Late rapper, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Nipsey Hussle will receive one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a native son of Los Angeles: A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In an announcement made Thursday (June 17), Nipsey, born Ermias Asghedom, is one of 38 honorees in this year’s Walk of Fame class, which includes figures from various sectors of the entertainment industry. Hussle will be inducted into the recording category and join a star-studded class that includes the Black Eyed Peas, George Clinton, Ashanti, DJ Khaled, Avril Lavigne, Los Huracanes Del Norte, and Martha Reeves. The Victory Lap rapper is also one of two honorees—the second being late actress Carrie Fisher—who will receive their Walk of Fame star posthumously this year.
Chosen out of hundreds of nominees during a meeting conducted by the Walk of Fame selection committee, the final list of honorees was officially certified by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors on Wednesday (June 16). Ellen K, who serves on the chair of the selection committee, revealed the news in a statement on the Walk of Fame website. “The panel did an amazing job choosing these very talented people,” said the radio personality and former Walk of Fame inductee. “We can’t wait to see each honoree’s reaction as they realize that they are becoming a part of Hollywood’s history with the unveiling of their star on the world’s most famous walkway.”
Nipsey, who was tragically murdered on March 30, 2019, had begun establishing himself as one of the brightest stars in rap, having released his 2018 critically-acclaimed, major-label debut, Victory Lap. The album would debut at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and go on to earn Hussle a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album, culminating over a decade worth of grinding on the mainstream and the indie circuits while fortifying and vertically integrating his All Money In brand.
Other notable figures to receive a star on the Walk of Fame include Michael B. Jordan, Regina King, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kenan Thompson, Tessa Thompson, Byron Allen, Holly Robinson Pete, and Michael Strahan.