Jay-Z paid tribute to the late Nipsey Hussle while on stage in New York.
The 33-year-old rapper was shot and killed last month outside his Marathon clothing store in Los Angeles, and during an intimate hometown show at New York’s iconic Webster Hall on Friday, April 26, 2019, Jay-Z honored Nipsey in a touching tribute.
Jay-Z diverted from his usual set list to perform a freestyle rap which paid tribute to the late rapper and activist, highlighting the change he was trying to bring to his neighborhood.
He rapped: “Gentrify your own hood before these people do it / claim eminent domain and have your people move in. That’s a small glimpse into what Nipsey was doing / for anybody still confused as to what he was doing.”
Nipsey was laid to rest during a private funeral earlier this month, which was attended by friends and family of Hussle, including his longtime love Lauren London, their 2-year-old son Kross Asghedom and her son Cameron Carter, 9, whom she has with rapper Lil Wayne.
At his public funeral at Los Angeles’ Staples Center the previous day, London spoke of her “pain” that their 2-year-old son will never really remember his dad.
Referring to the rapper by his real name, which was Ermias Asghedom, she said: “Ermias I want you to know that I feel real joy in my heart when I’m around you … I’m totally myself when I’m with you.
“My pain is for my 2-year-old who probably won’t remember how much his dad loved him…
“Ermias said you can’t possess people, you can only experience them. And I’m so grateful I got to experience such a man.
“His soul was majestic. He was the strongest man that I ever knew. A gentle father, a patient leader, a divine light.
“Ermias, the love of my life. ‘Grief is the final act of love. My heart hears you, I feel you everywhere.
“I’m so grateful that I had you. I love you beyond this earth and until we meet again, the Marathon continues.”
