Nipsey Hussle's Friend Hip Hop Motivation CEO Kenyatta Griggs Speaks Out About What He Thinks Really Happen To Nipsey! EP(142)

CEO Of Hip Hop Motivation & LA Native Kenyatta Griggs Speaks on the Untimely passing of his friend Nipsey Hussle. Kenyatta talks about the last conversation had with Nipsey. The Feeling around LA. What he really thinks is goin on with Nipsey's Murder, The suspect behind and the reasoning. Very Powerful Interview!

There’s no reason for him to still be breathing,Samiel thought.

But Nip was. Air rushed in and out of his nose — strong and loud.

Growing up in turf claimed by the Rollin’ 60s Crips gang, Samiel had seen death up close. Bullets, when they hit their target in the chest like the ones that hit Nip, were cruel and quick.

He’s meant to be alive, Samiel thought. 

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On Wednesday, Samiel recounted his brother’s final moments to The Times. He says he is haunted most by the way the shooting happened.

They were best friends. He was by Nipsey’s side when he was selling T-shirts and CDs from his car as a teenager, there when he opened a clothing store in the strip mall where they used to hang in the parking lot, and there when he signed a record deal with a major label. Last Sunday was no exception.

Police say Nip, born Ermias Asghedom, was gunned down by Holder, a 29-year-old aspiring rapper. Video from a nearby security camera captured the brazen attack, which occurred in broad daylight. Footage has been circulating on social media. What it doesn’t show is Holder talking to Nip a few minutes earlier.

Holder was a familiar face in South L.A. Pictures on social media show him wearing the Crips-blue bandannas, but in recent years, he seems to have vanished.

He re-emerged at the Marathon Clothing store on Sunday. The two men talked, shook hands and Holder left.

Nips would pop up in and out of his store without notice, his brother and others said. Samiel worried about his safety, and urged him to stop hanging in the parking lot and come inside.

Nips had a bodyguard, but he moved freely through his neighborhood and those of rival gangs without worry.

“Nip is sporadic,” Samiel said. “Nip gonna pull up and hop up out of the Jordan Downs projects, Nickerson Gardens, in any ‘hood in L.A., Compton, Watts — solo with $150,000 of jewelry on his neck and [an] $80,000 Rolex with no security. That’s why the people loved him.”

He straddled many worlds with ease. His cool demeanor and regular appearances at the store made him relatable.

Nip built his reputation in the street, saying in a 2014 interview with the YouTube channel Vlad TV that he had joined the Rollin’ 60s as a teenager. But over the years, he grew his street hustle into legitimate businesses, connecting with the larger community of Los Angeles and the world, including some cops and politicians His music echoed his environment, but it also spread his message of entrepreneurship and the importance of planning for long-term success.