USC remembers rapper Nipsey Hussle as killer sentenced to 60 years

Nipsey Hussle’s murderer was sentenced on Wednesday to a 60 year prison term, but around USC, students were more focused on the late rapper’s legacy than on the man who killed him.

Eric R. Holder Jr. was found guilty of first-degree murder last summer for fatally shooting the beloved hip-hop artist. Hussle was shot and killed in March 2019 outside a clothing store he owned in South Los Angeles.

“He was one of the Mount Rushmore figures for me growing up,” Matty Beavers, a graduate student studying film production, said. “[Nipsey] spoke up about real things that were happening and didn’t brag about anything. He just kept it real.”

On March 31, 2019, Holder gunned down Hussle — shooting him at least 10 times outside his clothing store, the Marathon, in South L.A. The cold-blooded killing sent shockwaves throughout the country.

Xander Izower, a junior from New York studying economics, remembers that fateful day well. He described Hussle as one of the most “quintessential” hip-hop artists.

“When the news broke that he was killed, [in] my high school heads were down because he produced a lot of really good music growing up,” Izower said.

Hussle’s triumphant studio album Victory Lap earned him a Grammy nomination months before his death. During the 62nd Grammy Awards in 2020, Hollywood honored Hussle with two posthumous Grammy Awards. He won Best Rap/Sung Performance for his feature in DJ Khaled’s “Higher” and Best Rap Performance for “Racks in the Middle.

Hussle’s sprawling influence stretches beyond the music industry. He was a father of two, a championed community leader and vocal advocate against gun violence. Months before his passing, the slain rapper planned to meet with L.A. police officers to address gang violence.

Hussle’s devotion to community activism lies in his commitment to “giving solutions and inspiration” for young Black men.

For Christian Yosef, a graduate student studying film production, Hussle paved the way for people like him.

“Nipsey is half Eritrean. I got roots from Eritrean, so it’s cool seeing somebody I love — rap and seeing somebody from my background — make it,” Yosef said. “[He was] somebody that was doing good for the community. It’s just sad what happened.”

Born in 1985, Hussle was raised in the Crenshaw District of South L.A. At 14 years old, Hussle joined the Rollin 60′s Neighborhood Crips, a street gang in Los Angeles. In 2002 at the age of 17, Hussle separated from the gang and independently released his first mixtape. From there, a star was born.

In his rise to fame, Hussle never lost sight of the community that started it all. He invested in Vector 90, an inner city coworking community focused on STEM education and developing underrepresented entrepreneurs.

“It gave comfort knowing that he was from the city,” Kayla Gamble, a freshman studying dental assisting said. “I think a lot of people [saw] him in a gang first, then [saw] what he was actually singing, which was like loyalty, respect [and] family. He’ll be deeply missed.”

Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke II sentenced Holder to 25 years to life for the murder, 25 more for a firearm sentencing enhancement and 10 years for assault with a firearm, according to the Associated Press.

“If someone takes a life, they should definitely pay for the consequences. This is wrong,” Daniel Cano, a sophomore studying biology, said. “You shouldn’t wish bad upon anybody, but I hope he gets what he deserves.”

While Holder is going away to prison, Hussle’s legacy appears safe in South L.A. for a long time to come.

“I think that his music will live on forever,” Beavers said. “Unfortunately, he’s no longer here, but his music and the person he was, the man that he is, the community that he tried to enrich, will only get better and inspire another generation.”