The service all but stopped the hip-hop world on Thursday. While some West Coast rappers took the stage to speak about Hussle’s life and enduring message, others sent their own emotional condolences. Jay-Z, whose company Roc Nation managed Hussle in recent years, wrote in a statement printed for the funeralgoers: “You were a curious soul who was evolving at a speed that was truly inspiring. The seeds you have planted are already bearing fruit.”

Kendrick Lamar, another local Los Angeles hero, in his own letter recalled touring with Hussle in 2009. “Casually I would go out to the crowd and listen to the substance he spewed on stage. Thinking to myself, this is the type of talent I want to be a part of,” he wrote. “I watched a young, ambitious black male orchestrate fellowship amongst the men around him on that tour.”

And Drake, who was set to perform in London on Thursday, posted a photo of himself watching the service to Instagram. “Sent off like a king and rightfully so,” he said. “Sending our love from across the world.”

A presidential letter to honor the local hero.

Before entering Staples Center, many fans stopped to take pictures in front of a black armored truck that Hussle owned. The “all money in” truck was used for promotions and became a fixture outside his clothing store. The truck was treated like a piece of public art, positioned in the middle of a closed-off street, surrounded by fencing and plainclothes security guards.

Kathleen Gonzalez, 20, said that what she remembered most about Hussle was how he treated everyone — “a homeless man, an average man, a man without papers who was here illegally.”

“He gave everyone the same praise he received,” added Ms. Gonzalez, a therapist who works with special needs children in South Los Angeles. “Nowadays it’s really rare to see that.”

Even as the city came together on Thursday to mourn Hussle, she said her community was on edge over the threat of more violence.