The 33-Year-Old Rapper was killed on March 31, 2019
In the year since her father died, Nipsey Hussle’s daughter, Emani, celebrated her 11th birthday. New pictures show a large growth spurt, a little girl forced to grow up a little too fast, a little too soon.
We saw Lauren London smile again. Nipsey’s longtime partner and mother to their son, Kross, did so in a video announcing a new partnership between their brand, The Marathon Clothing, and Puma. On Instagram, London posted a heartfelt tribute, writing in part, "God knows I would give anything to see you again. I didn't think I was going to survive a second of this. Prayers have kept me together."
Nipsey’s mother, Angelique Smith, was the epitome of poise and elegance as she spoke about her son, just days after his death.
“His face was beautiful. It had complete peacefulness. I looked at him and said, ‘That’s my angel baby,'” Smith said in a video taken by a family friend.
At this year’s Grammy Awards, Nipsey’s family collected two of posthumous awards in his honor. He won for Best Rap Performance for “Racks in the Middle,” featuring Roddy Ricch and Best Rap Sung Performance for his hit “Higher,” featuring John Legend and DJ Khaled.
“Nip was right there with us rocking with us, we talked about this,” Khaled told InsideEdition.com after his Grammy tribute to Kobe and Nipsey in January. “We were saying the marathon continues. It’s unbelievable. Then there’s this cloud with Kobe Bryant. It’s almost too much.”
In the year since Nipsey’s passing, his family and loved ones have shown immeasurable strength.
Nipsey, whose real name is Ermias Asghedom, was born on August 15, 1985 and grew up in Los Angeles, California.
He was proud of his Eritrean roots, and visited the east African country where his father, Dawit, was born. That would serve to be a turning point in helping him reshape the way he saw the world and how he could help elevate his community.
He did just that, first by buying the entire strip mall which houses The Marathon Clothing store. It was the same place where he began selling CDs out of the trunk of his car.
It would also be the place where his life would be violently taken. He was shot 10 times on March 31, 2019. He was just 33 years old.
Court documents say that Nipsey and alleged gang member Eric Holder Jr. had met that day and had more than one conversation.
According to police and witnesses, when the topic of snitching came up, Holder got violent.
Holder left and returned with two guns. He fired at Nipsey before kicking him in the head and taking off, police said.
Police said their argument was over a personal matter and was not gang-related.
Holder was arrested two days later about 17 miles away. He was hit with several charges, including one count of murder. Holder has pleaded not guilty.
A grand jury indicted Holder and he remains held on $6.5 million dollars bail while awaiting trial, which was scheduled to begin this spring but was delayed because of the coronavirus.
Nipsey’s death sparked peace marches between rival gangs in L.A. and sent shockwaves that transcended the music industry in a way that some say hadn’t been felt since the unsolved murders of Tupac or The Notorious B.I.G.
Nipsey’s co-working and networking space, Vector 90, opened its doors in L.A., with plans to expand nationwide.
At this point, it’s unclear whether his family will be releasing any new music. However, on Instagram Live, producers Hit-Boy and Boi-1da previewed a snippet of a track featuring rapper Big Sean.
We may even get a closer glimpse into Nipsey’s life, reportedly through an upcoming Netflix documentary produced by his own Marathon Films and directed by Ava DuVernay. No release date has been announced yet.
Sweet tributes to a life so prolific have been shared across social media from friends and fans, including DJ Khaled, YG, Omari Hardwick and artist Demont Pinder—making it clear the marathon will continue.
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