The tributes to Nipsey Hussle keep pouring in and on Monday, Eritrea’s Minister of Information Yemane Meskel gave honor to the slain rapper who was killed in a hail of bullets on Sunday outside his store in Los Angeles, CNN reports.
Extremely saddened to hear the news of the tragic and untimely death of iconic recording artist/entrepreneur Ermias Asgedom (Nipsey Hussle). RIP & condolences to his family. (Nipsey visited his home country in April last year; Profile interview attached) https://t.co/AM87gfgRPu pic.twitter.com/EPaHJGCzm8
— Yemane G. Meskel (@hawelti) April 1, 2019
“Extremely saddened to hear the news of the tragic and untimely death of iconic recording artist/entrepreneur Ermias Asgedom (Nipsey Hussle),” Meskel tweeted.
“RIP & condolences to his family.”
Ermias Asghedom AKA Nipsey Husle was an Eritrean rap star, a preformance phenomenon, who had just returned home. In my pleasant talk with him I was delighted to learn of the Eritrean & African pride he carried deep inside him. He is a legend. compassionate compatriot. We miss him pic.twitter.com/ogWbp0HrhA
— Billion Temesghen (@billietemesghen) April 1, 2019
“Eritreans worldwide feel sorrow for the loss of a talented star, a loving family man & a compassionate compatriot. Condolences to us all,” wrote Billion Temesghen, an Eritrean journalist who interviewed Hussle.
Hussle, whose real name is Ermias Davidson Asghedom, grew up in the Crenshaw area of Los Angeles, but his father was born in the African country and emigrated to the U.S. He sat down with Shabait.com last April and opened up about his childhood and how gang culture consumes the landscape.
READ MORE: Family, Community Wealth, Hip-Hop: The legacy of Nipsey Hussle
Sadly today Hussle was scheduled to speak to the LAPD and Roc Nation to discuss how to stop the violence in their community.
According to several eye witness reports, the West coast rapper and two of his friends were shot outside of Hussle’s Marathon Clothing store in broad daylight, in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, south of the Crenshaw area. The Internet was abuzz at first just trying to figure out if the shooting was fatal.
Once it was determined that Hussle had died, tributes poured in for the well-known and respected rapper, who will be remembered as a savvy and street smart businessman who owned several enterprises and made investments in education and the arts.
READ MORE: Nas, Kevin Hart, Snoop, Issa Rae and more remember Nipsey Hussle
During his interview last year with Shabait, Temesghen asked Hussle, “Are gangs scary? Terrorizing?”
He responded: “If you come from areas in which gang activities are common then that becomes part of who you are. You encounter it as a natural part of life. I guess the equivalent metaphor would be coming from a place of war. If you do you are conscious about war even as a child and later without even realizing it you become part of it.”
Police continue to investigate Hussle’s fatal shooting and have yet to name a suspect. His debut album, “Victory Lap” was nominated for a Grammy Award earlier this year.