Nipsey Hussle dead – Grammy-nominated rapper shot outside LA shop as Rihanna, Drake and 50 Cent lead tributes
The star, 33, was shot along with two other people who were in critical condition in hospital last night - while a suspect remained at large
RAPPER Nipsey Hussle was killed in a triple-shooting outside an LA clothes shop last night.
The Grammy-nominated star, 33, was shot dead just hours after posting a cryptic message about his "enemies".
More recently, he became interested in the tech industry praising the moguls behind giants PayPal and Facebook.
"And that's cool, but there should be something that says, 'Follow Elon Musk, follow [Mark] Zuckerberg.'"
Hussle was born on Aug. 15, 1985, in the Crenshaw neighbourhood of south Los Angeles.
The Eritrean-American said his first passion was music but getting resources was tough since he left his mother's house at 14 to live with his grandmother.
He said he got involved in street life as he tried to support himself and he joined the gang Rollin 60's Neighborhood Crips as a teenager.
In a 2014 interview with VladTV, he said: "The culture of my area is the gang culture - so by being outside, being involved with hustling, being in the hood, doing things to try to get money, being young, you know riding your bike through the hood, getting shot at, your loved ones and homies that's your age getting killed, getting shot at ...
"...it's like, we were just raised like if you with me and something goes now, I'm in it, whether I'm from the (expletive) or not."
Who are the Crips?
- With more than 30,000 members, LA street gang the Crips has been in a virtual state of war with rivals the Bloods since the late 60s.
- Up to 15,000 deaths are believed to have been as a result of the Bloods and Crips feud that is behind many of the city’s gang executions.
- Such is the extent of the group that it has infiltrated the US Army and spread thousands of miles to cities such as New York and Chicago.
- Dealing heroin and crack cocaine and control of territory fuels the violence
- Clashes continue every day to control the lucrative LA drug trade
Success in the music industry eventually happened for Hussle.
The West Coast rapper released a number of mixtapes that he sold out of the trunk of his car, helping him create a buzz and gain respect from rap purists and his peers.
In 2010 he placed on hip-hop magazine XXL's "Freshman Class of 2010" a coveted list for up-and-coming hip-hop acts alongside J. Cole Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa, Jay Rock and others.
Hussle continued to build more hype for himself and Jay-Z even bought 100 copies of his 2013 mixtape Crenshaw for $100 each, sending the budding rapper a $10,000 check.
But the rapper, who was once signed to Sony's Epic Records, hit a new peak with Victory Lap, his critically acclaimed major-label debut album on Atlantic Records.
The album debuted at No. 4 on Billboard's 200 albums charts and featured collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Diddy, CeeLo Green and more.
At this year's Grammy Awards, the record was one of five nominees for best rap album in a year.
Following his death, Hussle's label Atlantic Records posted: "Words cannot express our sadness. Nipsey was not only one of the greatest artists we worked with but an amazing father & leader in his community.
"One of the kindest & brightest stars in the universe, he was inspiring to all. We will miss him, his music & everything he stood for."
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted: "Our hearts are with the loved ones of Nipsey Hussle and everyone touched by this awful tragedy.
"LA is hurt deeply each time a young life is lost to senseless gun violence. My Crisis Response Team is assisting the families coping with shock and grief."
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