The man who killed rapper Nipsey Hussle was sentenced Wednesday to 60 years to life in prison, according to the Associated Press.
Eric R. Holder Jr., 33, was found guilty in July of first-degree murder in the March 2019 fatal shooting of Hussle, the 33-year-old artist born Ermias Joseph Asghedom. Hussle was shot and killed outside the Marathon Clothing Store, a business he owned in his hometown of South Los Angeles. Holder was also found guilty of two counts of assault with a firearm and two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter for injuring other people at the scene.
Holder and Hussle knew each other and were both affiliated with the Rollin’ 60s gang, according to the AP. Holder’s attorney, Aaron Jansen, unsuccessfully argued during the trial that Holder deserved a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter because he acted in the “heat of passion.” After the jury returned a first-degree murder verdict, Jansen said he was “deeply” disappointed and intended to appeal.
Though he put out music for years, Hussle only released one studio album, “Victory Lap,” which debuted in February 2018 at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and peaked at No. 2 after he died. He posthumously won two Grammy Awards — for best rap performance and best rap/sung performance — at the 2020 ceremony, which featured tributes from artists such as DJ Khaled and John Legend.
Hussle was an influential figure in South Los Angeles. In an October 2018 piece for the Players’ Tribune, he wrote that he often returned and gave back to areas such as the Crenshaw District, because “it’s a reflection of where my mind’s at and where my heart’s at.”
“I understand my obligation — I got an obligation to my community first, my family first, to hoods like L.A. all around the country who live for the culture,” he wrote. “That’s part of the game, the way I see it. I have a duty to justify the seat that I’m sitting in.”