As the hip-hop community and fans of the late rapper Nipsey Hussle continue mourning the death of the Grammy-nominated artist, his younger brother is opening up about the devastating final moments of his sibling's life.
In an exclusive interview with The Los Angeles Times published Thursday, Samiel Asghedom spoke candidly about the reputation his older brother acquired and the positive influence he had in the Los Angeles neighborhood they called home.
When Samiel first heard the news that his older brother had been shot, he raced from his grandmother's house to Marathon Clothing, the store Nipsey opened in 2017 and the scene of the deadly shooting. As he watched his brother fight for his life, Samiel recounts the instructions paramedics gave him over the phone to perform CPR on the father of two.
"1, 2, 3, 4," he remembers counting in unison with the operator until they reached 20, at which point paramedics arrived.
It wasn't until EMTs hoisted Nip on a stretcher and onlookers noticed a gruesome detail: a bullet struck the back of the 33-year-old's head, and it was then Samiel’s desperate hopes for his brother’s survival turned into prayers for a miracle.
When they arrived at a nearby hospital, paramedics treating Nipsey approached Samiel with a somber demeanor. The gentleman prefaced his remarks by acknowledging the work Nipsey had done in the community, and then delivered the news.
"We tried our hardest," Samiel lamented to the LA Times.
Samiel intends to continue his brother's philanthropic efforts, and vowed to remain committed to rebuilding the community that raised them.
"He made something work in an area that was run-down, that people were scared to come to, and he turned it into a landmark," Samiel said. "All races. Different states. Many countries. They all come to Crenshaw and Slauson. He was truly the people's champ."
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Samiel also exclusively spoke to ABC News on Thursday and delivered a touching tribute about his slain brother.
"He was somebody that believed in the process of hard work, determination and just the positivity of somebody staying in the area that he grew up in and making something out of nothing," Samiel noted. "He was a role model to the community, to the kids, and to the mothers and the grandmothers and the community that watched him grow up and seen him as a youngster, (and now) a family man, a father, raising his kid."
As Nipsey's family continues searching to find a large enough venue to hold the "Double Up" rapper's funeral, mourners can rest comfortably knowing his alleged assailant may spend the rest of his days behind bars. As Blavity previously reported, Eric Holder was formally charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder on Thursday. The 29-year-old suspect had an accomplice in the ambush, who has since turned herself in to police but has not been indicted in the investigation.
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