Fans Pay Tribute To Nipsey Hussle With Staples Center Memorial
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Thousands showed up to Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles Thursday to honor rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was gunned down in front of the clothing store he owned in the South Los Angeles community he was dedicated to revitalizing.
Rapper Snoop Dogg and singer Stevie Wonder were among those who took the stage at the "Celebration of Life" ceremony, which was delayed by about an hour due to long lines of people trying to get into the arena.
The event began with tracks being played from Hussle's album "Victory Lap" and featured several celebrity speakers.
Here are some highlights from the Nipsey Hussle "Celebration of Life" memorial service at Staples Center:
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- "One thing that me and Nip had, was a kind spirit, a spirit of love": Snoop Dogg remembering his friend Nipsey Hussle at the memorial
- "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": Lauren London, girlfriend of Nipsey Hussle, reads text message she sent him
- "He loved everybody and he loved who we grew up with, where we grew up": Nipsey Hussle's older brother Samuel Asghedom speaking at memorial service
- "I have perfect peace, I am happy, I am complete, I am strong, and if I can feel this way, so can you": Nipsey Hussle's mother address the crowd alongside Hussle's father
- "His life was for the unity of the red and the blue, the unity of the hood. So when we celebrate Nipsey, we must celebrate unity": Louis Farrakhan remembers Nipsey Hussle at Staples Center memorial
- "Nipsey saw potential, he saw hope, he saw a community, that even from its flaws taught him to always keep going": Karen Civil reads a letter from former President Barack Obama
