On Sunday, March 31st, 2019, Nipsey Hussle was shot in Los Angeles, California. He was shot near a store he owned and suffered gunshot wounds to the head and torso. Suspect Eric Holder was arrested for the murder, and sources have stated that there may have been a personal dispute. The murder of Nipsey Hussle caused grief among many who knew and loved him.
Nipsey Hussle, born as Ermias Joseph Asghedom, was a rapper and activist. He was a part of the West Coast rap scene for over 15 years and released several mixtapes before releasing his Grammy-winning, debut album titled Victory Lap. In 2013, he released a mixtape titled Crenshaw which Jay Z had bought 100 copies of for 100 dollars each. He may not have been a household name for rap, but he was definitely making moves in the industry. Besides his rap career, Nipsey was also creating progress in the community that he grew up in. He was a part of a gang since he was a teenager, but had found his way out and became an anti-gang activist. He had even co-founded a STEM-focused center for underprivileged youth in the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles. Although Hussle was a successful rapper and activist, one of the most significant parts of his life was his family which included his two children.
Many people paid tribute to Nipsey Hussle on social media, but some of the most emotional posts were by Lauren London and Samantha Smith who were his girlfriend and his sister. Samantha Smith shared a post of her and Nipsey where she said: “you are my heart…your love is expansive..you are my lifeline as long as I am here you are too.” She also wrote about how she will take care of the important people in their lives including Lauren. In Lauren London’s post, she said: “I am completely lost. I’ve lost my best friend…we are lost without you babe I have no words.” Other people also shared posts about their grief including James Harden, Ty Dolla $ign, and Sean Kingston.