The stacked lineup of performers at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday included a special tribute to the late Nipsey Hussle, who posthumously won the Best Rap Performance distinction for "Racks in the Middle."
"An activist, entrepreneur and rapper, Nipsey Hussle had a lasting impact on not just his community, but also the culture at large," Grammys executive producer Ken Ehrlich told the press when announcing the tribute performance earlier this month. "There is no denying the influence he had and his legacy will be felt for generations to come. We are honored to bring together this amazing group of artists to celebrate Nipsey's life and pay tribute to his many contributions to music. It's sure to be a memorable performance."
The performance featured YG, Roddy Ricch, DJ Khaled, John Legend, and Kirk Franklin, and Meek Mill. On the Friday ahead of the broadcast, YG was released from Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles after being arrested on a search warrant Peoplereported as being "in the furtherance of an on-going criminal investigation." Attorney Joe Tacopina said in a subsequent statement that there was "no truth" to the allegations, which are said to have included suspicion of robbery.
The tribute began with a never-before-heard Nipsey tribute song from Meek and Roddy: "And I ain't finna sit here and act like I'm your main homie/But when we lost you it really put some pain on me," Meek rapped in the opening verse. "Got me scared to go outside without that thing on me/When everybody went against me you ain't change on me."
Meek and Roddy's song then transitioned into "Higher," which included a new YG verse. Check out the performance below.
At the end of the performance, the artists also paid tribute to Kobe Bryant, displaying the NBA legend's photo next to Nip's in the backdrop.
Prior to the 2020 Grammys special, YG and Lauren London, among others, starred in a new campaign for Puma and The Marathon Clothing's reissued collab collection.
