Stevie Wonder to perform at Nipsey Hussle's funeral as 20,000 people gather at LA arena under heavy security
On Thursday afternoon, the entire city of LA will come to a halt as they gather to mourn the death of rapper Nipsey Hussle. The rapper was murdered last week right in front of his own clothing store in LA. Today, he will be laid to rest with a memorial service which thousands are expected to attend after the free tickets sold out in minutes. Here's everything you should know about the memorial service.
The Nipsey Hussle Celebration of Life ceremony will begin at 10 am and it will be held at the 21,000-seat downtown arena under heavy security. The service will have performances by Stevie Wonder, Jhene Aiko and singer-songwriter Anthony Hamilton. The service will be followed by a 25-mile procession of the late rappers casket through the streets of South LA.
Mourners who attend Nipsey Hussle's memorial service will be given a nearly 100-page book that includes remembrances from Rick Ross, The Game, Issa Rae and Lebron James. The book also contains numerous pictures of Hussle with his fiancée Lauren London, his children, Russell Westbrook, and Snoop Dogg.
"I've never cried myself to sleep over any public figure before, but Nipsey's presence meant so much for our community," said actress Issa Rae in the book. The hearse carrying the late rapper's coffin from the Staple Center will travel past the property where he had planned to revamp an old strip mall into affordable homes and new businesses. It will finally arrive at a funeral home in Crenshaw district, where Hussle was born on Aug. 15, 1985.
You can live stream the memorial service on BET News' Facebook page. The 33-year-old Grammy-nominated rapper was a father to two and was engaged to Lauren London. Eric R. Holder Jr who is charged with the murder of Hussle has not yet pleaded guilty.
