Only a month has gone by since rapper and entrepreneur Nipsey Hussle was gunned down in front of his clothing store in the Los Angeles’ Crenshaw neighborhood, and now his team is planning to shut down his memorial, claiming that it has now become a circus for profit.
In the days and weeks after his passing and funeral services, people have gathered at the site, which has become a solemn place of mourning for the community that he grew up in and had embraced over the years.
But TMZ reports that people who have been going to The Marathon clothing store to pay their respects have been hounded by bootleggers and grifters trying to make a buck off his death. A source claimed the scene, which was supposed to be a peaceful tribute to the slain MC, is now chaotic as hustlers roam the street.
READ MORE: Family, Community Wealth, Hip-Hop: The legacy of Nipsey Hussle
According to TMZ, people have been selling bootleg t-shirts with Nipsey’s image, some have demanded money for a tour of the neighborhood (one of which included taking people to the childhood homes of rappers like Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube), and others even having the gall to charge fans to walk through the area were Nipsey was shot. The site became so crowded with people that food trucks with no tack decided to park near the area hoping to attract hungry Nipsey fans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjEo1UGRAnQ
Now Nipsey’s team is shutting down the memorial as they believe that his legacy is being disrespected with the constant attempts to profit from his death. Unfortunately, this is not the first time people tried to use his death for monetary gain as scalpers attempted to sell free tickets to Nipsey’s memorial at the Staples Center for astronomical prices and some who attended tried to sell programs. TMZ reports that Nipsey’s family plans to honor his legacy in other ways as soon as his foundation gets off the ground.
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Nipsey, 33, whose real name is Ermias Davidson Asghedom was shot and killed March 31 after an argument with another individual. The alleged gunman, Eric Holder has been charged in his murder and is being represented by O.J. Simpson prosecutor Chris Darden.