsey had bought a "whole block" in his hometown. From motivating the youth through his words and career path, to taking action to improve his community, Nipsey was all about the people.
Forward to 1:00:00 for Nipsey coverage #SOTC
Below is a summary of Nipsey's known initiatives aimed at benefiting his community:
Uplifting and inspiring people through his interviews
Renovating and donating to local schools
Establishing 'Vector90', a working space to give members of the community access to the internet and other office supplies
Providing a STEM teaching program for young people to learn, improve their chances of success in education and increase the ethnic diversity found in these industries
Opening a clothing store 'The Marathon Clothing' and a corner shop ('convenience store' for my Americans folks) that only hired local residents in order to reduce the local unemployment rate
Owning the plaza where his store 'The Marathon Clothing' is located with plans to build low income housing on it
Producing a documentary on Dr. Sebi in order to spread information
Scheduling a meeting with the Los Angles Police Department to discuss ways in which gun and gang violence in LA could be reduced. (Despite his being killed the day before the meeting was to take place, the LAPD have confirmed that the meeting will go ahead with Roc Nation who were scheduled to attend the meeting with Nipsey.)
A part of me wanted to believe that the conspiracy theories on social media about him getting killed by the government due to his work on the Dr. Sebi documentary were true because the alternative, which was much more likely, seemed so futile a reason to take someone’s life. It is alleged, with the support of video footage (which I will not help in circulating!), that the man who killed Nipsey (won't be naming him either!) was from the local area and was known to Nipsey when he approached him in front of his store. Allegedly that the man was unhappy with the way Nipsey's response to him so he shot him at close range. At the time of writing this, the LAPD have apprehended the suspect.
Losing a life under any circumstances is always a tragedy but it is even more so when that life belonged to one of the few people on the planet who was brave enough to fight for a worthy cause and make real change. His community and people all over the world have been shaken by the senselessness of his murder. Nipsey had an aura of authenticity about him that garnered him respect from people everywhere.
At the time of his passing, Nipsey was in relationship with actress Lauren London and had two children under 10 years of age. Calling the situation “tragic” is a gross understatement. Nipsey Hussle will be missed by many and I hope that his legacy will inspire others to do and be better. Rest in peace Nipsey Hussle, may your legacy live on. ❤️
