NFL honors slain rapper Nipsey Hussle in new feature
NFL Network pays tribute to Nipsey Hussle in new feature
It's been six months since rapper Nipsey Hussle was gunned down in front of his South L.A. store. A new feature from the NFL Network celebrated his legacy through the perspective of his friend, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson.
LOS ANGELES - The National Football League pays tribute to rapper and community activist, Nipsey Hussle, who was shot and killed in March at his Marathon Clothing store in South L.A.
Eagles Wide Receiver DeSean Jackson honors his close friend, Nipsey, in NFL 360’s season three debut called "The L.A. Marathon," a series that gives a voice to NFL players who inspire change.
“He was on a whole other level with his mindset and his understanding and to me, it’s worthwhile spreading that,” said DeSean’s brother, Byron Jackson who produced the segment.
The idea sparked shortly after Nipsey's death, with NFL Senior Producer Anthony Smith, a fan of Nipsey’s music, wanting to honor him.
“It wasn’t until after he passed away that I realized just how much he was doing outside of his music, in terms of his businesses but also in terms of his giving back and promoting unity,” said Smith, who directed The L.A. Marathon. “In many ways I was inspired to use my platform in some ways to find a way to tell that story.”
“I remember one morning I found an article about DeSean wearing cleats to honor Nipsey for every game in the season,” said John Orfanopoulos, who edited the piece. “Anthony happened to be walking into the office right at that time and I let him know and he contacted DeSean.”
Byron Jackson had documented a lot of his younger brother, DeSean’s life, so the NFL had quite a bit of footage to work with. The 18-minute video DeSean hosts, serves as an outlet for him to pay tribute to his dear friend, Nipsey.
“When you have a platform, you’re in a good position to give back and help elevate the places that you came from and this story speaks to that very well,” said NFL Senior Coordinating Producer Dallas Hitchcock.
DeSean interviews Nipsey’s admirers and friends, like Snoop Dogg.
“It’s sad that when you’re not here people really admire your work but Snoop said it perfectly; ‘keep doing what you really love and if you have a true passion and a lot of good intent, your work will speak for itself,'" Byron quoted.
For Nipsey, that platform went beyond himself, to making his community a better place.
“I just hope people can get inspired to be their best and not treat other people different because they live on that block or they live in this neighborhood or that neighborhood,” added Byron. “I hope this piece can do what Nipsey was trying to do, which is bring unity amongst our communities.”
To watch The L.A. Marathon, go to YouTube.com/NFL.