
His death made it clear that his legacy will also be anchored to his successful journey out of the roughest corners of LA to become a community-focused business leader. Social media eulogies from celebrities familiarized those unaware with Hussle’s music, but Hussle was much more than that. Hussle’s death boosted the artist’s renown within a mainstream that hardly knew him. However, police confirmed no one was shot at the scene.) (Additionally, a vigil held for Hussle erupted into chaos when a fight and alleged sounds of gunshots caused a stampede that injured 19 people. While Holder is alleged to be a gang member himself, the New York Times reports that the LAPD does not believe the argument or shooting was gang-related. While early news reports suggested Hussle’s murder was gang-related, the Los Angeles Police Department’s ongoing investigation revealed that Hussle and his suspected killer - a man named Eric Holder, who was arrested shortly after Hussle was pronounced dead - got into a heated argument prior to the shooting.

Hussle was reportedly planning to attend an anti-gang violence meeting on the day he died, scheduled for not long after he and two other men were shot outside a store he owned called Marathon Clothing.

He was involved in community activism, working to empower and employ underprivileged groups through real estate investments, science and tech learning centers for teens, and other efforts in inner-city Los Angeles. But more recently, it seemed as though Hussle had distanced himself from the gang. He also had a violent past and had spoken publicly about his long affiliation with the Rollin’ 60s, an LA-area gang that is connected to the Crips. Within the music industry, he was an established presence who had collaborated with artists as big as Drake and Diddy. Hussle, who was 33 years old when he died, was a Grammy-nominated rapper - as well as an entrepreneur, community activist, and father of two. A procession following the funeral reportedly attracted more than 21,000 fans, walking alongside Hussle’s casket.īut while some of popular culture’s biggest tastemakers mourn, many casual observers ask: Who is Nipsey Hussle? Former President Barack Obama even sent a letter offering condolences to Hussle’s family, commending a life well-lived. Artists like Jhene Aiko performed in Hussle’s memory Snoop Dogg and Stevie Wonder gave eulogies. His April 11 memorial service, live-streamed online, boasted an impressive array of speakers. But news of Hussle’s death went viral and led to an online outpouring of grief and love from huge names in the music industry and beyond, from Chance the Rapper to Colin Kapernick to Ava DuVernay.

You may not have heard the name Nipsey Hussle before he was shot and killed on March 31, 2019, in Los Angeles.
