More Than The Music: Remembering Nipsey Hussle

The murder of Ermias Joseph Asghedom, better known asNipsey Hussle was a tough pill to swallow at the end of March. At 33 he landed a grammy nomination for best rap album of 2018 on his debut solo album Victory Lap. His impact went far beyond his west coast rap music. As a person from the streets of Slauson  and Crenshaw in South LA he aimed to Hustle & Motivate his listeners and community by preaching good health and building true wealth. Most importantly he was an activist for the black and Eritrean communities as a person in the spotlight who was sending a positive message.

Nipsey stressed an importance of building up communities that have been forgotten by or damaged by the systematic oppression of the government. He lead by example as he opened a clothing store in his old neighborhood and hired many people with felony charges looking to work. Once you have a felony charge attached to your name it can be nearly impossible to get a job and get back on the right track so many end up in a circular trap. To Double Up he also was in the works of bringing a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) program to the schools in his underprivileged neighborhood, connecting the schools directly to the tech firms in Silicon Valley. Educating the youth is like watering the seeds of our future and the only way to ensure growth as in our neighborhoods, country and world.

Practicing good health are the nutrients and minerals you get from the well nurtured soil. Recent reports have stated that unhealthy eating is now the leading cause of death. Eating overly processed foods and an excess of animal byproducts has been proven to cause cancer, diabetes and other ailments. They always say you are what you eat and if you don’t know that cow milk is cow puss then you may want to reconsider what kind of milk you are consuming so you don’t become a puss- (you said it, not I). Nipsey was working on a documentary to highlight the life of Dr. Sebi who was spreading a message of health and healing by consumption of plant based foods and use of natural herbs. He allegedly died of pneumonia in his home country of Honduras in 2016. In 1987 the state of New York charged Dr. Sebi of illegally practicing medicine and he beat the charge while representing himself. Nipsey thought it was incredible that this story is not more well known and thus inspired the documentary.

He Loaded Bases with his Dedication to  health, wealth, and equal opportunities and was only just beginning to get Real BigLast Time That I Checc’d, Sam Cooke was the last artist that had suddenly been murdered on the heels of coming into his prime as an artist and activist. He was also killed at 33. The silencing of black activists has crippled the black community for decades. How can a group of people have any direction without a leader keeping them on the right path? Nipsey was relatable as someone from the streets who changed his lifestyle to help others and grow as an individual. His legacy will live on in his music and his message, but it is up to us to be proactive in taking action by helping our youth, communities, and ourselves. Many of us are DJs and have an ability to touch hundreds, thousands and even millions of people each year. Music is a vessel of communication that we have literally at our finger tips. Use your super powers to better our world. Today, Thursday April 11th, a funeral will be held for Ermias at Staples Center in LA as the world mourns for a leader lost too soon. RIP Nip.

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