Youth in the Twin Cites say Nipsey Hussle encouraged them to think differently.

LOS ANGELES — Nipsey Hussle was not the biggest name in hip-hop, but he was influential.

The Grammy-nominated artist worked to end gang violence. Monday, he was supposed to meet with members of LAPD about a solution to end gang violence.

Sunday, he died in a shooting. Youth in the Twin Cites say Hussle encouraged them to think differently. Hussle, the respected rapper who earned a Grammy nomination this year for his major-label debut, was 33.

Hours before someone shot and killed him, Hussle left a message on Twitter:

"Having strong enemies is a blessing."

A day later, a young entrepreneur in St. Paul reflected on ways the rapper used his influence to promote tech skills and entrepreneurship.

Cherokee Christopher, a St. Paul resident, spent minutes with the rapper in October. Hussle was in the Twin Cities speaking on a panel during a conference focusing on blacks in technology. One of his latest business ventures was a cohort, Vector 90, with an entire floor dedicated to teaching STEM to students in South L.A. He often described it as a bridge between the inner city and Silicon Valley.

“He was really changing the community. That is what I plan on doing with my wealth and trying to open up my restaurant,” Christopher said. “I looked at him and I kind of seen myself. A black man with a past, whatever the case may be. He is talking about all of this stuff. He tattoos all over his neck. You wouldn't expect him to speak on any of these things.”

The rapper was shot and killed outside a clothing store he owned in the Crenshaw neighborhood in Los Angeles.

The storefront a symbol of Hussle’s mission – encouraging youth and young adults to invest and own. A message that resonated with Christopher, a 21-year-old father.

“That is what builds families and communities. Investing. He really pushed that knowledge big on us,” he said. “That is important because that could be handed down to generations.”

Hussle’s first passion was music, which inspired Christopher’s friend, Dequann Chatmann.

The 19-year-old said Hussle lyrics sent a strong message.

“It wasn’t just talking about violence ... but stopping it,” Chatman said. “He was a conscious rapper. He was a big motivation to us young men to do something big and achieve our goals and do whatever we want that is on our mind.”



Hussle, whose real name is Ermias Asghedom, was born on Aug. 15, 1985, in the Crenshaw neighborhood of south Los Angeles.

The Eritrean-American said his first passion was music, but getting resources was tough since he left his mother's house at 14 to live with his grandmother. Hussle said he got involved in street life as he tried to support himself, and he joined the gang Rollin 60's Neighborhood Crips as a teenager.