As fans, friends and family continue to mourn the tragic loss of rapper and activist Nipsey Hussle, the African nation of Eritrea mourns, as well.

On Monday, the Eritrean Minister of Information Yemane G. Meskel tweeted his condolences and expressed sorrow over the news of Sunday's fatal shooting. 

"Extremely saddened to hear the news of the tragic and untimely death of iconic recording artist/entrepreneur Ermias Asgedom (Nipsey Hussle)," the minister wrote. "RIP & condolences to his family."

OkayAfrica reports Hussle was half-American and half-Eritrean, an identity he had begun to embrace just last year.

The 33-year-old, who grew up most of his life without his Eritrean-born father, told reporters that he initially visited the country for three months when he was 18.

"I went out there for three months in 2003—met my granny for the first time, met my cousins, so it definitely had a major impact," he said in a 2018 interview on Dallas' 97.9 The Beat radio station. "I was raised in LA by my mom, my mom's family is Black American, but I always knew my heritage from my dad, but I never met my family. My dad was the only one in America—everybody else is back home."

"So when I went out there, it educated me to the other side," he continued. "It just gave me an understanding of what my dad's life was like growing up, what his family was like. I got embraced and they loved me and I became aware of the culture."

"I'm half American and half Eritrean—as much as I am a Black person from America, I am a Black person from Africa too. I embraced both sides of that after I went out there."


CNN reports the late rapper trekked back to the motherland just a few months after the interview with his brother and father. Hussle reportedly intended to continue building with his African family and even sought to develop business in the country.

Hussle and his family also had the honor of meeting Eritrea President Isaias Afwerki. He was invited to sit down with the ministry of information's online journalists for an interview about his life in America and his experiences with gang violence. 

“If you come from areas in which gang activities are common then that becomes part of who you are," Hussle said about growing up in South Central LA. "You encounter it as a natural part of life. I guess the equivalent metaphor would be coming from a place of war. If you do, you are conscious about war even as a child and later, without even realizing it, you become part of it.”

"I love to be here," he said about his time in Eritrea. "The people, the food, the culture, and the lifestyle are extremely good."

Hussle's impact was felt. Eritreans poured out on social media, tweeting about how Hussle's music, philanthropy, community building and encouragement motivated them as a collective and as individuals.

Nipsey Hussle was shot six times and killed outside of his clothing store in Los Angeles on Sunday. Two other parties were injured during the shooting and are said to be in critical condition. Authorities have identified 29-year-old Eric Holder in the shooting and are still pursuing leads relating to a female cohort, as Blavity previously reported. 

The police are encouraging anyone with information to contact Los Angeles South Bureau Homicide at 323-786-5100. The car involved in the shooting is a white, four-door 2016 Chevy Cruze with California license plate 7RJD742. 

"Detectives have worked tirelessly and are now asking for the public's help in locating the suspect in this case," the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement.

Now, check these out:

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Nipsey Hussle Killed In Shooting Outside His LA Store

EritreaEritrean Minister of Information Yemane G. Meskelhalf-AfricanNipsey hussle