Nipsey Hussle: In Memoriam
I’m one of those mourning hypocrites. I really am.
I didn’t even know who Nipsey was until it he and Lauren London started dating a few years back.
Lauren, such a pretty little thing, I’ve liked her since she and her deep dimples made a debut in Pharrell’s Frontin’ video.
When the coming of age movie ATL came out, Lauren stole my heart as the character “New-New.” Her beauty used to be intimidating to me, but Lauren London’s reserved personality and quiet demeanor made her easy to relate to. So when I saw that she and Nipsey were involved, not even knowing a thing about him – I knew he must have personified a laid back and open energy that matched hers.
A few weeks back – after Nipsey and London’s beautiful spread in GQ, I was driving home from church with my cousins and I made the comment that as a couple, they redefine the traditional family.
My cousins were quick to remind me, and rightfully so, that Nipsey and London’s definition of a family wasn’t Biblical. I understood and said nothing in rebuttal, however, from what I saw, they reflected a love for one another that I just didn’t see in the most sanctified of marriages.
Lauren gazed at Nipsey when he spoke, in complete admiration. Though he was a rapper, and his job dictated he should have a hard persona, his eyes twinkled whenever Lauren spoke. I don’t care if they were never married; to me, the outsider looking in, they seemed absolutely perfect.
I was job # 2, stocking shelves, and like I usually do, I took a peek into my Instagram account to see what was good this Sunday evening. I saw his face. I read the headline: “Nipsey Hussle Has Passed Away After Being Fatally Shot.”
In that moment, right there on the large orange ladder, whatever I was putting away didn’t matter.
My mind shifted to Lauren London. In my head, I saw her pretty face – dimples distorted in absolute pain. There was no way she could deal with even the possibility that she’d never see Nipsey again – way too much for any woman to bear.
I could see her tiny frame buckle over and collapsing; The remorse, so overwhelming that she couldn’t stand up. My heart hurt for her. My heart hurt for his life, cut way too short. My heart hurt for children who were robbed of the privilege of being raised with a father.
Again. I didn’t know Nipsey. Didn’t listen to his music as I haven’t been into rap since the Notorious B.I.G years. What I did know of Nipsey, what I did see, was that he was a solid man. A brother to his community. This wasn’t a man who deserved to lose his life the callous way he had.
Life isn’t guaranteed. While you can, love hard. Treat every single day as it’s the last you’ll have an opportunity to love.
Rest in peace King. You’re soaring with the angels now without a care in the world.
A life has been lost, so it’s not so blissfully yours today, I’m just signing out.
