Nipsey Hussle Was Hailed as a Peacemaker by the LAPD. He Was Also Their Focus in an Investigation.

I wasn't surprised by this news at all. On the face of it- the whole situation never made sense. How is a supposed peace-maker, ex-gang banger calling out a neighborhood guy as a "snitch," publicly in front of other people at the store? This account which to my knowledge has never been refuted, show a provocation almost guaranteed to incite violence. I read a lot trying to put the puzzle pieces together and it seemed obvious to me- there was much more to the picture than we could see and the LAPD were making nice at the moment because the had to or it was to their benefit. Seriously people- use common sense- you will see that a majority of the news is hiding the real story. (And I am not saying that we are much closer now either! Im sure the real story from both sides is SUPER interesting!) It's rare to really get to the bottom of things especially these days with "journalism" where it is. I've really been enjoying Charlie Leduff's (one time NYT Pulitzer Prize winning reporter) videos on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz5WDK2x-CInOza5SIsyh4w I feel like we actually get the bottom of things there.

The Mafia, in their heyday, made a lot of contributions to the community and charity. This did not stop the law from prevailing. There were no sacred cows and few intimidated judges, no "complexity" and "moral ambiguity". Today the law enforcement professionals who busted the Mafia and took down Bonnie and Clyde would themselves be locked up for "civil rights violations" and disgraced. Fundamentally, the bad guys have learned to use fear, guilt, and the basic kindness of Americans to their advantage, and they have won.

We must look at the effect of Gang Injunctions , gang databases and parolees rights in California to see between the lines in this article . If your name is on any of these lists , your constitutional rights are very limited . Nipsey was once affiliated but his actions had changed to a positive for his city . In the eyes of certain groups in the LAPD , courts and CA state parole, once a gangster , always a gangster . This gave investigators an easy opportunity to investigate without any other cause except that Nipsey and his crew are part of a “street gang “ that is in CA databases .

Fundamentally the problem in California and Los Angeles has been the dominance of republican rule to the exclusion of all Progressive stakeholders. Not until the republicans can be removed and their mechanisms of repression purged will The People be able to move forward a long a shining path to a new freedom.

Have to admit that I had one blood relative go to Penn St. while the other blood relative went to the state pen, parenthetically the point is that one attended college and the other one was locked up. The two were a year apart in age:associated with the same friends while teenagers, then went their separate ways academically. The college grad didn't diss the blood relative who lived a life of crime, nor act as if he didn't recognize their friends that the two often associated with during their teen years. An old saying goes that states that "if you show me your friends, I'll show you you". It appears that this mantra is applied in the prosecutorial realm of LA .

The "community" complains about the crime, so the police crack down. But then, shockingly, it turns out those committing the crimes are themselves members of the "community". So then the "community" complains about overpolicing. As long as the "community" continues to idolize criminals then crime will continue, underachievement will continue, and poverty will continue.

Judging by the lack of comments, readers are just not interested in the nuance of complicated issues (like whether someone falls somewhere in the middle of the hero-villain spectrum.) As a result, I don't expect to hear much more from Jay-Z, the governor, the mayor, Snoop Dogg or any of the other opportunists who wrapped their arms around the martyr-of-the-moment.

Hussie's reputation as a hero is a product of newspapers shamelessly pushing a false narrative of a concerned community hero and protector of his people. The Los Angeles Times made a successful rapper, small business owner, and former gang member into a folk hero. Now that chinks in the hero's armor are beginning to show, the police has to risk that community's backlash as they they investigate a media-made hero.

Another rush to judgement for another “hero” or “victim” just like Smollett. I suppose Kamala was a vocal supporter once again without any facts.

Great journalism. Seems that Nipsey had a better handle on the neighborhood than the authorities did.

Michael Eric Dyson wrote an homage to Nipsey Hussle in the pages of this paper. Barack Obama prepared words for his funeral, while Louis Farrakhan was invited to eulogize him. Perhaps the greatest surprise as I read this story of Hussle's alleged connections to criminal gang activity is that it was actually covered at all.

There's something definitely wrong when a police department has to tread lightly with a criminal investigation because it might 'offend' some members of a community. This is a racial double-standard.

Shocking, just shocking. I can’t believe that anyone like him would be involved in such things.

This entire story has been shocking, from the loss of a uniquely musically gifted individual, who refused to leave his past behind in an effort to protect what was essentially his extended family. One can't help but believe he was an incredibly good, honorable man. However, the real shock: "As the investigation continues, the narrative of Hussle as a hero has been solidified in the city’s psyche. That puts enormous political pressure on investigators to back away amid worries that an aggressive inquiry could damage relations between the city, the police department and the black community in South Los Angeles. But at the same time, the killing has emboldened investigators who see it as just the sort of violent act they were worried could happen at the property.” No amount of "hero worship" should derail the police from their investigation. That it’s even identified as “worry” should mobilize people to reach out to their lawmakers. Factual investigations can't be based on public perception of heroism (or its opposite). Let a factual - not emotional - investigation proceed.