Just three months after Nipsey Hussle’s passing, the BET Awards honored the late artist and philanthropist with the Humanitarian Award on Sunday (June 23). Nip’s family took the stage at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles to accept the award on his behalf, where his grandmother, Lauren London, Nip’s mother, and father delivered kind words.
Hussle’s grandmother spoke first, thanking the fans and friends for their well wishes and prayers. She was followed by Nipsey’s mother, Angelique Smith, who walked fans through her last interactions with her son.
“One of Ermias’s close friends was very traumatized. I walked over to him and put my hands on his shoulder, and I told him, ‘Evan, look into my eyes, Evan.’ I said, ‘You know that we are spiritual beings having a physical experience, right Evan? You understand that, right?’ So even though our bodies die, as they call it on this side of eternity, our spirits live. We lift out of this vessel and we continue on, and then I felt a spirit of retribution and revenge when I had my hands on his shoulder and I had to talk .. I was 100 percent present in the spirit and 100 percent absent in the body until I felt that spirit of retribution and revenge … I could tell I chased those spirits away from him.”
Nip’s father concluded the appearance by once again thanking BET for the honor and reiterating how proud he was of his son.
Watch the family’s full message in the video above.