While many of us are still hurt, confused and angered about the death of Nipsey Hussle just over a week ago, his mother Angelique Smith recently provided the world with words of wisdom and comfort.
In a video posted to Facebook, she spoke calmly, looking into the camera and referencing her superstar son by his given name.
“Ermias is here with me right now. I feel him“ she reassured. “Ermias will never die. You have him in your heart. Every time you think or Ermias, he lives. His spirit is everywhere now. You can talk to him. And he will talk back to you in your mind. Your memory...”
She also spoke of seeing her son’s body upon his passing.
“I don’t want you to be traumatized. Ermias was more beautiful in death than he was in life. Ermias didn’t have any marks on him when I viewed him. His hair was perfect. There was not one strand of hair out of place... I looked at him and said ‘that’s my angel baby.’”
She also referred to him as being at peace and “a baby in the spirit world.”
“Death is something to not to be feared,” she affirmed. “Death is something to prepare yourself for. When you walk this earth and when you do good deeds. For people and you are living and kind, those are the things that will show on your face. You will look more beautiful. Ermias looked healthy, he looked clean, he had a glow. He was radiant. He was so perfect, that he had a sweet aroma. He even smelled good. So please do not fear death. Death is just the beginning of a wonderful world. And I tell myself Ermias likes thrilling things and now my son knows the secret to the mystery of life.”
Nipsey, born Ermias Joseph Asghedom, was killed on March 31. He was just 33 years old. The news of his work for the community both in LA and abroad and for children has inspired and affected people even deeper than his Grammy nominated music.
A memorial for Nipsey takes place Thursday morning at Los Angeles’s Staples Center from 10am to 12 noon called “Nipsey Hussle: A Celebration of Life.” BET will televise the ceremony. Free tickets were given out to Los Angeles residents on Tuesday and within 21 minutes over 20,000 people signed up to attend. After the celebration, a massive procession will take place in the streets of LA from the Staples Center to Crenshaw blvd, home of Nipsey’s Marathon Clothing store, and end at the nearby Angelus Funeral home, which is handling Nipsey’s remains. A private service for the community activist and motivator took place there Wednesday afternoon for close loved ones and friends.