A Good Guy

by CHLOÉ ADAMS

We didn’t deserve Nipsey Hussle.

I remember the moment perfectly. I sat in my living room on Sunday, March 31st rushing to complete a project for a client that was due Wednesday of the next week. I knew that if I didn’t focus in and complete it that evening, the project would be difficult to finish because I had other things I needed to do that Monday and Tuesday (procrastination at its finest). So, there I was in my living room – a half empty water bottle on the table in front of me, papers scattered around my couch, a pen, a highlighter, wires all around me coming from outlets in the room to charge my phone and computer, glasses on my face and most importantly, my notepad by my side – I had all the makings of getting everything I needed to get done, done. “You got this Chloé. Put your phone down and knock this out.” Cool. Got it.

Not even five minutes into my work, my phone buzzes. Being the millennial I am with the attention span I have, I think to myself, “Okay, just check this message real quick and get back to work.” No big deal because, again, I’m a millennial so I can multitask, right? I open my messages from my friend, and I see four words: Nipsey Hussle got shot.

Ermias Asghedom, who more popularly goes by his stage name, Nipsey Hussle, was a Grammy nominated rapper, entrepreneur, philanthropist, father, soulmate, brother, son and overall, just a really good guy. To this day I sit and think about how much of an impact he had. A rolling 60’s Crip, who spent much of his time investing in his community, giving individuals who are re-entering into society jobs through his businesses and rebuilding parks, giving children a place to be free.

Many people have passed on. Life has gone on and we have learned to adjust for the most part. But why was Nipsey’s death so heartbreaking? Why did it literally shake us the way it did? I have to admit, I was only a recent fan. I had just discovered his discography by listening to his most recent work, Victory Lap. However, losing him was almost like losing a brother or friend. Why did his death touch me and so many others in such an impactful way?

I can only imagine what it felt like the night rapper and activist Tupac Shakur was killed. The mystery behind his death (and quite frankly, the death of the Notorious B.I.G.) still haunts our community to this day. The fact that individuals seem immortal but are taken away in the blink of an eye, is scary. My sister tells me all the time, she was just a teenager and the shock factor from the news of Tupac’s death impacted the entire community in a way that was unexplainable.

Nipsey Hussle, the Tupac of our generation, shot and killed for no good reason – and all we could do was ask why. I still can’t wrap my mind around it. But I do understand one thing- Nipsey Hussle was a scapegoat. Someone who has done nothing but good, someone who took the burdens of his community, his people and his family and turned it around positively, all to be taken away for no good reason – except for the fact that after his death, a shift would take place; One that, I’m afraid to say, may not have happened had he still been alive. It’s a shift of unity among Southern California gangs, a shift of love between families and friends who may not have spoken to each other in a while. It’s a shift of appreciation for the people who are in our lives right now, because at any moment, they could be gone. It’s a shift that has caused me to rethink my own life and the legacy that I want to leave behind.

In the words of his mama, Angelique, “When you live your life and have God on your side, there is no fear. Everything is in the divine perfect order of our Creator. I have perfect peace and I have strength. Please do not stay down. Do not stay stuck. Do not mourn. When you walk this earth, when you do good things for people... those are the things that would show. Now, my son knows the secret to the mystery of life.” Rest in Peace Nipsey Hussle. My heart goes out to your loved ones. We may not understand why you were taken away so soon, but I can take peace in knowing that your spirit and legacy will live forever.