Nipsey Hussle’s sudden death shocked fans and artists throughout the rap scene. In response, the hip-hop world unofficially observed an extended moment of silence this week by releasing no new music out of respect for Hussle, with the exception of a surprise new song from Noname today, the odd minor project earlier in the week, and a new track from the reunited New Orleans rap group Jet Life (Curren$y, Trademark Da Skydiver, and Young Roddy) that includes a nod to the fallen rapper, with whom they were close. Expected releases from multiple artists, including YG, Machine Gun Kelly, Kash Doll, and Schoolboy Q are now all postponed. (Per Pitchfork, Q’s new single with Travis Scott briefly popped up on Spotify last night but was removed.) Some artists delayed new releases for the week and others, like YG and 03 Greedo, dedicated the entire month of April to reflect on Nipsey’s legacy.
Elliott Wilson, former editor-in-chief of XXL Magazine and now a Tidal exec, also tweeted a plea for no new hip-hop music this week in honor of Hussle. Earlier in the week, Tidal updated its New Albums page to include Hussle’s discography; Spotify has also sprinkled his songs throughout its Rap Caviar playlist, which typically spotlights new rap hits. Following the news of Hussle’s death on Sunday, celebrities including Ava DuVernay, Rihanna, and John Legend also took to social media to mourn the rapper. The Grammy-nominated artist, who was widely respected for his dedication to his hometown of Los Angeles, was killed Sunday after a shooting at his clothing store.
