Nipsey Hussle’s family break silence following his death

OHMYGOSSIP — Nipsey Hussle’s* family have dubbed the late rapper as a extraordinary man, following his death. The rapper was tragically shot and killed outside his clothing store in Los Angeles at the age of 33 on March 31, and over a week after his passing, his family have recalled his “unlimited intellectual capacity” and “respectful” nature.

His mother, Angelique Smith, said: “He recognised at an early age his own capability. His own potential. He has always known. [He will be] remembered as a humble, spirited, respectful man who had, since his childhood, had an extraordinary and unlimited intellectual capacity.”

Nipsey’s father Dawit Asghedom also praised his late son, saying he was “sent by God” to bring “love” to the people who listened to his music. He added: “It was like he was sent by God to give some love to bring us together because that’s what his lyrics were saying, always. He’s not shy to tell the truth even though it might not look good. He wasn’t scared of anything. [God] sent him to send a message. We all have a plan, but God has his own plan. So he had completed what he needed to be doing and he did it early so [God] probably want to take him early too.”

Whilst Nipsey’s girlfriend Lauren London – with whom he had two-year-old son Kross – has said she will “always represent” everything her late partner stood for. Speaking in a joint interview for the Los Angeles Times, she said: “I’m going to keep my head high and always represent for my king to the fullest. He loved his kids. He was a family man. His family came first.”

Lauren, 34, previously spoke out about Nipsey’s death on social media, where she said she was completely lost without him. She wrote at the time: “I am completely lost. I’ve lost my best friend, my sanctuary, my protector, my soul. We are lost without you babe – I have no words.”

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* Ermias Joseph Asghedom (August 15, 1985 – March 31, 2019), known professionally as Nipsey Hussle (often stylized as Nipsey Hu$$le), was an American rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur, and community activist from Los Angeles, California. Emerging from the West Coast hip hop scene in the mid-2000s, Hussle initially became known for his numerous mixtapes, including his Bullets Ain’t Got No Name series, The Marathon, The Marathon Continues and Crenshaw, the last of which rapper Jay-Z bought 100 copies of for $100 each. After much delay, his debut studio album Victory Lap was released in February 2018 to critical acclaim and commercial success, and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019.

On March 31, 2019, Hussle was fatally shot outside his store, Marathon Clothing, in South Los Angeles. Eric Holder, a 29-year-old man who had confronted Hussle earlier in the day, was arrested and charged with murder on April 2, 2019.

Asghedom was born on August 15, 1985, and raised in the Crenshaw neighborhood of South Los Angeles. He was of African American and Eritrean descent.

Hussle joined the local Rollin 60’s Neighborhood Crips gang. His stage name, a play on the name of comic Nipsey Russell, originated as a nickname, given to Asghedom by a friend while in his teens.

When asked about his background during an interview, Asghedom said,

“I was raised in L.A. by my mom, you know my mom’s family is Black American. I always knew my heritage from my dad but I never met my family. My dad was the only one in America—everybody else was back home. So when I went out there [Eritrea] it educated me to the other side”.

His three month visit to Eritrea in 2004 inspired him to become a community activist with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Hussle and actress Lauren London began dating in 2013. They had a child together, born on August 31, 2016. London has a child from a previous relationship with fellow rapper Lil Wayne, while Hussle has a daughter, Emani, from a previous relationship.

According to police sources, on March 31, 2019, Hussle was shot multiple times in the parking lot of his store, Marathon Clothing, in South Los Angeles at about 3:25 p.m. Hussle was hit five times in the torso and once in the head. Two others were wounded in the shooting. All three victims were transported to a hospital, where Hussle was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. He was 33 years old. Upon hearing the news, numerous celebrities offered their condolences on social media.

Police have identified 29-year-old Eric Holder as a suspect. Investigators believe Holder was known to the rapper and that the shooting was possibly motivated by a personal matter. On April 2, 2019, Holder was apprehended by members of the Los Angeles Police Department.

In March, Hussle had contacted officials from the LAPD to arrange a meeting with him and Roc Nation about what they could do to help prevent gang violence in South Los Angeles. The meeting had been scheduled to take place on April 1, 2019. Hussle was murdered the day before. According to Los Angeles Police Commissioner Steve Soboroff, the meeting will still take place at a future date, in Hussle’s honor.

Look also:

Featured image: Nipsey Hussley (OHMYGOSSIP)
Source: Los Angeles Times (Nipsey Hussle ‘was a protector.’ His parents and girlfriend Lauren London speak out)
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