Nipsey Hussle appeared in the March 2019 issue of GQ - the same month that has he fatally shot in front of his Los Angeles clothing store. He was photographed alongside his girlfriend for a piece titled, "California Love with Nipsey Hussle and Lauren London." GQ has now paid tribute to the late rapper and activist by compiling an oral history from family, friends and colleagues. The extensive write-up - titled "The Light of Los Angeles" - features testimonies that paint a picture of why Nipsey meant so much to so many people and why his legacy won't easily be forgotten.
London shared heartwarming stories of how she met Nipsey and what their relationship was like. "Nip was very spontaneous," she said. "He would be like, 'Boog, let’s go out of town.' And I'd go with him and no luggage. He was very fun in that way. He loved having fun. We’d wake up in the morning, and he'd be like, 'Bet you won't get on a roller coaster.' We would literally just wash our faces, brush our teeth, put on sweats, and go to Magic Mountain, randomly, to get on a roller coaster and start the day."
She also opened up about the heartbreaking reality of how she struggles to cope with this loss. "I can't talk about our last day together, and I still have to be strong for my children. I have a three-year-old that's still asking, 'Where is Daddy?' He doesn't understand the concept of death."
Rick Ross and DJ Khaled both speak about how they had wished to sign Nipsey to their labels before discovering his dedication to remaining independent. "Nipsey had his own aspirations for independence. I respected his position," Ross said.
Meek Mill detailed what made Nip such a special person and friend before touching on their incomplete collaborative project. "We probably had about three or four songs," he said. Atlantic Records' senior VP of A&R Dallas Martin remembered being in the studio when the two rappers were working on the project on the Thursday before Nipsey was killed. "They were going to do a joint album," Martin told GQ, "He was Grammy-nominated, Meek was coming off the success of Championships, and they were big fans of each other. They made some great songs that night."
Read the full oral history here.