NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

Mourning for Nipsey Hussle goes well beyond music

LOS ANGELES

Nipsey Hussle thought Marathon Clothing could be a seed to revive the impoverished Los Angeles community where he grew up.

The 33-year-old rapper and his business partner purchased property in the Crenshaw neighborhood, intending to knock it down and erect a six-story residential building atop a commercial plaza, with Marathon as its anchor.

But as Hussle stood in that same plaza Sunday afternoon, he was shot and killed by an unknown assailant. On Monday, the neighborhood he sought to improve mourned him for much more than his music.

Hussle’s philanthropic work went well beyond the usual celebrity “giving back” ethos, and political and community leaders were as quick and effusive in their praise as his fellow hip-hop artists.

“Nipsey’s activism, leadership and dedication to community was an inspiration for Californians and beyond,” tweeted California senator and presidential candidate Kamala Harris. “His senseless death leaves us worse off.”

By Monday, hundreds of people formed a circle in front of the closed store to pay their respects. A memorial of candles, flowers and paintings of Hussle took shape in front of the store and in the parking lot. Blaring loudly through several speakers, some of Hussle’s popular songs were being played, including “The Weather,” “Double Up” and “Hussle & Motivate.”

Associated Press