L.A.’s hero gone too soon

Although many people had not heard of him until he was murdered, Nipsey Hussle’s death overtook the R&B community with shock and grief. Hussle, who was not only a well-known rapper, but also a father and an activist, was brutally shot on March 31 in Los Angeles and left the city to mourn his death.

Hussle was known for his true rags-to-riches story that began with him selling mixtapes out of his truck in the parking lot of a strip mall, which he later bought. His first and only full-length album, “Victory Lap”, was released in February 2018 and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the Grammys in 2019.

Despite a young white woman, who was later identified as Kaitlyn “Kay Kay” Renee, vandalizing a mural in Connecticut dedicated to Hussle, the aftermath of the rapper’s death had purpose and led to an outpour of support.

Soon after Hussle’s death, the impossible happened: South LA’s most notorious rival gangs came together and talked to each other about ending the violence. As many celebrities continue to mourn over the death of such an iconic public figure and his city pays tribute to him for all of the advancements he made in trying to stop gang violence, others are just getting to know the amazing person he was and all that he did to make the world a better place.