Is two years long enough to get over it? Eric Holder, A.K.A. Shitty Cuh just asked to be released early cause he “poses no threat to the public”. Is two years long enough time for him to serve? Is two years long enough to finish a marathon?
On March 31st, 2019, Hip Hop lost a heavyweight, the hood lost a hero and the world lost a warrior. Deep is the impact of one Ermias Joseph Asghedom, A.K.A Nipsey Hussle. Beyond rap his words stretched and far past death his extends his breath. Long live Neighborhood Nip.
He really was bigger than his hood and probably life itself. His music vividly detailed his experience with the Los Angeles gang culture and condemned the lifestyle while recognizing that some are unable to escape it. He constantly focused on solutions and inspiration for those in his community.
I came across Nip a few times in the early to mid 2000’s. The world famous Magic Shears had a location in the plaza on Crenshaw and Slauson during the T-Shirt Store days and Nip was always around becoming the business man we would remember him as, receiving orders, showing love, making sales, music and money moves.
Years passed and Nipsey Hussle would give use all a blueprint in leveling up. His art began to reflect the ever expanding intellect he possessed and it crossed over into the business deals he invested in. The Hussle brand would take shape and and it was clear that his career was already a masterclass in realizing and leveraging your own worth as an artist.
Many pinpoint the assassination of Nipsey Hussle by Eric Holder as the beginning of the bad times the pre-pandemic world would find itself entrenched in just a year later. It was truly a bad day for Los Angeles, California as well as the entire Hip Hop universe. What he said to us can never be unheard and what he means to us can never be unfelt.
To be frank (pun intended), we need way more Nips and way less Shitty Cuh’s. There are way too many actors in our play that would take out a Nip for clout rather than be inspired to be like or work with a Nip. A sad fact it is that as we all continued the marathon, it got exponentially more dangerous to be a rapper.
Nipsey Hussle will never be lost in our memory but we too should remember the way in which he passed and continue to work towards a situation in which we don’t lose our legends so senselessly. Nip championed anti-gun violence in his community and the irony should not be lost on us that he was gunned down in front of his business right in his own hood.
As Hip Hop gets more and more violent, let us all remember the consequences of the actions (and the lives) we take. We don’t get to hear Nip build with us anymore, instead we get to hear Eric Holder beg to get out of jail. Something will never be right about that.
The Marathon Continues. Long Live Nipsey Hussle.