Late vegan rapper Nipsey Hussle will be honored at this year’s BET Awards.
Hussle will be honored with a posthumous humanitarian award, reports Page Six, after he was slain in a Los Angeles shooting back in March. The rapper was due to meet with the city’s Board of Police Commissioners and the police chief the next day, discussing how to reduce gang violence.
“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,” said Connie Orlando, the head of programming at BET, in a statement.
The BET Awards — established nearly two decades ago — honor and celebrate African Americans across the music, sport, and acting fields, every year, live on BET (Black Entertainment Television).
According to Orlando, Hussle’s death was a “tremendous loss” for Black culture, and also the wider entertainment industry.
“We are forever grateful, humbled and honored to have experienced his presence,” she continued. “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.”
Nipsey Hussle’s Legacy
Hussle’s impact on the community was confirmed by the many tributes that poured in for him after the shooting, reported to be motivated by a personal dispute.
“While most people look at the Crenshaw neighborhood where he grew up and see only gangs, bullets, and despair, Nipsey saw potential,” former president Barack Obama wrote in a letter, displayed at his memorial service in downtown LA’s Stapes Center. “He saw hope. He saw a community that even through its flaws taught him to always keep going.”
During the memorial service, Hussle’s mom Angelique Smith also had a message, but for the rapper’s fans and loved ones. “I want to encourage you to choose a vegan lifestyle,” she said to the crowd of thousands. Her son was a fan of the late Honduran Dr. Sebi, an advocate for the power of plant-based alkaline food in treating and reversing disease.
The 2019 BET Awards will take place on June 23 at the Microsoft Theatre in LA.
