Nipsey Hussle Remembered As Rap Star, Community Organizer And Activist
The Roc Nation artist's murder shocked his family and friends, the community in south Los Angeles and as the news broke messages of disbelief and condolences poured in from every corner of the hip-hop world.
"People came to celebrate and show support, just come to see what a youngster from the area did on his own with no help," Samiel ‘Blacc Sam’ Asghedom said, reflecting on the tens of thousands who came to pay tribute to his brother in Crenshaw and beyond over the past few days. "He pulled himself from his boot strings, laying roots through everything — police problems, as a black male trying to grow up and be enterprising, we face a lot of things in the community, you know, the politics within the hood, just hate. He transcended everything and just stayed there and became a beacon of light."
And in those emotional and reflective messages, a persistent theme emerged as artists, friends, public officials and fans lauded Nipsey's entrepreneurial spirit, his strong connection to his roots and his unwavering dedication to his community in south LA, particularly his passion for empowering the youth.
People always asked him, "Why do you have something in this area? Why don’t you leave and do something else?" his brother told ABC News, "but he was murdered while he was in a parking lot, hanging out, selling CDs and that’s the area that he felt attached to and did everything in the area and ended up buying a lot and rehabilitating, opening up businesses and just became a landmark for everybody."
According to his brother, Hussle owned many businesses in his neighborhood, including Marathon Clothing, the co-working space Vector 90, Steve’s Barbershop, Elite Human Hair, a cell phone shop called Wireless Connection, restaurants Baba Leos and Fish Shack, he had a partnership with Fatburger in Crenshaw, Marathon Studios and his own record label, "All Money In Records."
Reportedly by ABC NEWS LIVE