On Sunday, Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle was shot dead in broad daylight outside one of his stores in what police reportedly suspect is a gang-related incident.
Hussle, who rose to national stardom following the release of his Grammy-nominated 2018 debut album “Victory Lap,” has been open about his past involvement in a South Los Angeles gang. Despite his rough upbringing, the Los Angeles Times reports, Hussle (born Ermias Asghedom) had become a pillar in the community, generously donating his resources and employing many in the area through a handful of stores, including Marathon Clothing, outside of which he was killed Sunday.
“Hussle, who was known as much for his work in the community as for his music, was hit multiple times about 3:20 p.m. in front of his store, the Marathon Clothing, at 3420 W. Slauson Ave., police said,” the L.A. Times reports. “He was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was 33.”
Two other people were injured in the shooting.
Los Angeles Police Lt. Chris Ramirez said at a press conference Sunday that the suspect was a black male and still at large. The Times reports that by late Sunday night, police were still interviewing witnesses and collecting security surveillance footage. A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told the Times that Hussle was killed by a man firing at close range who fled to a getaway car and that police suspect the incident is gang-related.
The shooting took place shortly after Hussle tweeted about having “strong enemies.”
“Having strong enemies is a blessing,” Hussle tweeted just about 20 minutes before the shooting.
The Daily Mail notes that L.A. Police Commissioner Steve Soboroff tweeted Sunday night that he and Chief Michel Moore were planning to meet with the musician on Monday to discuss gang violence.
“We (@LAPDChiefMoore and I ) were meeting , at the request of @NipseyHussle with him and @rocnation tomorrow at 4pm to talk about ways he could help stop gang violence and help us help kids. I’m so very sad,” wrote Soboroff.
Moore also issued a tweet lamenting the shooting and highlighting the larger problem of gang violence. “Tonight’s homicide in South LA represents the latest loss in a troubling surge in violence,” he wrote. “Since last Sunday 26 victims have been shot & 10 homicides—that’s 36 families left picking up the pieces. We will work aggressively with our community to quell this senseless loss of life.”
Members of the community gathered Sunday evening near the crime scene to pay respects to Hussle. “The man was instrumental in a lot of stuff. Fighting gentrification, trying to stop gang violence,” activist Malik Spellman told the TImes. “The facts are he was a good person.”
Along with Marathon Clothing, Hussle owned a fish market, barbershop, and burger restaurant which employed members of the community, including some who were down on their luck, the Times notes. He’d also donated money and resources to a local elementary shool.
In an interview with the L.A. Times in 2018, Hussle discussed his experience in a gang growing up. “We dealt with death, with murder,” he said. “It was like living in a war zone, where people die on these blocks and everybody is a little bit immune to it. I guess they call it post-traumatic stress, when you have people that have been at war for such a long time. I think L.A. suffers from that because it’s not normal yet we embrace it like it is after a while.”