'Nipsey Hussle Square': South LA To Rename Intersection After Slain Rapper
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – The intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and Slauson Avenue will be named after slain rapper and community leader Nipsey Hussle, a South Los Angeles councilman announced Tuesday.
A Change.org petition to rename the intersection garnered nearly 500,000 signatures in the week following Hussle's death. The 33-year-old rapper, whose real name is Ermias Joseph Asghedom, was shot March 31 in the 3400 block of West Slauson Avenue – just outside his store The Marathon Clothing, which he opened in 2017.
Councilman Harris-Dawson announced on social media that the intersection near where Hussle was gunned down would be renamed "Ermias 'Nipsey Hussle' Asghedom Square."
An autopsy performed April 1 determined the father of two was shot in the head and torso, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.
The Marathon Clothing was one of the most recent ventures Hussle was involved in to give back to his community.
RELATED: 'He Came Back To Help Out': Rapper Nipsey Hussle Was On Mission To Give Back Before Tragic Death
Besides opening the clothing store, the Grammy-nominated artist had recently opened an apartment building for low-income families and a barbershop. Childhood friend Danielle Jakes said the world lost a good family man who was also incredibly talented.
"Most people who make it, they don't come back. He came back. He came back to help out," she said. "All that gang-banging stuff, that's craziness. Love. That's what he was, love."
A public memorial for Hussle will be held Thursday at Staples Center. Free tickets for the event were released Tuesday morning and were fully distributed within about 30 minutes.
A man suspected of murdering Hussle, 29-year-old Eric Holder, has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, Holder faces life in prison.