REMEMBER AND RESPECT RAPPER NIPSEY HUSSLE

Like most people of his stature, rapper Nipsey Hussle (real name Ermias Asghedom) was much more than the person he portrayed in his music – but unlike most people in his position, his idea of being humble was bigger than his music, celebrity or his past.

Hussle died at the top of his world – Crenshaw, in South Los Angeles, the community he grew up in and built, in his vision. His past affiliation with gangs defined him in a way that doesn’t delude his character; he gained respect from rival gangs and everyone alike because his values were set on leadership, entrepreneurship and growth. It was all bigger than music. 

It’s a fair move to chart all of Nipsey’s music on the billboards in the wake of his death, but it’s an even better move to not only recognize his accomplishments and goals as a person, but to carry on that legacy.

Whether it’s his death (Nipsey was shot and killed March 31 during an altercation outside his store in South LA) or that of another celebrity, tragically or naturally, the public should pay respect – a token of acknowledgment to that person’s work and the legacy they will leave. There are far too many times where we wait to judge a public figure’s character in the wake of their passing or wait till after the fact and drown ourselves in a spiral of controversy and Twitter arguments.

It’s a tragedy that Nipsey had so much going for him: a new family, a Grammy nominated album and organizations in his community that benefited the youth. All that was cut short due to a disgusting act of violence.

It becomes harder to discuss a topic like a celebrity’s death when it occurs in such a shocking way. Like many rappers before him who met a similar fate, Nipsey will leave behind a message that will outlive the generation that permeates within his  community;a figure destined for street murals and grand memorials, it’s hopeful that in the future he won’t be the only blessing his community inherits.

I think his death is a wake-up call, not just to gun violence and the systemic issues that provoke inner-city problems, but to the idea that we usually never regard or acknowledge a person’s accomplishments until they pass.

Nipsey Hussle was a universally respected figure in hip-hop who rose above his past and made it to a place a lot of people would dream of. Personally, I didn’t listen to a lot of his music over the years, but I respected him for being a pillar in the rap community – because like his goals and accomplishments, it’s bigger than music.