Lauren London, 34, Nipsey Hussle’s grief-stricken girlfriend, paid a powerful and emotional tribute to the slain rapper at his memorial service in Los Angeles on April 11. “To Ermias [Nipsey’s real name], the love of my life, you know what it is,” the mom-of-two said at the Staples Center. “Grief is the final act of love. My heart hears you. I feel you everywhere. I’m so grateful that I had you. I love you beyond this earth and, until we meet again, the marathon continues.”
Lauren prepared her speech before the service, which was attended by thousands of fans. “I had to write something because I’ve never felt this type of pain before but I know that God is alive,” she said. “But, bear with me y’all. His soul was majestic. He was the strongest man that I ever knew; a gentle father, a patient leader, a divine light. He was brilliant. He researched everything, completely self-taught, constantly seeking knowledge. He would go to bed and listen to these audiobooks in his headphones and I would tease him… and he would wake up in the morning and play music for the kids and light a sage and burn it around the house and just make sure that our energy going outside would be uplifted and that we could handle the day.”
Lauren then spoke about their son Kross. “My pain is for my 2-year-old that probably won’t remember how much his dad loved him,” she said. “This is something that I never, I don’t really understand but I know that Ermias always used to say that you can’t possess people. That you experience them and I’m so honored and blessed that I got to experience such a man. I know everyone is hurting though but I’d like to say something to my city, Los Angeles, because this pain is really ours. We know what Nip meant to us. We lost an incredible soul. We lost someone very rare to us and we lost a real one and we won’t ever be the same. But, in Hussle’s words – because he always used to say this – ‘The game is gonna test you. Never fold. Stay 10 toes down. It’s not on you. It’s in you and what’s in you they can’t take away.’ And he’s in all of us.”
Not only did the model show up to honor the late rapper – who was tragically shot and killed outside of his L.A. store on March 31st at the age of 33 – she also shared an emotional text message she wrote to him in January in the memorial’s program and at the very beginning of her tribute. “I’m in bed with you while you’re sleeping and i wanted to tell you something,” the note began, according to a photo of the program obtained by Twitter user, journalist Britni Danielle. She continued: “I want you to know i feel real Joy in my heart when I’m around you / I feel safe around you / Protected.”
"I'm so honored and blessed that I got to experience such a man," said Lauren London, Nipsey Hussle's girlfriend https://t.co/FiVUkycKsc pic.twitter.com/OmAHGj5ILk
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 11, 2019
In the text, Lauren went on to gush about how Nipsey has “encouraged and inspired” her and how she “wouldn’t want to go thru this journey with anyone but you.” The memorial program also included heartfelt letters from family and friends like James Harden, DJ Khaled, Kendrick Lamar, The Game, LeBron James, and more.
Ahead of the memorial, Lauren revealed that she planned to keep her “head high” going forward. “He was a protector and wanted us to be our best at all times,” she said of Nipsey in an interview with the LA Times. “He was a truth seeker and truth speaker. I’m going to keep my head high and always represent for my king to the fullest. He loves his kids. He was a family man. His family came first.” Lauren and the Grammy-nominated artist began dating in 2013 and share a 2-year-old son, Kross. Nipsey also has a daughter, Emani, from a previous relationship, while Lauren shares another son, Kameron, with her ex Lil Wayne.