Late rapper Nipsey Hussle who was murdered in March of last year won two posthumous Grammys, on Sunday night and was remembered with a touching musical tribute led by singer John Legend.
Ermias Asghedom popularly known as Nipsey Hussle won awards for Best Rap Performance for “Racks in the Middle” along with Best Rap/Sung Performance for “Higher.”
DJ Khaled and John Legend, who was also featured on “Higher” took the stage to accept the award alongside members of Hussle‘s family just a few minutes after performing the song in a tribute to the 33-year-old rapper.
“I want to thank all of you for supporting this and for lifting Nipsey’s name up,” Legend said. “We all loved him, we all miss him. It is terrible that we had to lose him so early,” he continued. “We thank his family for being here tonight with us. Thank you for allowing us to use his legacy and lift it up in song tonight.”
Hussle‘s debut studio album, “Victory Lap,” was nominated for Best Rap Album at last year’s Grammy Awards but lost out to Cardi B.
He took his stage name from a play on the name of the comedian Nipsey Russell. The tribute to Hussle took on heightened meaning as Los Angeles also mourned the loss of another favorite son, NBA icon Kobe Bryant, who died tragically Sunday in a helicopter crash.
The tribute performance for Hussle saw the images of both men projected on stage at the Staples Center, where Bryant led the Lakers team to several championships. Family members accepted Hussle’s award for “Racks in the Middle,” which featured rappers Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy. The late star’s grandmother delivered an emotional elegy, thanking the audience for “sharing all the love that I have felt for him all of his life.”