The Los Angeles Police Department was reportedly looking into the 'They Roll' rapper for his alleged gang ties and possible gang activity at a strip mall he owned in South Los Angeles.
- Jul 16, 2019
AceShowbiz - While Nipsey Hussle was hailed as a local hero by the public and the press when he was killed in late March, police are still investigating the late rapper. The New York Times reports that the Los Angeles Police Department was looking into the hip-hop star, whose real name is Ermias Joseph Asghedom, at the time of his death.
According to the city authorities and others briefed on the matter, the joint probe, which also includes the Los Angeles city attorney's office, focused on whether there was gang activity at the Grammy-nominated rapper's strip mall. The "Racks in the Middle" rapper owned a strip mall at the corner of Crenshaw Boulevard and Slauson Avenue where he was gunned down outside his own clothing store on March 31.
As part of the investigation, the city reportedly pressured Nipsey's former landlords to evict the rapper and his associates from the property. But the landlords sold the strip mall to the star and his associates for $2.5 million earlier this year instead.
The investigation is reportedly still ongoing after Nipsey's death, with the police department digging into his life, business moves, investments and community expansion plans, including his desire to build an apartment complex. The investigation may drag Nipsey's remaining business partners.
Josh Rubenstein, a spokesman for the Police Department, confirms that there's an open investigation on Nipsey's business activities, but would not discuss the specifics. He adds that the department has been negotiating directly with Nipsey's remaining partners on the property "to mitigate some of those crime issues."
Nipsey was hailed for his philanthropic efforts in the neighborhood in reports about his death. He had a planned meeting with officials from the LAPD to talk about how to help prevent gang violence in South Los Angeles. The meeting was scheduled for April 1, but he was shot the day before.
