This is just too sad. Here's a guy who was trying to do good and he gets gunned down. Too much gun violence; too much heartbreak; too much loss of life; too many guns.
Rapper Nipsey Hussle was shot in front of his L.A. store Marathon before being rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Hussle, nee Ermias Asghedom, had recently purchased the shopping mall in the Hyde Park neighborhood of L.A. where his Marathon Clothing store was located and where the rapper, 33, owned a barber shop, fish market and burger restaurant. He was making an effort to revitalize the area where he grew up.
Hussle was nominated for a Grammy last year for his debut album
Victory Lap, eventually losing to Cardi B. Jay Z once famously bought up 100 copies of Nipsey's mixtape
Crenshaw.
Hussle spoke to the
Los Angeles Times about wanting to be a good example for young inner-city African-American kids: "In our culture, there’s a narrative that says, ‘Follow the athletes, follow the entertainers.' And that’s cool but there should be something that says, ‘Follow Elon Musk, follow [Mark] Zuckerberg.’ I think that with me being influential as an artist and young and coming from the inner city, it makes sense for me to be one of the people that’s waving that flag."
He had admitted to being part of a gang when he was younger. And prophetically, he had Tweeted just hours before being shot:
Wow -- sad.
Tributes from celebs like Rihanna and John Legend are pouring in ...
Rihanna: "This doesn’t make any sense! My spirit is shaken by this! Dear God may His spirit Rest In Peace and May You grant divine comfort to all his loved ones! I’m so sorry this happened to you @nipseyhussle."
John Legend: "RIP Nipsey. I just spent Thursday with him filming a video for a beautiful new song we created with Khaled. We filmed in Inglewood, close to where he grew up. He was so gifted, so proud of his home, so invested in his community. Utterly stunned that he's gone so soon."
Drake: "F--k. My whole energy is just at a low right now hearing this. We just linked for the first time in years and said we were gonna do a new song this summer cause it had been too long. You were having the best run and I was so happy watching from distance fam nobody ever talks down on your name you were a real one to your people and to the rest of us. I’m only doing this here cause I want the world to know I saw you as a man of respect and a don. Rest easy my g."
Michael B. Jordan: "Just spoke to you, always kept it 1000. Always was real. You’re a [GOAT] Rest up young KING. RIP Nipsey."
Pharrell Williams: "You were about something..positive and for your community in every chance you had to speak..and because of that You inspired millions..millions who will uphold your legacy forever. Rest amongst the stars."
Snoop Dogg: "Gone 2 soon @nipseyhussle. I’m so sad right now I’ll just reflect on the good times we had."
