Gone, but certainly not forgotten.
Active: 2005 to 2019
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
I came up on mostly Gospel music, but we were allowed to also listen to R&B and Jazz. I’m a self-professed R&B dude. From time to time, I would listen to other genres when I was a kid. Still, gospel music was the staple in my house. This site is dedicated to honoring the R&B musicians that I appreciate the most. However, there are artists in other genres that I really love. Nipsey Hussle definitely deserves a tilt of the brim.
Nipsey Hussle was a name that I heard quite a bit before 2019. Unfortunately, I never took the time to explore his musical genius. In mid-March Nipsey appeared on DJ Khaled’s track, Higher, along with John Legend. I absolutely loved his verse on the track. And that was my first real exposure to his musical talent. Higher was released about two weeks before Nip was gunned down in the streets of South Los Angeles. His verse on Higher and his death gave me the curiosity to take a listen to the rest of his work.
I started with Victory Lap. And honestly, I have been stuck on that album for about a year. I also listened to Crenshaw. Checc Me Out, The Weather, and Don’t Take Days Off are all hot tracks, but that Victory Lap album left a huge impression of me. That has been my go to album for about a year when I’m cruising. This morning, I came across Mailbox Money. The first track Killa is just that. Killa! So, now I’m exploring that album.
I am on a Nipsey Hussle marathon today. Listening to his music inspired me to pay tribute to Nipsey today. He may be gone, but his music helps us to never forget him or his work within the community.
It wasn’t only that he was young and beloved or that he was a father of two who was in a relationship with actress Lauren London. Hussle (whose given name was Ermias Asghedom) was lauded through his life not just for his music but also for his service to the black community.
— Zeba Blay, HuffPost
While most folks look at the Crenshaw neighborhood where he grew up and see only gangs, bullets, and despair, Nipsey saw potential. He saw hope. He saw a community that, even through its flaws, taught him to always keep going. His choice to invest in that community rather than ignore it – to build a skills training center and a coworking space in Crenshaw; to lift up the Eritrean-American community; to set an example for young people to follow – is a legacy worth of celebration.
— Former President Barack Obama
Desmond Pugh 