Twitter Was So Moved By The Grammys' Tribute To Nipsey Hussle
On Sunday, Jan. 26, some of the biggest names in music gathered to celebrate their achievements from the last year as well as to commemorate those whom the community lost. Attendees remembered the late Nipsey Hussle, who died on March 31 after he was fatally shot. The moving commemoration included performances by John Legend, DJ Khaled, and more. Unsurprisingly, these tweets about the Grammys' Nipsey Hussle tribute are just as emotional as you'd expect.
The evening's show was already an emotional one due to the news that Kobe Bryant and his daughter died in a helicopter accident earlier that day, and the planned tribute to the late rapper had the crowd in tears. On Jan. 21, the Recording Academy announced it would be remembering the rapper, née Ermias Joseph Asghedom, with an official tribute. The 33-year-old was previously nominated for the Best Rap Album category at last year's Grammy Awards show for his 2018 debut Victory Lap and was already well-known for his mixtapes when the shooting happened.
While walking the red carpet, DJ Khaled reflected on his memories of the rapper. "When Nipsey talk, you just listen," he said. "He would always leave you with keys. We always talked about being great leaders, family, being entrepreneurs and uplifting people. The world felt that. He’s a king."
Ken Ehrlich, the Grammy Awards executive producer, previously said in the official announcement:
An activist, entrepreneur and rapper, Nipsey Hussle had a lasting impact on not just his community, but also the culture at large. There is no denying the influence he had and his legacy will be felt for generations to come. We are honored to bring together this amazing group of artists to celebrate Nipsey's life and pay tribute to his many contributions to music. It's sure to be a memorable performance.
And, memorable it was. As was previously announced, Kirk Franklin, DJ Khaled, John Legend, Meek Mill, Roddy Ricch, and YG were among the artists who performed during the moving all-star tribute.
Meek Mill and Ricch opened up the performance with an original song before DJ Khaled and John Legend (who was on the piano) began performing "Higher," their song with Hussle. YG concluded the tribute
Viewers took to social media to reflect on the emotional performance, which concluded with images of Bryant and Hussle next to each other.
In addition to the tribute, the Recording Academy also remembered Hussle by posthumously recognizing him for Best Rap Performance at the Grammys. He was also nominated for Best Rap Song for "Racks in the Middle" and Best Rap/Sung Performance for "Higher." His wife, Lauren London, accepted his Grammy award for "Racks in the Middle," alongside his family. London remembered her late husband's talent for using music to do good. She said, "God allowed [Nipsey] to use this music to speak his truth, give us wisdom, and something that we will forever be able to live with."
