Rapper Nipsey Hussle is shown performing at a pre-Grammy party on Feb. 7, 2019 in Los Angeles alongside another image from a vigil that was held for him after his death on April 1, 2019. (Photos by Matt Winkelmeyer and David McNew - Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - A petition on change.org has gained more than 314,000 signatures in an effort to rename an intersection in South Los Angeles after slain rapper Nipsey Hussle.
It was created by the Najee Ali Foundation and calls on Los Angeles City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson to help push for the renaming of the intersection to Nipsey Hussle Boulevard. The area is the same location as the musician’s business, The Marathon Clothing store. Hussle, who was born Ermias Asghedom, was shot and killed in front of the store Sunday afternoon.
While Harris-Dawson hasn’t responded to the petition yet, he has tweeted and posted on Instagram with tributes to the rapper who worked to improve his community.
“Nipsey Hussle has been a strong partner, a poignantly brilliant musician, and a tireless advocate for South L.A.,” the councilman said in an Instagram post.
The petition is asking for 500,000 signatures and reached more than 314,000 in about two days.
Asghedom's murder suspect, 29-year-old Eric Holder, was arrested Tuesday and is being held in lieu of $7 million bail.