March 31 marked one year since influential activist and Grammy-winning musician Nipsey Hussle was killed outside of his store, Marathon Clothing, in South Los Angeles.
His partner, actress Lauren London, shared a touching poem on Instagram about Hussle, whose real name was Ermias Joseph Asghedom.
In her post, London said the pain of his death was "as heavy today as it was a year ago."
"God knows I would give anything to see you again I didn’t think I was going to survive a second of any of this Prayers have kept me together The kids keep me going and Gods Grace and Mercy have carried me this far," she wrote.
"As today makes a year I stand strong because of you Because I know you wouldn’t have it any other way Because I recall every late night conversation we had about resilience and fear," she added.
The comment section of her post was filled with blue hearts, a reference to Hussle's signature blue that he often wore partially due to his longstanding ties to the Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips.
She called Hussle her "greatest teacher" and said he was still with them in spirit because she carries his messages with her. London promised to make him proud and use what he taught her throughout the rest of her life.
"Ermias Asghedom There will never be another Until we are together again…. I love you beyond human understanding ( but you know that already)????," she wrote.
There was a massive outpouring on social media of fans reminiscing on Hussle's legacy in Los Angeles and in the wider hip-hop community. During a procession after his death last year, multiple rival gangs marched together as a sign of respect for his legacy.
Can’t Believe Its Been A Year #ripnip
#NipseyHussle
#victorylap
#mailboxmoney
#AllAmerican
#laurenlondon
#blaccsam
#TheMarathonContinues
#California
#LosAngeles
pic.twitter.com/ybG6sJDoZY— HUS$LEMAN (@ThaHussleWay) March 28, 2020
Unfortunately, because of efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus, family and fans were not able to congregate to celebrate Hussle's life. However, much of the work the late rapper started in ending gang violence is still being carried on by local community leaders who have used his legacy to decrease gun violence in Los Angeles.
Coronavirus has forced community leaders to postpone any public event marking the one year since Hussle’s death. Even if LA can’t honor his legacy with a memorial, they can continue to build bridges among each other. “This is also what Nipsey was about,” Townsend said. (7/7)
— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 31, 2020
"Aren't enough people dead, enough people shot? This is also what Nipsey was about," said Skipp Townsend, an expert who hosts weekly meetings between gang members to reduce the violence.
Townsend spoke to NBC News about his work in the community and how Hussle's death helped spur efforts to initiate discussions between rival gangs.
There have been dozens of murals painted across Los Angeles in Hussle's honor, and rappers with different gang affiliations honored him on the anniversary of his death.
Police arrested 30-year-old rapper Eric Holder Jr. in connection to the shooting and charged him with one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges and has since sought to have the attempted murder charges dropped.
