Man who killed Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle sentenced to 60 years to life

LOS ANGELES (TCD) — A judge sentenced the 33-year-old man convicted of killing Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle to 60 years to life in prison several months after he was convicted of murder.

According to KTLA-TV, Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke II sentenced Eric Holder Jr. to 25 years to life for first-degree murder, 25 years for a firearm enhancement, and 10 years for assault with a firearm for killing Ermias Asghedom, who was better known as Nipsey Hussle.

A jury convicted Holder in July on charges of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter, assault with a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a felon. Holder fatally shot Nipsey Hussle March 31, 2019, outside the artist’s clothing store in South Los Angeles. He fled the scene following the shooting but was apprehended two days later.

Hussle was standing outside Marathon Clothing near Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard when Holder gunned him down and injured two others.

According to The Los Angeles Times, video showed Holder shooting and killing Hussle. Holder’s attorneys argued the jury should convict Holder of manslaughter instead of murder. Hussle allegedly told Holder there was “paperwork” on him, meaning a reccord that Holder was working with police.

Aaron Jansen, the attorney, called the “paperwork” remark a “serious accusation.”

He said during closing arguments, “Mr. Holder Jr. took it serious, as it was. He knows the consequences of being called a snitch in this manner.”

Hussle and Holder were reportedly both members of the Rollin’ 60s Crips gang. Hussle’s close friend, Herman Douglas, said at the trial there are “so many snitches walking around,” so the “paperwork” reference should not have frightened him as much as it supposedly did.

Douglas testified, “You could walk out a gang right now. We don’t care if you walk out of the Rollin’ 60s, we ain’t gonna do nothing to you. Me getting on the stand right now would be considered snitching.”

He added, “I ain’t worried. Maybe in the ’80s, yeah. But this is 2022.”

At the sentencing hearing Wednesday, Douglas said, “Our community right now, we lost everything, everything we worked for. One man’s mistake, one man’s action, messed up a whole community.”