I wanted to jump on here and discuss briefly my thoughts on the Nipsey Hussle murder, and how his passing has affected many people who knew him. Let me start off by saying I did not know much about him prior to his passing. I remember seeing him in a few movies with very brief appearances and probably scanned through some of his interviews on YouTube unknowing of his music. I did start to learn about his music from my husband. He would play Nipseys album Victory Lap in the car last year, and I really enjoyed the album. Honestly, now I see why he was nominated for a Grammy, its a dope body of work. So when I did start to catch on to his music, although he has been making mix-tapes for YEARS since as far back as 2008, I find out he is murdered.
What made this ordeal so hard for me is how hard my husband took it when he found out Nipsey was dead. I wanted to learn more about this rapper who my husband was devastated about. It was almost like he lost his best friend. I remember riding in the car coming back from his moms house and he got a text from his home boy that Nipsey got shot. Like all of us, we go to social media to find out information. When he saw it on the GRAM, we figured it was true. I took the time to read up on him to learn why people were taking this rapper with tattoos and braids so hard?! He was a gang banger right? A Crip? Well to my knowledge he was no longer a gang banger but a inspiration and motivator to his community in L.A. What makes him great is that he took money he made from rapping and his local business to give back. Not just talk about it but actually do it. He owned a plaza in South L.A where he grew up, and employed folks that needed jobs that were felons, single mothers etc. He talked about uniting the gangs in LA so there was less beef and killing. He invested his money into businesses that could make a profit. For example:
1. Invest in ecosystems.
Hussle was deeply concerned with South LA communities, and in both Crenshaw and Hyde Park made investments and philanthropic contributions that spoke to the diverse needs of residents — he not only had affordable housing plans in the works, but was coupling that development with affordable, healthy food access. He made sure basketball courts were paved for children to play, and then through Vector 90 — a technology co-working center and incubator also offering STEM education — made sure those youth would be able to find jobs and thrive in their local community.
2. Start with what you know… and grow.
Hussle was already an innovative entrepreneur in the music industry, often acknowledged for his unique sales strategies (for instance selling 1,000 copies of his mix-tape in one day, but for $100 each, so that he could then release the music digitally to the public for free). He brought this ingenuity to his real estate investment strategy, and also brought in a partner, Dave Gross, an experienced investor with a Masters of Science in Real Estate Development. Together they were working to take advantage of Opportunity Zone legislation.
3. Build a legacy.
Investing shouldn’t just be about making as much money as possible, it should prioritize being able to hold your head high in your community — knowing that you were able to create wealth for others, while also supporting your own family and needs. Hussle made clear that his objective was to lift up his community: he demonstrated a new model of success, that’s not just about what you can buy, but what you can build.
What sucks is that his life was taken by a low life loser who just got out of jail. Jealousy, envy and hate made this punk shoot someone over his fucked up emotions. It really pisses me off when I think about it because it happens everyday in the black community. When they use the crabs in a barrel term its a perfect fit. “Why not me, if I can you cant” mentality. These were everything Hussle was against. Eric Holder is the named shooter and currently in custody awaiting trial. He has the nerve to plead not guilty. I dont know if Nipsey was targeted by a set up and they got Eric Holder to do the shooting for pay, or if he wanted to kill Nipsey for his own reasons. What sick is that Nipsey knew Eric Holder, there were picture of them in the same group together. You know what they say, sometimes the people closet to you, are your worst enemies. Fucked up. I really hope they put this shit face under the jail and let his ass hole bleed. I hate people like him, its like we cant get ahead with these fuck ups in the community. Sorry for my foul language but its the best way to show my discuss to Eric Holder.
R.I.P Nip – Let The Marathon Continue….cause we have a long way to go.
piinkdiiva.wordpress.com 
Great read!
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