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Los Angeles (AP):
Although Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed outside a Los Angeles clothing store three years ago, his death throes are still fresh for those who revere the beloved rapper and community activist.
Several people paid tribute to Hussle’s positive influence in the murder trial, which ended Wednesday, and was convicted of his murder. Some shed tears. One of his closest friends regrets failing to protect Hussle. A witness battled ongoing nightmares as if the fatal shooting in Hussle had happened yesterday. Some in the hip-hop community still look for teachable moments from his rap lyrics.
Like Hussle’s popular catchphrase “The Marathon Continues,” the memory of his far-reaching legacy remains in the minds of many.
“I don’t think we’ll ever forget what he did and what he did for the community,” Slim Jxmmi of Rae Sremmurd said in a recent interview. “That’s why he’s so important in our community. Nipsey is nervous. He’s tough.”
Rapper Rick Ross says Hussle is now “more admired than ever” for being forward-thinking as an entrepreneur and teaching through his thought-provoking rap lyrics.
“He’s a legend, a poet,” said Ross, who has Hassel’s face tattooed on his leg. “I liked him as the emcee when I first met him over a decade ago. I’m so happy to see the marathon continue.”
Hussle, formerly known as Ermias Asghedom, was 33 when he was shot in the parking lot outside his store, The Marathon, on March 31, 2019.
Eric R. Holder Jr was convicted Wednesday of first-degree murder of the Grammy winner who was shot and killed as he intended to revitalize the South Los Angeles community where he grew up. Hussle and Holder have known each other for years and grew up as members of the same gang, the Rollin’ 60s.
Holder was also convicted of two counts of attempted manslaughter and two counts of assault with a gun. He will be sentenced on September 15.
The verdict may have ended a three-year legal saga, but the nearly four-week trial has resurfaced old sentiments and admiration for Hussle.
“It shocked me,” Christian Johnson said in his tearful testimony. During filming, he was in a burger restaurant near the Hussle clothing store. In security footage shown in court, Johnson can be seen hiding under a red table after hearing gunfire.
When Johnson stood up and peered into the parking lot, he saw Hassel’s body on the ground.
“I dream about it every night,” Johnson said tearfully. He considers himself a huge fan of Hussle’s work and has considered taking a photo with him before filming. “I went outside and saw Nipsey lying there. That could be me.”
Hussle’s death still feels jerky, said Herman “Cowboy” Douglas, a former gang member who worked at the Marathon. He has some guilt for the rapper who is like a “little brother” to him.
“I’m sorry I left him,” said Douglas, who overheard the initial conversation between Hussle and Holder. He was in the clothing store when he heard gunshots.
“I shouldn’t have left his side,” he continued. “I didn’t see this happening. No way, no way.”
In honor of Hussle, Douglas painted a mural of the rapper outside his restaurant in Los Angeles. Hussle’s countless other murals have appeared on busy highways, on the sides of buildings, and inside the city’s school basketball courts.
Hussle’s nickname is a play on a famous 1970s comedian who was given the nickname for his work ethic while playing CDs. He spent years gaining a loyal following through mixtapes and underground releases. He broke through with his first major recording album, culminating in two Grammy Awards in 2020.
Across Los Angeles, Hussle is beloved for his charitable work that goes well beyond the usual celebrity “give back” spirit. He purchased the shopping centre where The Marathon is located and plans to redevelop it into a mixed-use commercial and residential complex.
The plan is part of Hussle’s broader ambition to transform the community he grew up in and try to break the cycle of gang life that attracted him as a young man. The Los Angeles City Council is expected to rename the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and Slawson Boulevard “Nipsey Hussle Square.”
After Hussle’s death, there was a sudden ceasefire between some rival gang members. In May, his family held the grand opening of The Marathon Collective, a marijuana dispensary, in Canoga Park, California.
During the trial, Deputy District Attorney John McKinney displayed a photo of a shrine dedicated to Hussle outside his clothing store. Among the candles and other tributes was a St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap that gang expert Robert Freeman said was worn by the Black P Stones, a blood gang and longtime Hussle’s Rollin’ 60s Crips competitor.
“He was loved by Bloods and Crips,” Freeman said.
McKinney said after the verdict that Hussle would never be forgotten.
“As a community, we move forward from here, and we move forward in the tradition of the marathon,” he said. “We follow the tradition that young people in the situation Nipsey might have been in 15 years ago can look to his life as an example of how they can get out of that situation and get to the land of their dreams.”
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