Some prayed and cried, while others left candles, flowers and signs to express their condolences for Hussle, born Ermias Joseph Asghedom, who had grown up in the Crenshaw area and stayed on to help his neighborhood even after becoming big enough to make it out. A steady flow of passing cars on Slauson Avenue blared tracks from his latest album.
Bela Vega, 28, a fan, fought back tears as she explained how Hussle, 33, gave hope to people who had also grown up around gang violence. His fans and neighbors clung to lyrics and interviews in which he advocated self-improvement; his financial investments in the community, she said, showed he was serious about creating a ladder for other people who grew up in similar circumstances. But now, his death, and the questions surrounding it, have reignited longstanding fears about violence and despair in the area.
“The story repeats over and over again and you just ask, ‘When does it stop?’” Vega said. “This is our community. But do I want my son to grow up over here? No. No.”
Two others were wounded in Sunday’s shooting and a suspect has yet to be identified, according to the police.
Hussle remained a regular presence at the strip mall that houses Marathon off Crenshaw Boulevard. Outside the store Monday, mourners shared stories about times they summoned up the courage to say hello to him and the smiles he flashed back.
“He meant everything to the community. This was all him,” said Lesly Marroquin, 26. “His music, he speaks real facts. He talks about how he grew up, he wanted people to see what he went through, to show people they could change. He was a role model.”
An autopsy found that Hussle died from gunshot wounds to the head and torso, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner determined. Chief Michel Moore of the Los Angeles Police Department noted Sunday night that in one week there had been 10 homicides and 26 shooting victims across Los Angeles.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.