{"id":9901,"date":"2019-04-18T23:08:02","date_gmt":"2019-04-18T23:08:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/?p=9901"},"modified":"2019-04-18T23:08:02","modified_gmt":"2019-04-18T23:08:02","slug":"nipsey-hussle-memorial-shines-light-on-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/2019\/04\/18\/nipsey-hussle-memorial-shines-light-on-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Nipsey Hussle memorial shines light on commUNITY"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cianna Hope Reeves<\/strong><\/p>\n

Managing Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Google image<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was a tragedy that caused a nation to shed tears but most importantly it became a heartbreak that gave people the motivation to take action in their own community.<\/p>\n

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The shocking murder of the up-and-coming rapper, Nipsey Hussle, born Ermias Joseph Asghedom, brought together a city once divided by gangs, race and social class.<\/p>\n

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A native of South Los Angeles, Hussle grew into a national phenomenon after the release of his Grammy-nominated debut album, Victory Lap, but what others adored so much about the artist is how he took pride in his hood and his roots.<\/p>\n

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As a result of his powerful influence on millions through service, leadership and artistry, his family and friends believed it was only right to pay tribute to the philanthropic musician in a grand way.<\/p>\n

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In a stadium that seats more than 20,000, on Thursday, April 11 fans nationwide gathered to reflect on his contributions to the world as a father, rapper, friend, icon and activist.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hussle\u2019s family members and close-friends honored the late rapper by a hosting a free \u201cCelebration of Life\u201d themed memorial service held in the Los Angeles Staples Center, which immediately sold-out after it was announced via his personal Instagram account.<\/p>\n

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Multiple speakers such as Snoop Dogg, YG, and Master P spoke on behalf of their experiences with their long-time friend and how Hussle personally touched their lives.<\/p>\n

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Snoop Dogg reflected on how they instantly connected after meeting and the joys that came with their friendship. As he approached the podium on center stage, he emotionally shared his remarks.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe created a bond. We created something that was special,\u201d said Dogg. \u201cWhen we met each other, it was like a magnet coming together\u2014we had the same spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A special letter was written by former President Barack Obama and read aloud by Hussle\u2019s marketing strategist, Karen Civil.<\/p>\n

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Obama admitted though he never met him before, he knew the rapper was someone special.<\/p>\n

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\u201cNipsey saw potential. He saw hope. He saw a community that even through its flaws taught him to always keep going,\u201d Obama wrote. He concluded the letter by sending him gratitude to the late rapper saying Nipsey Hussle \u201cset an example for young people to follow and his is a legacy of celebration.\u201d<\/p>\n

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March 31, 2019, Hussle was fatally shot multiple times outside of his Los Angeles-based clothing store, Marathon, which launched in June 2018.<\/p>\n

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Many speculated it to be a gang-related incident, however, it was determined by investigators that the conflict Sunday evening was over a mutual dispute with the public figure and his rival, Eric Holder, from a prior engagement the same day.<\/p>\n

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Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan applauded his efforts to bring peace between the Crips street gang, to which he belonged to and the rival Bloods.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSometimes when you can fly above the circumstances of your life, it produces envy and enmity and jealousy among those who have not learned how to fly, but Ermias was than a hip-hop artist. He was a voice and brilliant mind, and the spirit of God was in his life,\u201d expressed Farrakhan.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Artists such as Anthony Hamilton, Stevie Wonder, Marsha Ambrosius, and Jhene Aiko also performed songs throughout the ceremony.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As the acknowledgements continued, so did the tears from the crowded arena.<\/p>\n

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Lauren London, the longtime girlfriend of the musician, walked on stage with her children and close friend and an abrupt standing ovation and cheers came from the audience. In her eulogy, she read aloud a text message she typed to him one morning while he was sleeping.<\/p>\n

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In disbelief and sadness, she read, \u201cErmias, I want you to know that I feel real joy in my heart when I\u2019m around you. I feel safe around you, protected, like forcefield around me when you\u2019re around\u2026My truth is this: I\u2019m never going to give up on you. My love and devotion is to you,\u201d London concluded.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After reading the text, she gazed into the crowd and distraughtly admitted, \u201cMy pain is for my two-year-old, who probably won\u2019t remember how much his dad loved him.\u201d Together, they share one kid, and both of them have one child from a previous relationship.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hussle\u2019s mother, Angelique Smith, graced the stage in high spirits and her peaceful aroma captivated the audience. His father, Dawit Asghedom, stood behind her for moral support as she recited her tribute speech.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI want to tell you that I stand a witness that everything is in perfect in divine order, she said. \u201cI want to you that we come from royalty and regality. I want to tell you that we are loving and kind and spiritual race of people.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very proud of my son. My son, Ermias Joseph Asghedom, was a great man,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Following all of the tributes, performances and remarks from loved ones, a 25.5 mile funeral procession traveled from the Staples Center through South Central L.A. for supporters to have a final chance to say their goodbyes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A massive crowd of fans filled the streets to honor the fallen rapper before arriving at Angelus Funeral Home in the Crenshaw district. He was soon laid to rest at Forest Lawn Cemetery.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Since his farewell, Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson has declared Crenshaw and Slauson, the intersection where he was tragically killed, to be renamed as \u201cNispey Hussle Square\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cianna Hope Reeves Managing Editor   It was a tragedy that caused a nation to shed tears but most importantly it became a heartbreak that gave people the motivation to take action in their own community.   The shocking murder of the up-and-coming rapper, Nipsey Hussle, born Ermias Joseph Asghedom, brought together a city once […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-9901","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-variety"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9901"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9901\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}