Grammy Nominee Nipsey Hussle’s Tragic Death Ignites Speculation About Upcoming Dr. Sebi Documentary
Ermias Asghedom, better known by his stage name Nipsey Hussle, was fatally shot late afternoon on Sunday outside of the Los Angeles store he owns, Marathon Clothing in Los Angeles. The 33-year-old rapper was shot six times, once in the head. Hussle was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
He is survived by his two young children and his girlfriend Lauren London, a well-known TV personality and model. In partnership with Atlantic Records, Hussle came on the scene with his debut album Victory Lap a year ago, back in February of 2018.
The breakout project for the West Coast hip-hop artist earned him a nomination for Best Rap Album at the 61st Grammy Awards last month. But Hussle will be remembered for much more than just his music.
In condolence messages, numerous celebrities and athletes alluded to Hussle’s efforts to help his community in South LA.
You were about something..positive and for your community in every chance you had to speak..and because of that You inspired millions..millions who will uphold your legacy forever. rest amongst the stars. 🙏🏾 https://t.co/7gZ795wcQT
— Pharrell Williams (@Pharrell) April 1, 2019
One of the projects Hussle was working on to spark change was a highly-anticipated documentary on one Dr. Sebi. Sebi, born Alfredo Bowman, was a Honduran herbalist, biochemist, and naturalist who studied herbs in North, South, Central America, Africa, and the Caribbean. He used his findings to determine that many life-threatening diseases can be cured with alkaline herbs and a specific vegetarian diet.
In 1987, Dr. Sebi testified at a Supreme Court trial in New York, after being sued for false advertisement and practicing without a license. Dr. Sebi put his work out to the public via ads in a bunch of newspapers. An ad he bought in the New York Post read “AIDS has been cured by the Usha Research Institute, and we specialize in cures for sickle cell, Lupus, blindness, herpes, cancer, and others…”.
It was a miraculous discovery for Dr. Sebi to have to validate in front of a judge and jury, so the odds were stacked against him. Dr. Sebi had claimed to personally cure plenty of diseased people.
During pre-trial, the judge asked him to provide one witness who he had claimed to cure. When Dr. Sebi presented a total of 77 in-person witnesses in court, the judge proclaimed the doctor not guilty on all accounts. Many celebrities such as Magic Johnson, Eddie Murphy, and the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes have sought out Dr. Sebi for his healing methodology.
In the video below you’ll see Lopes proclaimed Dr. Sebi to be a man who “has been curing AIDS since 1987.” Lopes passed away after being run off the road in Honduras in 2002. She was coming from the Healing Village that Dr. Sebi worked in. Many began to think her death may have been a plotted murder, making it clear she wanted to publicize her recovery once she sought out Dr. Sebi.
On August 6, 2016, Dr. Sebi died in police custody from what was said to be complications of pneumonia in Honduras. There has been plenty of speculation about the truth of Dr. Sebi’s death, and the possibility that he was murdered because his cure for AIDS would interrupt Big Pharma profits.
It seems that Hussle understood the danger that might come his way for embarking on the Sebi documentary project. On IZM radio with Tariq Nasheed he said, “Ride for me if I get killed over this documentary.” Although with his untimely demise Hussle will no longer be able to create the Dr. Sebi documentary. Actor, singer, rapper, producer and television host Nick Cannon has said he’d like to finish what Hussle had started.
“Your words, your steps, your walk always was and always will be SOLID! Now, your message is my message! Your work is my work!” said Cannon.
Given that Hussle made it known he was a member of the local Rollin 60’s Neighborhood Crips gang and was brought up in a rough area in Southside L.A, it’s possible that this was a gang-related shooting. The investigation is still very raw, but with such a shocking hit on a man whose was just hitting his stride in the hip-hop industry at age 33, it’s hard to believe that he’d be involved in any gang-related beef that could’ve sparked this shooting in his hometown.
His murder was a completely senseless act and an utter tragedy for sure. But maybe his family, friends, and all of the global entertainment industry who saw him ascend to fame will see a silver lining, as his sacrifice may result in exposing Dr. Sebi’s work on a national scale.
-Simon Brady