3 months after his death, BETwill honor slain rapper and visionary Nipsey Hussle with a posthumous Humanitarian Award this weekend.
Regarding the award, Connie Orlando, head of programming at BET, said in a statement:
“As a prolific artist and leader, Nipsey Hussle was zealous about driving change for the betterment of his community, empowering and employing those in need and being an influential and highly respected leader.”
She added that Hussle’s death was a “tremendous loss” to the entertainment industry and black culture, and added, “We will continue to remember his advocacy and be inspired by the groundwork he set forth and his dire commitment to social change.”
Orlando statement about Nipsey Hussle’s award continues:
“We are forever grateful, humbled and honored to have experienced his presence and we are invested in doing our part to ensure that the marathon will indeed continue. It is an immense honor for us to recognize him with this year’s Humanitarian Award.”
As the world now knows, Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed outside of his Los Angeles (Marathon) clothing store on March 31, a day before he was to meet with the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners and the city’s police chief to discuss how to curb gang violence.
The 33-year-old, born Ermias Asghedom, had also opened a co-working space with science, technology, engineering and math education for the youth.
“Growing up as a kid, I was looking for somebody — not to give me anything — but somebody that cared,” he once told the Los Angeles Times. “Someone that was creating the potential for change and that had an agenda outside of their own self-interests.”
In addition to the posthumous Humanitarian Award, BET is also planning a tribute performance for the late rapper featuring DJ Khaled, YG, and John Legend. The show will air live from Los Angeles on Sunday, June 23 at 8 p.m. ET.
