Following the death of rapper and respected industry disruptor, Nipsey Hussle, police are looking to surveillance footage of the shooting which ended his life for answers.
Nipsey Hussle – real name Ermias Davidson Asghedom – was shot dead in Los Angeles in a shooting which wounded two other people.
Newly released CCTV footage shows the 33-year-old was shot a number of times, after the suspect and he conducted a reportedly tense conversation. Asghedom was pronounced dead on arrival at an LA hospital.
The Victory Lap Grammy award nominee had been outside his own shop, The Marathon Clothing, in south Los Angeles when the fatal shooting happened.
CCTV footage was acquired by police from the adjacent business and shows there were several witnesses to the shooting, in which two other people were wounded but survived.
It’s been shared via the social media channels of the podcast Street Watch XM:
Law enforcement are looking for a black male in his twenties and a female suspect who allegedly drove the car in which the shooter departed the scene.
The shooting is said to be gang related. Tragically, it has since been confirmed Asghedom had planned to meet with LAPD’s police chief and commissioner on Monday afternoon to discuss a plan to prevent gang violence.
Tributes are already flooding the online realm for Asghedom, who grew up in south Los Angeles and was in the Rollin’ 60s street gang when he was teenager.
He later became a community organiser, and was involved with the Destination Crenshaw arts project, as well as opening a combination co-working space and STEM center in Crenshaw.
He told the LA Times:
Growing up as a kid, I was looking for somebody — not to give me anything — but somebody that cared.
Someone that was creating the potential for change and that had an agenda outside of their own self interests.
The day before his death Asghedom tweeted a reference to his enemies, calling them a ‘blessing’:
Asghedom is said to have had ties to the Crips, but has worked with other artists and known members of the Bloods over his ten-year music career.
The lyricist has also worked with other huge names in the industry, like Drake, Childish Gambino, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, Young Thug, Snoop Dogg, Ne-Yo, Kirko Bangz, Dom Kennedy, Tyga, Jadakiss, Chamillionaire and others.
Asghedom is survived by his two children and his partner, Lauren London.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.