On March 31st, 2019 activist, artist, and entrepreneur Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed and his death took the world by storm. Nipsey was more than just a rapper. His hard-hitting music reflected the environment that molded him yet he was serious on empowering his community to rise up from broken circumstances. Many members of the CHH community reflected and mourned his passing while also celebrating his impact that went beyond music.
Some artists simply responded in shock and offered up prayers:
i’m so sorry nip. i’m so sorry lauren. i’m sorry about this world. i pray God gives you all peace. #RipNipseyHussle pic.twitter.com/dW14XkdkOu
— dyl. ™️ (@nobigdyl) April 1, 2019
Prayers up for Nipsey’s family… this is so sad
— RAUL (@WHATUPRG) April 1, 2019
Man this is so terrible. Another talented young man taken too soon. https://t.co/xDOmH2O35T
— Ruslan (@RuslanKD) April 1, 2019
??♂️ This world is WILD… #LongLiveNip
— YOUNG OTTO ? (@1kphew) April 1, 2019
Dang. Nipsey Hussle got killed.
— Dävis (@davisabsolute) April 1, 2019
Praying for Lauren London. Losing someone you love is the worst feeling in the world.
— Wande Isola ? (@OMGitsWande) April 1, 2019
So so so sad. ? why do we continue to kill eachother…
— #GodOverMoney Dātin (@Datin_TripleD) April 1, 2019
Many commented on the powerful legacy he left behind musically and personally:
Maaan @NipseyHussle was a king
— Lotus Waver ⛩? (@jarrymanna) April 1, 2019
Nipsey stood for so much positivity man. So much self ownership and responsibility, community investment, perseverance and leadership. What a tragic end to his story.
Make rap peaceful again smh
— tribe on the move. (@MoglitheIceburg) April 1, 2019
dedication, hard work plus patience
the sum of all my sacrifice, im done waiting..@NipseyHussle #rip ???— DURAG P™️ (@parrischariz) April 1, 2019
Nipsey created a blueprint from the bottom. Ownership, positivity, involvement & cultural development in the African American community. He inspired a generation. His work & ideas will live long. I pray his life showed us what can be. ?? for the strength of his family. #ripnipsey
— Corey Paul (@CoreyPaulMusic) April 1, 2019
We should be trying to be as educated, informative, financially wise, and community driven as #NipseyHussle was. They can’t kill us all.
— Glen (@BeleafMel) April 1, 2019
Artists also spoke on the injustice of Nipsey’s death:
still don’t get how someone could be dying and the first thing u do is not pray but pull out ur phone and record… but ?????? for nipsey man smh
— Fogiato Sport (@foggieraw) March 31, 2019
I’ve been typing and deleting tweets for a while now. And I can’t find the right words to say tbh, I’m hurt and disgusted that someone would kill such a man who would help his community and peers in more ways than one. Pray for his family. Rest in Power Nip ✊?
— Mykael V (@DJMykaelV) April 1, 2019
?? @NipseyHussle //we know what’s this was about.??#drsebimovie
— ESHON BURGUNDY (@eshonburgundy) April 1, 2019
Man I swear it feel like one of my homies just passed! This hit me so different!!!!!??♂️???
— KING THI’SL (@Thisl) April 1, 2019
This one stung. #RipNipsey pic.twitter.com/FdONl1d4Dg
— Tillmonger (@TheTonyTillman) April 1, 2019
Joey Vantes, who had his latest project Legends Never Die prepped for an April drop, delayed it out of respect for the late rapper:
To all my family, friends, fans. Out of respect for Nip, I’m delaying my project release. New official release of “Legends Never Die” will be 5/3.
— Joey Vantes (@joeyvantes) April 6, 2019
On The Red Couch Podcast, Propaganda gave a stirring story of why Nipsey’s death impacted him heavily and urged listeners to remember the spirit and intelligence of Nipsey’s career (edited and modified for brevity; check out Prop’s full unadulterated thoughts on his podcast episode entitled “My Chemical Bromance”).
“It’s the understatement of the year to call him [Nipsey] an LA rapper. If you Google him and hear his interviews, you hear his wisdom, forward-thinking, and entrepreneurial spirit,” he said. “Nipsey understood the importance of owning property and investing in his community. There was a project that Nipsey was a part of called Vector90 that was a shared workspace that he put in the middle of the hood. There’s his store, Marathon Clothing, where he used to work at where he would hire local kids.”
Prop continued, “He owned multiple businesses, he was starting a STEM Program for inner-city kids, he was starting programs that would help kids learn to code…you don’t see any stories of him getting caught up in somebody’s Instagram Live, being an internet gangster, or being caught up in some sort of scandal with a woman. He was with his lifelong girlfriend and two children and was a family man. He was everything we are encouraged to be as young African-Americans. Granted his music is not for everybody. It’s very street…but so was he.”
“It’s also very intelligent and so was he. Nipsey understood business and understood that when you see different you do different. He understood that it wasn’t about gaining power and jewelry but about empowering people around him. His death hit me hard because he was from the same streets I was from. I look at Nipsey and see myself. I see a lot of young men who needed to see something new. He took something that was meant to destroy him and made it a superpower.”
Nipsey’s murder is a tragedy but the impact he left behind can’t be ignored. A final world from Taelor Gray perfectly captures the reality of the pain of his passing but also points to the hope that is to come.
It is because of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions do not fail. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
– Lamentations 3:22-23
Lament with hope.
— Taelor Gray (@taelor_gray) April 1, 2019
