April 11, 2019
BY AAGD STAFF
Ermias Joseph Asghedom, known professionally as Nipsey Hussle, was given a grand farewell by family and fans during a packed Celebration of Life memorial service that was held Thursday’s (April 11) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif.
Following remarks by family members, friends, notable artists, pastors, and others. The service was streamed live by several networks including BET.com and TMZ.com reaching millions of viewers worldwide. Hussle’s funerary procession stretched along a 25.5 mile circuit throughout the city of Los Angeles, Calif., among tens of thousands of fans mourned the 33-year old American rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur, and community activist. A plethora of candles, flowers and notes filled the parking lot of Hussle’s Marathon Clothing Store at the intersection of Slauson and Crenshaw.
LOS ANGELES, CA – Nipsey Hussle attends the Warner Music Pre-Grammy Party at the NoMad Hotel on February 7, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
The beloved father of two was fatally shot outside of his Marathon Clothing store in Los Angeles on March 31. To remember the Victory Lap artist, a program was curated that centers in on his legacy and impact.
To uplift his memory in song, Stevie Wonder performed “Rocket Love,” while Jhene Aiko sang “Eternal Sunshine,” Anthony Hamilton did his rendition of”Pass Me Over,” and Marsha Ambrosius will performed “Fly Like A Bird.
Karen Civil, Nipsey’s longtime friend and marketing strategist, read the letter from Obama, whose daughters introduced him to Nipsey’s music. The president thanked the rapper — who was slain last month — for lifting up his South Central Los Angeles community.
Hussle was murdered on March 31 in front of Marathon Clothing, one of several businesses he owned in his native South Los Angeles. Born of an African American mother and Ethiopian father, Hussle’s birth name Ermias means “God will rise.”
While Hussle was a Grammy-nominated rapper and a long-established figure on the hip-hop scene — he released his first mixtape in 2005 — his musical influence is overshadowed by his work as an entrepreneur and businessman, and particularly his influence on his home neighborhoods in South Los Angeles. He owned many businesses in the area and was renowned for his kindness to the community, giving jobs to struggling residents, donating money and clothing to a local elementary school
Police on Tuesday arrested Eric Holder and Thursday filed charges of murder and attempted murder against him; he is being held on $5 million bail. He appeared in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on Thursday afternoon, where he was represented by attorney Chris Darden. Darden entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
