“The best thing you can do for a person is to inspire them. That’s the best currency you can offer: inspiration. So, when a person can rely on you for that, that empowers them in every realm of their life. Being inspired. It empowers them in their relationships, in their business, in their art, in their creativity. It empowers them because without inspiration, you’re dry.”

“Before rap my last name was my lifestyle, and when I visualize success it looked like right now.” 

“I feel good about what I’m waking up doing and about my lifestyle. At one point, I wasn’t proud of my lifestyle… Now, I wake up with the feeling that I’m going in the direction that I’m here for. Like, what I’m on this planet for, I’m doing it. Bigger than just L.A., bigger than some gang-banging, bigger than some street shit. Just on some human shit. I’m doing what I’m here to do.”

“I’m more focused on giving solutions and inspiration more than anything.”

 “You gotta go hard, you gotta believe in yourself. You gotta have a sense of humor to know that the bullshit is gonna happen, you can’t be too serious about it or too emotional and fake when the bullshit happens. You gotta just stick to the script, believe and have an overwhelming confidence. Be your own biggest fan, your own biggest believer, and put it on your back and carry the weight.”

“We got turned down, we failed, had set backs, had to start over a lot of times. But we kept going at it. In anybody’s case that’s always the distinguishing factor.”

“Money is a tool- it’s the means, not the end. [Inspiration is] the metric that dictates whether or not a project is a success. It’s more realistic than trying to aim for radio play, or trying to satisfy an AR, or the gatekeepers on these platforms. I don’t even know how to create with those things in mind. But if you tell me the goal is to inspire? That makes my jon a lot easier.”

“You’ve got to have faith in what you’re doing and not take no for an answer.” 

“Define who you are and what you are, and be clear on that. Meditate on that and then, live and die by that… You can’t break the rules, the fundamental rules. Be a man of your word, do what you say you’re gonna do, respect people the way you would like to be respected.”

“Thought is powerful in all phases. Even in my career, even in my life, things end up exactly how I visualized them.”

And for this beautiful and generous spirit, today we lay your body to rest and respectfully ask that you spread your loving energy wide to cover us all in Los Angeles, USA and worldwide so that we can share in the pieces of you that we each hold sacred… kindness, brotherhood, true love, collective works, responsibility, unity and love for our community. You are the American dream realized from a place and space where it was least expected. Like Bob Marley, Muhammad Ali, Malcom X and all of the other greats, you did what you said you wanted to do. You INSPIRED us all to want to be better and leave this place better than we found it. We are inspired to volunteer, donate and contribute to our communities. We are inspired to live the life of our dreams. We are encouraged to visualize, focus and believe in ourselves. We strive to be a positive, peaceful, calming and respectful presence amongst each other. We are inspired to provide resources, employment and develop ownership in our communities. We are inspired to pick up where you left off and carry the baton passed to you and that you’ve passed to US because THE MARATHON CONTINUES!!

You are a King of your people and we will forever hold you in that regard. Thank you for your inspiration!! Rest in Peace…King Nipsey Hussle.

Ermias “God Will Rise” Joseph Asghedom – During the 3rd month of the year in the 3rd hour at 33 years old.… in the city of Angels.