[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap]n emotional and moving memorial service attended by thousands of family, fans, and neighbors at Staples Center was followed by a 25-mile procession in honor of slain artist Nipsey Hussle.
All day Thursday, the city and South L.A. in particular banded together across neighborhood lines to bid farewell to a figure whose legacy will live on as a community-minded entrepreneur and activist. Crowds of everyday Angelenos across South Los Angeles lined the route of the Hussle's "victory lap," from downtown to Watts, Inglewood, and finally Crenshaw.
Earlier, at the memorial service, members of the artist's family and his closest friends shared tearful and uplifting stories about Nipsey's rise from selling CDs and clothing at Slauson and Crenshaw, to own the block.
"I have peace. I am happy. I am strong,” said Angelique Smith, Nipsey's mom, dressed in white. “And if I can feel this way, so can you,” she told the crowd of an estimated 20,000 people who attended.