During Nipsey Hussle’s Los Angeles funeral service on Thursday, Snoop Dogg remembered the first time Nipsey “pushed up on me with a tape,” trying to get the world-famous Long Beach rapper to listen to his music.
Nipsey told him, “Just give it a listen,” which struck Snoop as odd. Most rappers trying to catch Snoop’s ear talk about making money, but Nipsey didn’t want a handout. He was ready to earn everything he got, Snoop said.
Thousands of fans attended the service, which featured performances from Anthony Hamilton and Jhene Aiko.
Snoop didn’t listen to Nipsey’s tape that first time, but the second time he got one of Nip’s CDs, he used it to roll a blunt in the back of a car. He put in the CD, he said, and his first impression was, “Damn, cuz hard.”
Snoop said the two shared a kinship. They repped Los Angeles. They’re both tall, lanky, wear braids and claim their street gang affiliation, but what Snoop said he will remember most is Nipsey’s “kind spirit” and how he served as a “peace advocate,” making music with rival gang members and showing love to everyone no matter the colors they flew.
“This man got a letter from Barack Obama, man,” Snoop said before turning to the sprawling wall of flowers forming the backdrop to Nipsey’s coffin and saluting.
Karen Civil, Nipsey’s longtime friend and marketing strategist, read the letter from Obama, whose daughters introduced him to Nipsey’s music. The president thanked the rapper for lifting up his South Central Los Angeles community.
“He set an example for young people to follow and is a legacy worthy to follow,” Civil said, reading Obama’s words.
After thousands filled the Staples Center to honor Nipsey on Thursday, a funeral procession set off, carrying his body on a 25.5-mile circuit through the streets of Los Angeles.
Hundreds of people lined up on the streets as the hearse with the rapper’s remains made its way by Nipsey’s childhood home and other places that were important to him.
Onlookers took pictures of the hearse with their phones as it drove through their neighborhoods. Some rode their bikes while others ran alongside the funeral procession for a final farewell.
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