Rapper Nipsey Hussle was posthumously honored with a Walk of Fame star on his 37th birthday, three years after he was tragically shot to death.
To accommodate the large crowd who attended the ceremony in front of Amoeba Music, Hollywood Boulevard was partially closed as his loved ones accepted the honor on his behalf.
The late hip-hop artist’s longtime friend, actress Lauren London, who brought along her five-year-old son Cross, gave an emotional speech in which she opened up about Hussle’s incredible accomplishments.
Rising star: Rapper Nipsey Hussle was posthumously honored with a Walk of Fame star on his 37th birthday, three years after he was tragically shot to death; seen in 2019
“I think I speak for the whole city of LA when I say we’ve always known Hussle was destined for greatness,” said London, 37. “This moment only reinforces that for us. Nip would have been honored by that moment.”
She continued, “I think he wants everyone to remember that you can’t achieve what’s possible unless you commit to moving forward. That doesn’t mean forgetting where you came from, but it does require acknowledging the reality you were born into and the power you have to change that reality for the better.”
“So if you’re in the city of angels and you see this star, I hope it encourages you to let go of whatever’s holding you back and run your marathon until God says it’s done,” he said the mother. completed by two.
Milestone Achievement: To accommodate the large crowd that attended the ceremony in front of Amoeba Music, Hollywood Boulevard was partially closed as his loved ones accepted the honor on his behalf
Remembering her love: The late hip-hop artist’s longtime friend, actress Lauren London (pictured), who was bringing her five-year-old son Cross, gave an emotional speech in which she opened up about Hussle’s incredible achievements
“I think I speak for the whole city of LA when I say we’ve always known Hussle was destined for greatness,” said London, 37. “This moment only reinforces that for us. Nip would have been honored by that moment
Her thoughts: She continued: ‘I think he wants everyone to remember that you can’t achieve what’s possible unless you commit to moving forward. That doesn’t mean forgetting where you came from, but it does require acknowledging the reality you were born into and the power you have to change that reality for the better.
“So if you’re in the city of angels and you see this star, I hope it encourages you to let go of whatever’s holding you back and run your marathon until God says it’s done,” he said the mother. completed by two
Hussle’s sister, Samantha Smith, also spoke at the ceremony as she gushed that to say she was “proud” of her brother would be an “understatement”.
“Nip the Great, look at who you are, look at what you’ve done. I’m impressed but I’m not surprised. You were a star in my eyes, in the eyes of family, in the eyes of God, long before the awards came home. You’ve impacted the lives of so many in a realistic way – in a realistic way, in a realistic way. You were a pillar in our family, in the community,” she marveled.
Smith continued that she is “always amazed and impressed” by the example set by her siblings and feels “blessed and grateful” to call him her brother.
Hussle pictured himself sitting next to her and the late rapper’s five-year-old son, Cross
A Honoe: Hussle’s sister Samantha Smith also spoke at the ceremony as she gushed that to say she was “proud” of her brother would be an “understatement”.
Proud father: Dawit Asghedom, Hussle’s father, also spoke during the unveiling of his son’s star as he was honored posthumously
Unforgotten: A photo of his late son showed the rapper in a red tracksuit
His grandmother, Margaret Boutte, told the crowd: “He lives forever… And I look at his picture and I remember all the wonderful times we had together. Nipsey, I love you, I miss you, but you’re always close to my heart.’
There was no shortage of celebrity attendees to come to pay their respects, including Isaiah Thomas and Los Angeles Lakers Russell Westbrook.
This is the 2,729. Star since the completion of the Walk of Fame in 1961.
Paying respect: Rapper YG (born Keenon Dequan Ray Jackson) was also in attendance
Beaming with pride: His grandmother Margaret Boutte told the crowd: “He lives forever… And I look at his picture and I remember all the wonderful times we had together. Nipsey, I love you, I miss you, but you are always close to my heart.
A rare honor: This is the 2.729. Star since the completion of the Walk of Fame in 1961
His family: Margaret Boutte, grandmother of the late Nipsey Hussle, Samantha Smith, his sister, and Dawit Asghedom, his father, were all pictured together
In July 2022, Eric Ronald Holder Jr., 32, was convicted of the murder of a Grammy nominee who was shot dead outside his Los Angeles clothing store in 2019.
Holder faces a life sentence where he was allegedly already assaulted by inmates.
Hussle, whose real name is Ermias Asghedom, had just released his major label debut album, which earned him his first Grammy nomination, when he was gunned down.
Beloved: At one point, a plane flew a banner in support of the late Nipsey Hussle during his star’s unveiling
Show Your Support: There was no shortage of celebrity attendees who came to pay their respects, including Isaiah Thomas and Los Angeles Lakers Russell Westbrook
He was a widely popular figure in Los Angeles, particularly in the South LA area, where he grew up and stayed after rising to fame, buying real estate and opening businesses.
“He wanted to change the neighborhood,” McKinney said in his closing argument. ‘He kept the same friends. And the neighborhood loved him.
“They called him Neighborhood Nip.”
Hussle was mourned at a memorial in what was then known as the Staples Center and celebrated at a performance at the Grammy Awards, also attended by DJ Khaled and John Legend.
Guilty: Eric Holder (above) was convicted of the rapper’s murder in July
Tragically, Hussle, who was making his major label debut, was nominated for a Grammy before he was shot 11 times in Los Angeles