Los Angeles City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson announced the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and West Slauson Avenue in South Los Angeles – where Nipsey Hussle was killed — will officially be named “Nipsey Hussle Square.”
Harris-Dawson made the announcement on Tuesday (April 9) via Twitter.
“This week, I will officially submit a motion to name the intersection of #Crenshaw and #Slauson as ‘Nipsey Hussle Square,'” he tweeted. “#NipseyHussle.”
This week, I will officially submit a motion to name the intersection of #Crenshaw and #Slauson as "Nipsey Hussle Square". #NipseyHussle
— Marqueece (@mhdcd8) April 9, 2019
Harris-Dawson followed up with a statement obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
“Ermias Asghedom known as ‘Nipsey Hussle’ was an icon and West Coast hero,” Harris-Dawson said. “Nipsey’s genuine nature allowed him to be a light to everyone he interacted with from family, friends, fans, and his larger community.
“As a father, brother, and son, Nipsey was a rock helping to build an empire that will continue through generations. Nipsey will always be remembered for delivering a pure, authentic Los Angeles sound, his numerous philanthropic efforts, his innovative, community-focused business mindset, and his humble heart.”
Following Nipsey’s March 31 shooting death, a petition was launched to have the intersection named in his honor. As of publication time, the petition has garnered nearly 500,000 signatures. Harris-Dawson will make the motion on Friday (April 12) to rename the intersection.
[This article has been updated. The original version was published on April 3, 2019 and can be found below.]
Nipsey Hussle’s unexpected shooting death is still reverberating throughout not only the Hip Hop community but also the entire city of Los Angeles. During a recent press conference, LAPD chief Michel Moore revealed he was shocked when he realized Nip had been killed.
“I saw the name Nipsey Hussle, and I looked at that again, and I looked at it again, and it was like I could not believe it,” he said. “This is a voice that was trying to help.”
A Twitter user pointed out it takes a special kind of person to be mourned by the LAPD, Bloods, Crips and Eses.
Bro…this man is being mourned by the LAPD…do you know how impactful you have to be mourned by Bloods, Crips, Eses, and Cops
— El Slider ?? (@KillaKam1947) April 2, 2019
To honor Neighborhood Nip, the Najee Ali Foundation launched a petition to urge L,A. Councilman Harris-Dawson to rename the intersection of Crenshaw Blvd. and Slauson Ave — which is near Nip’s Marathon Clothing store and where the murder occurred — Nipsey Hussle Blvd.
As of publication time, the petition has been signed over 323,000, marking Change.Org’s largest music-related spike in the platform’s history.
Ali said he started the petition because he “knew Nipsey Hussle personally. He wasn’t just a rapper. He was a community icon.”
Nipsey died on Sunday (March 31) after suffering multiple gunshot wounds. The alleged killer, Eric Holder, was arrested on Tuesday (April 2).
Although Nip was affiliated with the Rolling 60s Crips, Moore believes it wasn’t a gang-related incident.
“The aspect of the nature of the dispute, to our information, is not anything relative to rivalries between gangs, but rather a dispute between these two individuals,” he said.
Holder’s bail has been set at $7,040,000.
Sign the petition here.
