Nipsey Hussle Remembered On His Birthday: Hip-Hop Reacts

Today is a bittersweet day. Nipsey Hussle would have turned 34, were he not murdered on March 31st. Following his death, the extent of his impact truly became known; the idiom “we don’t always know what we have till it’s gone” is timeless for a reason. In the months that followed, the game was inundated with anecdotes and reflections on Nip’s legacy. Behind-the-scenes photographs surfaced, studio tales manifested. Nipsey Hussle became a talking point in every interview, and artists were more than willing to celebrate their fallen friend and collaborator. 

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To call him admired would be an understatement. Not only was Nip a Grammy-nominated rapper, but he was also a catalyst for change in his community. Determined to instill principles of ownership and integrity into those willing to listen. There wasn’t anybody willing to speak ill on Nipsey’s name, and who knows where he might have ended up were his life not unceremoniously taken.

Though the news of his passing still hurts, today has been largely reserved for celebration. To look back on Nip’s legacy and everything he sought to leave behind. On the day of his birthday, many of his peers have taken to social media to spread love in his name. Check out some of the posts below, and look for more to surface in the hours to come.