The death of beloved rapper Nipsey Hussle has shocked the music industry.
The Los Angeles rapper was shot dead outside his store Marathon Clothing aged 33, according to police.
Last night, LA mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted condolences to family and friends of Hussle, whose birth name is Ermias Davidson Asghedom.
Our hearts are with the loved ones of Nipsey Hussle and everyone touched by this awful tragedy. L.A. is hurt deeply… https://t.co/gysoUZWtMH— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) 1554085207
Tributes soon came in from across the entertainment industry.
This doesn’t make any sense! My spirit is shaken by this! Dear God may His spirit Rest In Peace and May You grant d… https://t.co/uKGhcamphB— Rihanna (@Rihanna) 1554079697
Nipsey you a legend. I respect and admire your career path and what you did for the neighborhood. My heart broke to… https://t.co/neBDu91tiW— J. Cole (@J. Cole) 1554085827
Words can not express our sadness. Nipsey was not only one of the greatest artists we worked with but an amazing fa… https://t.co/QnrezPshHS— Atlantic Records (@Atlantic Records) 1554089123
Watching Nipsey inspired me to invest and own in our communities. He was a solid man who loved his woman, his famil… https://t.co/DndFHQfzgd— Issa Rae (@Issa Rae) 1554078158
I’ll remember him this way. Bright, genuine, forward thinking. I’ll remember the beauty that he saw in our commun… https://t.co/7uWPVUZywI— Ava DuVernay (@Ava DuVernay) 1554081921
He was also well-loved by sports stars in LA and beyond.
😥😥😥😥😥😥‼️‼️‼️‼️ So so SAD man!! DAMN man this hurt.— LeBron James (@LeBron James) 1554078182
Artist. Activist. Angeleno. L.A. mourns the loss of one of our own, Nipsey Hussle. https://t.co/7DovnRkayn— Los Angeles Lakers (@Los Angeles Lakers) 1554095834
This is so painful! @NipseyHussle was doing great work for the people. Keep his legacy alive by carrying on his wor… https://t.co/mdz3Xn0Kg3— Colin Kaepernick (@Colin Kaepernick) 1554083835
Nipsey Hussle was both a celebrated artist and activist in his local South LA community.
His debut album, Victory Lap, was released in 2018 following a run of acclaimed mixtapes.
The album was a critical and commercial success, peaking at number 4 in the US charts and receiving a nomination for Best Rap Album at this year’s Grammys.
But many people also knew him for his work in the community, where he ran local businesses, helped fund education projects and offered jobs to people who were struggling.
His death came a day before he was scheduled to meet with LAPD chief Michel Moore and LA police commissioner Steve Soboroff to discuss how he could help prevent gang violence.
We (@LAPDChiefMoore and I ) were meeting , at the request of @NipseyHussle with him and @rocnation tomorrow at 4pm… https://t.co/OP3TrLDSWO— Steve Soboroff (@Steve Soboroff) 1554090206
In 2018, Hussle unveiled a project called Vector 90, which aimed to help connect underrepresented young people in poorer communities with companies in Silicon Valley.
It was one of many entrepreneurial projects he ran to help people in Los Angeles.
Nipsey was all about his community, investing in Vector 90, a co-working space in South Central LA for entrepreneur… https://t.co/BRyG67tSxW— Michael Skolnik (@Michael Skolnik) 1554080258
His music also consistently represented LA, featuring collaborations with local heroes such as Snoop Dogg, YG and Kendrick Lamar.
In 2013, he released a limited-edition run of 1,000 physical copies of his Crenshaw mixtape - although the mixtape was also available for free online, the copies sold for $100 each.
The run reportedly sold out in less than 24 hours with Jay-Z buying 100 copies by himself.
His music received wider attention in 2016, when he collaborated with YG on the anti-Trump song “FDT”.
Hundreds of fans and friends gathered outside the rapper’s store yesterday to mourn his passing.
A lot of passion from the fans. The “NIPSEY!“ chants continue. @NBCLA @RickNBCLA #NipseyHussle https://t.co/h6MOhMOGDv— Kenny Holmes (@Kenny Holmes) 1554096274
Hussle is survived by his children and long-term girlfriend Lauren London.
HT: Twitter Moments