Pure Hip Hop

Some people might be wondering why so many people are upset about the murder of Nipsey Hussle. He's "just a rapper" and most of us didn't have a personal relationship with him. First off, he was a young man 33 years old. As a parent it grieves me that his parents have to bury their child, that's something no parent should have to go through. It grieves me that he's got two very young children, babies that now have to grow up without their father.

 He wasn't just any ordinary rapper. Not only was he very talented in his art, he actually elevated the entire genre of music. He actually rapped about real stuff with a real message. He talked about hard work. Delayed gratification. "Hussle and Motivate" was his mantra. He rapped about Return on Investment. Perseverance. "Double up, three or four times I ain't tellin' no lies I just run it up, never let a hard time humble us"

Those of us who grew up a certain way, we can't relate to most of that garbage on the radio today that they pump out to keep us dumb and in bondage. However, we can definitely relate to Nipsey. Grown men, even some in prison were moved to tears by his music because it hit home like that. More importantly he backed up his music with action. He was investing in his community. He owned multiple businesses. He started investing in technology with a focused goal to give African Americans an opportunity at real wealth creation.

He started creating documentaries to educate the masses. Watch some of his interviews and you can clearly see that he had a strategic focus on not just elevating himself but lifting up his entire community. The other reason why it hurts is because it hits home. Most of us who grew up like he grew up has lost people we know and love to gun violence. Do you know how devastating it is to literally see someone 2 days ago and then find out they were gunned down? It's so frustrating and sad. R.I.P big man and fly high with the ancestors. You will be sorely missed.