Letter To Nipsey

Album: Single release only (2020)
Charted: 73
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • 33-year-old Nipsey Hussle was murdered outside his Marathon Clothing store in South Los Angeles on March 31, 2019. Meek Mill and Roddy Ricch pay tribute during this touching number to the late rapper and entrepreneur.
  • Meek Mill takes the first verse, in which the Philly native explains that though he wasn't especially close to Nipsey, his death has had a huge impact on him.

    And I ain't finna sit here, act like I'm your main homie
    But when we lost you, it really put some pain on me
    Got me scared to go outside without that flame on me


    The shooting of Nipsey had a practical effect on Meek. Now he is wary of going out into the world without a "flame" (gun) for self defense.
  • Roddy had a strong relationship with Nipsey, and during the chorus he reflects that "only God knows" why his friend had to die. The Compton rapper then goes into an intense verse where he talks about the tears he "bawled out" when he saw Nipsey's body. Roddy concludes his bars by shouting out several of the slain rapper's closest friends and family.
  • Meek and Roddy debuted this song during the tribute to Nipsey at the 2020 Grammys. Following the awards show, the two rappers released "Letter To Nipsey" as a standalone single on January 27, 2020. Meek announced that the proceeds of its sale will all go towards Nipsey's family.
  • Both Roddy Ricch and Meek Mill had worked with Nipsey prior to his passing. Less than a month before his murder, Nipsey had teased a joint project with Mill. Roddy's most notable collaboration with the fallen rapper was the 2019 track, "Racks in the Middle."
  • It was Roddy Ricch's breakout single, "Die Young," which turned Meek Mill onto his music. He recruited Ricch to contribute a verse on his 2018 track "Splash Warning" before signing the Compton MC onto his Dreamchasers label.
  • Papamitrou supplied the beat. A frequent collaborator of Meek Mill, he is the first producer officially signed to the Philly rapper's Dreamchasers record label.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New Words

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New WordsSong Writing

Where words like "email," "thirsty," "Twitter" and "gangsta" first showed up in songs, and which songs popularized them.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.

Adele

AdeleFact or Fiction

Despite her reticent personality, Adele's life and music are filled with intrigue. See if you can spot the true tales.

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"Songwriter Interviews

Ian talks about his 3 or 4 blatant attempts to write a pop song, and also the ones he most connected with, including "Locomotive Breath."

John Lee Hooker

John Lee HookerSongwriter Interviews

Into the vaults for Bruce Pollock's 1984 conversation with the esteemed bluesman. Hooker talks about transforming a Tony Bennett classic and why you don't have to be sad and lonely to write the blues.

Al Jourgensen of Ministry

Al Jourgensen of MinistrySongwriter Interviews

In the name of song explanation, Al talks about scoring heroin for William Burroughs, and that's not even the most shocking story in this one.