5 Things To Know About The Murder Of Grammy Award Winner Nipsey Hussle

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office said the fatal 2019 shooting of Nipsey Hussle was premeditated. According to Billboard, they allege Eric R. Holder, 32, knew in advance he would kill the rapper.

“He clearly thought about what he was going to do before he did it,” Deputy District Attorney John McKinney said during his opening statements for Holder’s trial that is expected to last for two weeks.

Hussle – born Ermias Asghedom – was shot on March 31, 2019, outside of his South Los Angeles clothing store, The Marathon, that he built to reinvest in the community he grew up in.

Here are five things to know about his death.

Hussle and Holder grew up together and were members of the same gang.

Both men were part of the Rollin’ 60s, a set of the Crips, and they grew up in the same neighborhood, according to the AP.

Hussle, however, changed his life, leaving the gang and becoming an anti-violence and activist in the community.

During the trial, Deputy District Attorney McKinney said Holder was an aspiring rapper but “not nearly as successful, not nearly as respected and the two didn’t really have a lot in common,” as reported by ABC News. “They were two men whose arcs in life were bending in two different directions. The one thing they did have in common was their roots.”

The shooting stemmed from Hussle hearing that Holder was a “snitch.”

According to key witnesses, before the shooting happened, Hussle, Holder, and two others were having a “cool conversation.”

McKinney said the shooting stemmed from Hussle hearing that Holder was a “snitch” and needed to “clear that up,” as reported by the AP.

"There's a range of consequences for people who snitch," McKinney said during the first day of the trial, according to ABC News. "No gang member wants to be considered a snitch.”

Through testimony, Herman Douglas, a former Rollin’ 60s member and friend of Hussle, said Hussle was trying to warn Holder that there were rumors he had worked with police, the Los Angeles Times reported.

“He told him friend-to-friend, ‘I heard there’s some paperwork floating around, I ain’t read it, take care of it,’” Hussle said, according to Douglas.

Holder shot Hussle multiple times and injured two others.

While the district attorney’s office argues Holder knew he would shoot Hussle, Holder’s attorney, Aaron Jansen, said Holder was triggered by the conversation he had with the Grammy-Award winning artist and his actions were out of “heated passion,” reported by the AP.

Eyewitnesses said Hussle was standing in a parking lot of The Marathon when Holder allegedly approached and shot him multiple times.

According to the LA Times, Hussle was shot 10 times and died shortly after. Kerry Lathan, 56, and his 44-year-old nephew, Shermi Cervonta Villanueva, were also shot but they survived.

The coroner determined he died from gunshot wounds to the head and torso and the manner of death was homicide. Because the bullet “transected” his spine, had he survived, he would have been paralyzed for the rest of his life.

A manhunt for Holder lasted for two days.

Holder had been in a relationship with Bryannita Nicholson and she, according to the district attorney’s office, unintentionally became Holder’s getaway driver.

According to the AP, the couple had stopped to get food near Hussle’s store. That’s when they had the heated conversation that would turn fatal. Holder then allegedly told Nicholson to “drive before I slap you,” McKinney said in his opening argument.

Holder was arrested shortly after Nicholson turned herself in, the LA Times reported.

Hussle’s legacy lives on through his music, fans, and family.

Hussle was just 33 years old when he was fatally shot in his hometown. He was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2019 Grammy Awards and has posthumously won two Grammys for his songs “Racks in the Middle” and “Higher,” during the ceremony the following year.

In February, the Asghedom family announced it would be opening a second location of The Marathon, Hussle’s clothing store. After the store has been established, Hussle’s family will transform the flagship store into a youth arts center, according to Complex.

“Everybody out of that program, including my brother, ended up pursuing a successful music career,” Asghedom told Complex. “Just a little effort and a little resources directed toward the youth can really make a big impact.”

The family is also planning to open a barbershop offering free haircuts to the youth.

Hussle is survived by his longtime partner, actress Lauren London, and their son, who is now 5.