"He saw a community that even through its flaws taught him to always keep going,” Obama wrote. “His choice to invest in that community rather than ignore it — to build a skills training center and a coworking space in Crenshaw; to lift up the Eritrean-American community; to set an example for young people to follow — is a legacy worthy of celebration." Hussle's friend Karen Civil read out Obama's letter during the public memorial service at the Staples Center. More than 20,000 people filled the arena to honor Hussle, who was beloved for using his celebrity and resources to invest in his South Los Angeles hometown and to advance social justice causes. "While most folks look at the Crenshaw neighborhood where he grew up and see only gangs, bullets, and despair, Nipsey saw potential," Obama wrote in the touching tribute to the Grammy-nominated rapper, who was shot and killed in front of his Los Angeles clothing store, Marathon, on March 31. Barack Obama honored Nipsey Hussle at his memorial service in Los Angeles on Thursday with a letter addressed to the late rapper’s friends and family. Thank you to @BarackObama for sending this letter for me to read celebrating @NipseyHussle’s life & legacy. 🏁 Obama said that even though he had never met Hussle, born Ermias Asghedom, he had heard his music though his daughters Sasha and Malia. The former president said he had the chance to learn more about Hussle's “transformation and community work” in the wake of his death. “I hope his memory inspires more good work in Crenshaw and communities like it," Obama wrote. The memorial service featured a photo montage of the rapper's life and included musical performances by Jhene Aiko and Marsha Ambrosius. Lauren London, Hussle's girlfriend, also took the stage and delivered a powerful speech at the memorial service. "Never was I prepared for anything like this," she said through tears. “His soul was majestic. He was the strongest man that I ever knew. A gentle father, a patient leader, a divine light." Rapper Snoop Dogg spoke in honor of Nipsey Hussle too, addressing how he watched the late 33-year-old grow up in South LA and how the two created a relationship over the years based on music and friendship. “One thing that me and Nip had [in common] was a kind spirit," Snoop Dogg said. "We had that spirit of love ... we had the same spirit.” Before singing "Rocket Love" and then Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven," Stevie Wonder pleaded to the crowd that "we must have stronger gun laws." "It's unacceptable. It's almost like the world is becoming blind," Wonder said. "I pray that the leaders who have a responsibility to perpetuate life will do it by making sure that the laws will make it so very hard for people to have guns."<doc-sep>A mural of George Floyd is shown in the intersection of 38th St & Chicago Ave on March 31, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Community members continue preparations during the third day in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is charged with multiple counts of murder in the death of George Floyd. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 01: President Donald Trump's lawyer and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani talks to journalists outside the White House West Wing July 01, 2020 in Washington, DC. Giuliani did an on-camera interview with One America News Network's Chanel Rion before talking to other journalists about Vice President Joe Biden and the news that Russian intelligence may have paid Taliban operatives to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ORLANDO, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 28: Former President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference held in the Hyatt Regency on February 28, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. Begun in 1974, CPAC brings together conservative organizations, activists, and world leaders to discuss issues important to them. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 09: People walk past the Trump Tower as the impeachment trial of Donald Trump begins in Washington on February 09, 2021 in New York City. After listening to nearly four hours of legal arguments, the Senate has voted on Tuesday to move ahead with the impeachment trial of former President Trump. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 20: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the conflict in the Middle East from Cross- Hall of the White House on May 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. Israel and Hamas announced that they would agree to a cease-fire, which will take into effect on Friday, following days of fighting that claimed more than 200 lives. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) SAN JOSE, CA - MAY 26: A view of the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light-rail yard where a mass shooting occurred on May 26, 2021 in San Jose, California. A VTA employee opened fire at the yard, with preliminary reports indicating nine people dead including the gunman. (Photo by Philip Pacheco/Getty Images) A healthcare worker prepares to administer a Pfizer/BioNTEch coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine at The Michener Institute, in Toronto, Ontario on December 14, 2020. - Ontario, Canada's most populous province and one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, had 1,940 new cases and 23 deaths on Monday. The province is expected to give its next doses to nursing home workers as a priority, according to media reports. (Photo by CARLOS OSORIO / POOL / AFP) (Photo by CARLOS OSORIO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Memorial Day weekend will bring rain and cool air for much of the East (CNN) — Former President Barack Obama paid tribute to Nipsey Hussle in a letter that was read at a memorial for the late musician and community activist on Thursday. The full text follows. Thank you to @BarackObama for sending this letter for me to read celebrating @NipseyHussle’s life & legacy. 🏁 pic.twitter.com/qwEjjb6O9d — Karen Civil (@KarenCivil) April 11, 2019 Dear Friends and Family of Nipsey: I’d never met Nipsey Hussle, but I’d heard some of his music through my daughters, and after his passing, I had the chance to learn more about his transformation and his community work. While most folks look at the Crenshaw neighborhood where he grew up and see only gangs, bullets, and despair, Nipsey saw potential. He saw hope. He saw a community that, even through its flaws, taught him to always keep going. His choice to invest in that community rather than ignore it – to build a skills training center and a coworking space in Crenshaw; to lift up the Eritrean-American community; to set an example for young people to follow – is a legacy worth of celebration. I hope his memory inspires more good work in Crenshaw and communities like it. Michelle and I send our sympathies to Lauren, Emani, Kross, and the entire Asghedom family and to all those who loved Nipsey. Sincerely, Barack Obama<doc-sep>Nipsey Hussle, the Grammy-nominated rapper, was remembered by a lineup of celebrities and respected figures at a funeral service on Thursday. Among them: the 44th president of the United States. In a letter read to mourners who had filled the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, President Barack Obama praised Hussle, 33, for overcoming the circumstances of his youth and becoming an advocate for South Los Angeles. “While most folks look at the Crenshaw neighborhood where he grew up and see only gangs, bullets and despair, Nipsey saw potential,” Mr. Obama said in the letter, read aloud by the hip-hop media personality Karen Civil.<doc-sep>
On March 31, rapper Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed outside of his own clothing store in Los Angeles. The news of his death shocked his local community and culture as a whole. Everyone from LeBron James to Drake and the Los Angeles Lakers mourned the rapper, who all recognized him as a staple of his community. According to the Los Angeles Times, he "once gave a pair of shoes to every student at an elementary school in Hyde Park," and would occasionally offer jobs to neighborhood residents and help pay for funerals. Today, a celebration of Nipsey Hussle's life at the Staples Center in L.A. included guests like Beyonce and Jay-Z along with Hussle's friends and family. It also included speeches from religious figures from the community, as well as legendary West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg, who said in an emotional speech that Hussle "had nothing but love for every gang member in South Central ... For God so loved the world that he gave us a good Crip, the late, great neighborhood Nip." But one powerful moment came when Karen Civil read a message from President Barack Obama: Dear Friends and Family of Nipsey: I'd never met Nipsey Hussle, but I'd heard some of his music through my daughters, and after his passing, I had the chance to learn more about his transformation and his community work. While most folks look at the Crenshaw neighborhood where he grew up and see only gangs, bullets, and despair, Nipsey saw potential. He saw hope. He saw a community that, even through its flaws, taught him to always keep going. His choice to invest in that community rather than ignore it -- to build a skills training center and a coworking space in Crenshaw; to lift up the Eritrean-American community; to set an example for young people to follow -- is a legacy worth of celebration. I hope his memory inspires more good work in Crenshaw and communities like it.Michelle and I send our sympathies to Lauren, Emani, Kross, and the entire Asghedom family and to all those who loved Nipsey. Matt Miller Culture Editor Matt is the Culture Editor at Esquire where he covers music, movies, books, and TV—with an emphasis on all things Star Wars, Marvel, and Game of Thrones.