Los Angeles based rapper Ermias Davidson Asghedom, professionally known as Nipsey Hussle, tragically passed away Sunday evening at the age of 33. TMZ was the first to report that the rapper was gunned down Sunday in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles outside of the Marathon Store, Hussle’s clothing store. This occurred south of the Crenshaw area where both he and Rockets guard James Harden went to Audubon Middle School.
Harden and Asghedom were very close friends.
Nipsey Hussle showed incredible support to Harden in all his endeavors and the high moments of his life, even the night the star won his first ever MVP award. The rapper has also attended several charity functions that Harden has hosted over the years, including ‘JH-Town Weekend’ which the star hosts every summer.
Harden has reciprocated that same support over the years by playing his music everywhere he goes, including Nipsey Hussle’s songs in all of his signature playlists. His music is played at the Toyota Center before Rockets home games. According to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, Harden requests Houston’s in-house DJ TGray to play a lot of Nipsey Hussle along with a lot of other Los Angeles based hip-hop.
“I know his boys. And his boys will come by or they will text message, ‘You got this?’ ” Gray said. “Or, ‘Can you clean this [expletive-laced rap] song up?’ He is from L.A., so it’s a lot of hip-hop stuff. A lot of Nipsey Hussle”
He’s survived by his two children and his girlfriend, Lauren London.
