President Obama Writes a Letter for Nipsey Hussle Memorial: 'A Legacy Worthy of Celebration'

4/11/2019 by Michael Silver

Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, wrote a personal letter to the friends and family of late rapper Nipsey Hussle, which was read aloud at his memorial on Thursday (April 11).

The former president asked hip-hop journalist Karen Civil to read his letter at the service, taking place at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.

A key message from Obama's letter included the passage: “While most folks look at the Crenshaw neighborhood where he grew up and see only gangs, bullets and despair, Nipsey saw potential. He saw hope. He saw a community that, even through its flaws, taught him to always keep going.”

Read the full letter below, where Obama says the late rapper has a "legacy worthy of celebration."

Thank you to @BarackObama for sending this letter for me to read celebrating @NipseyHussle’s life & legacy. -- pic.twitter.com/qwEjjb6O9d
— Karen Civil (@KarenCivil) April 11, 2019