The man found guilty of murdering Nipsey Hussle has received a prison sentence of 60 years to life.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Eric R. Holder Jr. was sentenced to 60 years to life for the first-degree murder of Hussle by Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke II. In his ruling, the judge said:
“I am very mindful of what was presented as to Mr. Holder’ mental health. I am also mindful of the devastation caused to the victims and their families. I believe this sentence balances the two.”
Holder was found guilty of first-degree murder last year after he shot the Grammy-nominated artist in 2019. Hussle died outside a clothing store he owned called Marathon. The two men shared a long and tangled history. The malice that drove Holder’s attack took root long before the murder.
Hussle was born Airmiess Asghedom and raised in Crenshaw, Los Angeles. When he was 14 years old, he joined the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips, a large, well-established street gang. After a few years, he became interested in becoming a musician and took the name Nipsey Hussle. His meteoric career in the entertainment industry saw him become a legend in his own right.
Holder was the flipside of the coin. Like Hussle, he was a member of the Rollin’ 60s and an aspiring musician. However, he was unable to get his career off the ground. Instead, he remained a spectator of Hussle’s rise to fame.
According to court documents, Holder’s jealousy of Hussle’s success fueled his aggression and drove him to shoot the star in a neighborhood parking lot near his store on March 31, 2019. According to the lawsuit, Holder felt disrespected by Hussle during a verbal exchange shortly before the attack.
Neither Hussle’s partner, actor Lauren London, nor any of his family members were in court for Holder’s sentencing. Hussle’s loved ones and the community that looked up to him remain devastated by Holder’s callous act of violence.