Nearly two months after Nipsey Hussle was gunned down outside of his Los Angeles clothing store, DJ Khaled released the rapper’s final music video for their joint track “Higher,” giving fans the opportunity to feel his “enlightened soul” one last time.
The clip opens with Nipsey, who’s dressed in an all-blue ensemble, reminiscing about his grandmother and the memories he’s created with his family while walking around a Los Angeles neighborhood.
“Los Angeles love, kinda of like Hussle and Boog,” Nipsey raps of his girlfriend Lauren London, using her nickname Boogie. Nipsey and London, both from Los Angeles, had been dating for six years at the time of his death.
“Mani turned ten, Kross turned two,” Nipsey continues in reference to the couple’s son and his daughter from a previous relationship.
The rapper then speaks on his past and how far he’s come in life saying, “Dance with the devil and test our faith/ I was thinkin’ chess moves but it was God’s grace.”
Throughout the course of the video, John Legend can be seen crooning the chorus while playing the piano in the middle of a street.
“Oh, you keep taking me higher and higher” Legend, 40, sings.
The clip concludes with a tribute to Hussle, which reads “Rest in Paradise Ermias ‘Nipsey Hussle’ Asghedom.”
Following the video’s release, Legend tweeted “Proud to be a part of this inspiring record with DJ Khaled and @NipseyHussle. We lost him too soon.”
On Wednesday, Khaled, 43, announced on Twitter that he would be honoring the slain rapper with the release of their song on his album Father of Asahd, which dropped at midnight on Friday.
He explained the song’s proceeds will go to Nipsey’s children.
“Recently, I embarked on a soul-searching journey down a road I never thought I would travel in a million years. It began when a tragedy robbed the world of an enlightened soul, a brother, a father, a partner and my friend Nipsey Hussle,” Khaled began.
The hitmaker went on to reveal that just days before Nipsey was killed on March 31, “he shared his energy and positivity with me on a video set for a song called, ‘Higher.’”
“After much prayer and reflection; and with the full blessing of the Asghedom family, I am sharing that with the world,” Khaled continued.
“The very title of the song reminds us that vibrating on a ‘Higher’ level was the essence of Nipsey’s soul,” the music producer added. “It is in this spirit, of moving forward, of preserving his mission that I, my co-writers, producers and label partners are donating 100% of all of our proceeds from ‘Higher’ to Nipsey’s children, Emani and Kross.”
Hussle died from gunshot wounds to both the head and torso, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed. “Paramedics were called and [Hussle who was born Ermias Joseph Asghedom] was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m.,” the coroner said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
Eric Holder was charged in early April with one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
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He entered a plea of not guilty in court on April 4 and could face a maximum sentence of life in state prison if convicted.
Last week, Attorney Chris Darden, who was famously part of the prosecution team in the O.J. Simpson trial announced he was withdrawing from Nipsey’s murder case after receiving threats against himself and his family.
Darden, 63, had been hired by Holder.
“You guys have been awfully good to me and my family,” Darden wrote on Facebook. “Thank you. I am on my way to appear for the last time in People v. Holder. I filed a Motion to Withdraw from the case.”
Following Nipsey’s death, a crowd of 21,000 gathered in the Staples Center to pay their respects.
London shared one of her final farewells to Nipsey, calling him “the love of my life.”
Beginning her eulogy with a text message she wrote on Jan. 21, London, who was dressed in all white with black sunglasses, read the loving words she put together for her boyfriend.
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“Ermias was asleep one morning and I was watching him because I used to love to watch him sleep and I wrote him a text while he was sleeping so when he woke up he would read it,” said London, who also shared a copy of the text message in the funeral’s pamphlet.
“I want you to know I feel real joy in my heart when I’m around you. I feel safe around you. Protected. Like a shield over me when you’re around, I am totally myself when I’m with you,” London had written. “You’ve made me into more of a woman. You’ve given me an opportunity to really love a man,” she said.
Just one day later, Hussle was laid to rest at an intimate private funeral at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Nipsey Hussle"s final ever music video featuring DJ Khaled and John Legend is released
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