April 20th, 2019

Path of the Righteous Man

The truth about Nipsey Hussle’s life, death, and legacy that America simply can’t ignore…

The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish, and the 
tyranny of evil men. - Ezekiel 25 : 17

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It was a Sunday afternoon. California was cool and sunny, just after a cold, wet winter that was long overdue. It was a peaceful day in Los Angeles, I was at the Downtown Central Library when my phone buzzed with breaking news. Nipsey Hussle, a hip hop icon and LA native, had just been murdered outside his clothing store on Slauson Avenue. I felt a sinking in my heart. It was like I had been near the epicenter of an earthquake. There was a wave of trauma passing through the city, and it had just reached me. Scrolling down my feed, I watched as hurt and confused spectators quickly surrounded the parking lot where just a moment ago, Hussle had been conversing with friends, alive and well. Nipsey Hussle is not only a rapper. He’s a father, a fiancé, a respected entrepreneur, and a philanthropist. To some, he is better known for his work in the community than for his music. “Who would take a life like that?” I asked myself, pondering the various theories that had begun to emerge. Original speculation was that the shooting had been gang related, but in the hours following the rapper’s death, friends, family, and alleged witnesses joined the conversation to cast doubt on that assumption.

“The culture of my area is a gang culture.” Hussle explained in a 2014 interview with Vlad TV. “Being young, riding your bike through the hood, getting shot at, your loved ones and your friends getting killed and shot at […] Whether I’m for this shit or not, I’m in it. So it gets to a point where when you’re always in the middle of some shit, you might as well be part of it…” Hussle was a devout member of the Rollin 60’s chapter of the Crenshaw Crips, but the idea that a rival gang member had committed this crime did not sit right with Hussle’s community. Gang violence has dwindled in recent years, partly due to the efforts of rap artists such as Hussle and YG, who despite their rival gang affiliation, have come together in collaboration to heal this bitter divide. Furthermore, Hussle is a highly respected member of his community, known for re-innovating local schoolyards and hiring ex-convicts to help them get a fresh start. He even had a meeting with the LAPD Police Chief to discuss ways of descaling gang violence, scheduled for the following day. Nipsey came a long way from his days of gang banging and criminal activity, which made it hard for fans and loved ones to believe that he’d been targeted for such reasons.

In the days that followed, a man named Eric Holder would be charged with murder in connection to the crime. Holder himself is a Crip from South LA. “It doesn’t make sense that someone from the area just snuck up…” Hussle’s brother Samiel told The LA Times last week, “[someone who] had just talked to him and shook his hand moments before. It’s mind boggling…” Holder allegedly knew Hussle, and the two had exchanged words shortly Holder would return with a weapon and shoot Nipsey five times. Many, including Nipsey’s brother Samiel, who had attempted to revive him at the crime scene, suggested that this may have been some kind of pre-orchestrated hit…
Some even considered the possibility that this was a government plotted execution, due to Nipsey’s anti-imperialist rhetoric and his roll in producing an unreleased documentary about the life of Dr. Sebi, who mysteriously died in police custody after famously curing patients with HIV. “Why do you think they kill all holistic doctors?” Nipsey exclaimed in an interview with Hot 97’s The Breakfast Club last year, “You shortstopping their grind. Why do niggas get killed for hustling in front of a nigga’s spot? You shortstopping the grind…”
It’s an eerie comment to look back on, considering the fact that Hussle was killed in front of his own store. As Hussle recalled in another interview, “I remember being shot at by the police in that parking lot, getting taken to jail, getting raided in that parking lot — to actually owning that building.” The 33 year old rapper also owned another store in the same strip mall where The Marathon Clothing is located, along with other businesses in the neighborhood, including a community center devoted to teaching young people business ethics that will help them thrive in poverty stricken conditions. According to various anonymous sources who claim to be close to the incident, Nipsey had a disagreement with Eric Holder which erupted into the feud that caused Holder to take his life. Just minutes before the attack, Nipsey published a tweet that said “Having strong enemies is a blessing.” Alluding to the fact that he was aware of conflicts had been brewing…
But what were those conflicts, exactly? And who did they involve? Was Nipsey Hussle’s murder nothing more than an impulsive act of ego-driven rage? Or is there more to examine beneath the surface of this incident, which has since transformed the community of South LA? In order to understand the motives behind this tragedy, and the consequences that ensued, you must first understand the man at the center of it all…
Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness. For he is truly his brother’s keeper, and the finder of lost children. -Ezekiel 25:17For decades, Los Angeles has been the setting for a grim and brutal gang war against the notorious Bloods and Crips. In the midst of this relentless battle that made South LA ground zero for numerous shootings and homicides, West Coast hip hop found its way to the world’s stage. Gangsta rap is the story of a culture, a time, and a place where young Ermias Asghedom, who would soon become Nipsey Hussle, was born and raised…
“I was just taking care of myself early on. I was doing things to try to get money so I could support myself. I always wanted to do music, that was my first passion more than anything…” Hussle admits that the frustration of not having studio access or any clear path to becoming a recording artist was part of what inspired him to join the Crips. But he did so with a unique vision in mind. “Our generation was responsible for putting it on the map in terms of hustling and business, you know? Making moves outside of the streets, and taking it to a corporate level…” For Nipsey, there was no escaping this lifestyle, so he entered with the intentions of using his neighborhood gang alliance to hustle, survive, and find a way to make music. And that’s exactly what he did…

Despite an enduring ten year run in the music industry, Nipsey’s movement remained tastefully underground and somewhat specific to LA. But in his short time on this earth, Nipsey Hussle had become the subject of worldwide acclaim. Especially after appearing alongside rapper YG on the smash hit Fuck Donald Trump, and recently receiving a Grammy nomination for his debut studio album, The Victory Lap. In an era of infusing genres, Nipsey remained reputable as an authentic hip hop artist, generating underground notoriety while simultaneously garnering support from legends such as Jay Z and Diddy. Through it all, he never let go of his roots in the Rollin 60’s. “I wouldn’t say I’m out the gang. You don’t get out of a gang, truthfully. You just redirect your energy. I’m not a gang banger. But [The Rollin 60’s] is something you ain’t never gonna put down […] When you hang up that rag it’s like saying I’m not part of this community no more. But at the same time, demonstrations speak louder than conversations. So I ain’t in cars going on missions no more. I ain’t in the spot, I’m on a radio run. I’m dropping my album, you know what I mean? Building businesses, employing my homeboys, and paying taxes…”