By Ziere Banner |
Rapper Nipsey Hussle, whose birth name is Ermias Joseph Asghedom, died on March 31st, 2019 at age 33. This tragic death has shocked the social media world, devastating many rappers in the music industry. The death of Nipsey Hussle was very unexpected due to his proclaimed disaffiliation with the violent scene. Instead, the rapper had claimed to be trying to make a change towards violence.
Nipsey grew up in Los Angeles, California. The rapper grew up in the place and time in which he had no choice in joining a gang. He represented the Crips, or “Naybahood,” which is a notorious street gang in Los Angeles. Nipsey Hussle ultimately outgrew the gang life, although he was aware of his roots all throughout his rap career even after he became famous, unlike other rappers. Behind all of the tattoos and thuggish looks, Nipsey Hussle was a proactive man in his community.
Having grown up on Slauson Ave. and Crenshaw Blvd., Nipsey had learned all about the violence within his neighborhood. He began to give back to the community in many ways, including opening up his own grocery store on Slauson Ave., which is where the rapper was killed. In his prime, Nipsey was a successful rapper, but an even more successful activist for the community and the African American culture as a whole. He had gained respect all over LA from his impact on the community, including the admiration of rival gang members. The Game, another rapper from California and member of the Crips’ rival gang, the Bloods, both shared common themes and looked past the animosity between being from different neighborhoods.
According to Fox News, Eric Holder, 29, is being accused of the murder of Nipsey Hussle. There is clear video surveillance that surfaced the media, which shows a man at the scene whom police believe to be Eric Holder. According to Fox News, “Surveillance video of the March 31 shooting shows Hussle raising his head after the initial shot. The gunman can then be seen approaching Hussle as he lays on the ground and firing two more shots in his direction before kicking him and fleeing towards an alley.”
Just recently, Eric Holder plead “not guilty” at his first hearing. Holder is currently represented by former OJ Simpson prosecutor. Reports from “TMZ” stated that eye witnesses stated that Nipsey Hussle talked back to the shooter after being shot once. “Accused killer Eric Holder shot the Grammy nominee once and had begun to walk away when the wounded Hussle said something to him to the effect of, ‘You shot me, you got me, I’m good.’”
There has been a lot of conspiracy theories surrounding this death. Nipsey Hussle died right as he was making a documentary on Dr. Sebi, a Honduran herbalist who was said to have found the cure to AIDS but died shortly after, and Nipsey wanted to put his story out into the world. His wife, Lauren London, is grieving the death of her husband and has to explain to their child that her daddy is gone forever. This subject matter is hard to deal with for a person losing their husband. Nipsey Hussle, a “hood hero,” tragically died over something for which he didn’t have to lose his life, and many people are hurting over the death of this beloved, proactive rapper who was just trying to make a healthy difference in the world.
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