Lauren London Responds to Kendrick Lamar Paying Homage to Nipsey Hussle on "The Heart Part 5"
Following the release of "The Heart Part 5," actress Lauren London gave Kendrick Lamar's reference to Nipsey Hussle the stamp of approval.
The marathon continues. After Kendrick Lamar surprised fans with his face-morphing visual for "The Heart Part 5,"Lauren London went to Instagram and praised the rapper for referencing her late longtime partner Nipsey Hussle. Using deepfake technology, Lamar's face also morphs into Will Smith, Jussie Smollett, OJ Simpson, Kanye West and Kobe Bryant in the visual.
On London's Instagram story, she shared the clip adding caption “Powerful art.”
Lamar heavily references Hussle in the third and final verse of the track, as if he's speaking from the late-rapper's perspective.
“I wake up that morning with more heart to give you,” Kendrick raps on "The Heart Part 5." “As I bleed through the speakers, feel my presence. To my brother, to my kids, I’m in Heaven. To my mother, to my sis, I’m in Heaven. To my father, to my wife, I am serious, this is Heaven. To my friends, make sure you countin’ them blessings. To my fans, make sure you make them investments.”
Hussle – born Ermias Joseph Asghedom – died on March 31st, 2019 after being shot outside The Marathon Clothing Store on the corner of Crenshaw Boulevard and Slauson Ave in Los Angeles. He was 33-years-old. Although Lamar was unable to attend Hussle's “Nipsey Hussle’s Celebration of Life” service at the Staples Center the following month, he provided a written tribute to Hussle in the event program. The two last collaborated on "Dedication" from Hussle's 2018 Grammy-nominated album Victory Lap.
"My curiosity about who he really was started to grow from that moment in time. Was he a product of Crenshaw and Slauson? Was he a radical? Or was he a thinker? That mystique kept me engaged throughout his life and career," Lamar wrote about Hussle. "Time surely revealed itself. I realized Nipsey was all of those perspectives. But most importantly, he was a vessel from God."
Lamar's new album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers releases Friday, May 13th.