Nipsey Hussle's special bond with Brandone Francis

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While his son's biggest basketball game began Saturday afternoon in Anaheim, Brandone Francis's father, Texas Tech goaltender, continued to watch the empty seat next to him, trying to do not lose hope.

A day earlier, Bobby Francis had surprised Brandone by telling him to leave two tickets to Nipsey Hussle for the Red Raiders game with Elite Eight and Gonzaga. Now the rapper had already missed the opening minutes of the game and was not answering his phone.

"Inside, I've been broken," said Bobby Francis. "My son was boasting to all his teammates that his favorite rapper was coming. I felt like a fraud. I had the impression of letting him down. "

For Bobby and Brandone Francis, Nipsey Hussle was more than a world-renowned rapper. He was a dear family friend whose innovative ways and generosity with his time helped to repair a broken relationship between father and son.

For 13 years, as Brandone grew up with her mother in the Dominican Republic, and Bobby became known in the United States as the brand's entertainment strategist, father and son came together to create a common passion for the world. Hussle's music at their meeting. Bobby's relationship with Hussle and his role in launching the career of a legendary rapper gave him new credibility with his son.

By the time it seemed that Hussle would not show up for Saturday's game, Bobby's phone rang early in the first half. It was Hussle who called to apologize for his delay, fight in traffic jams to get to the arena and be there at half-time.

The way Hussle shouted for Brandone when he arrived at the Honda Center, you might have thought it was his own child playing for a place in the Final Four. Fries in one hand and a drink in the other, Hussle announced that Texas Tech "presented this" to anyone within earshot when he arrived at his seat in court and made himself even livelier when the Red Raiders got in the lead.

When Texas Tech players found themselves on the ground to celebrate the last ring, Hussle tapped a teary-eyed Bobby into the back and shouted, "Big Bob, we're going to the Final Four! to congratulate him.

"Brandone looked at Nipsey as if her idol was right in front of her face," said Steve Lobel, Hussle's first director and other friend of the Francis family. "I do not know why he did not jump over the rail to kiss Nipsey."

If Brandone had to start again, you can bet he would. You can bet he would have passed the ramp, wrapped Hussle with a sweaty bear and never letting go of it.

Because Hussle, 33, was shot the next afternoon afternoon in front of the clothing store he owned in Los Angeles, transforming what should be a triumphal week for Bobby and Brandone Francis in a day that reduced the father and son to a puddle of tears.

The night before his death, rapper Nipsey Hussle had attended the Texas Tech Elite Eight game last Saturday to support family friend Brandone Francis. (Photo illustration)

How Bobby Francis helped Nipsey Hussle to ride

The first time Bobby Francis met Nipsey Hussle, the young rapper had not yet become a Grammy nominee, a Los Angeles legend or a symbol of the possibilities of life.

In 2008, Hussle was only a few years away from selling mixtapes in the trunk of his car and was just starting to make his name outside his neighborhood in South Los Angeles. It was not until that year that a major record company dispelled concerns about Hussle's ties with the Rollin 60 Neighborhood Crips and tried his luck.

"For a long time no one believed in him," Lobel said. "We talked to all the labels, but they told us that they did not like what he represented."

Anxious to help Hussle stand out from Los Angeles's other up-and-coming rappers, Lobel suggested his client meet Francis for branding advice. Francis quickly became a friend and mentor for Hussle, letting himself be seduced by timely suggestions that helped pave the way for the rapper's gradual ascent.

<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "When Hussle started generating a buzz after the release of 2008 of his Bullets have no name mixtape series, comparisons with a young Snoop Dogg soon followed. From Hussle's braided hair to his blue clothes, to his slender physique, his effortless movements, the similarities were so obvious that the producers of the film "All Eyez on Me" even asked him to play the role of Snoop. "Data- reactid =" 58 "> When Hussle started generating buzz after the release in 2008 of his Bullets have no name mixtape series, comparisons with a young Snoop Dogg soon followed. From Hussle's braided hair to his blue clothes, to his sleek physique, his effortless flow, the similarities were so obvious that the producers of the movie "All Eyez on Me" even asked him to play the role from Snoop.

Aware that Hussle was a big fan of the Los Angeles Lakers, Francis used a Kobe Bryant-Michael Jordan analogy to show the rapper why he should be wary of the Snoop 2.0 label. Francis pointed out that players who mimic Jordan's game and look for his records will always endure unflattering comparisons with the Chicago Bulls legend.

"It's the same as an artist," Francis told Hussle. "If you do that as an artist, you will always be overshadowed. You must think independently. You must build your brand. "

A few years later, after Hussle had already begun to forge a conscious revolutionary identity of social conscience, rap being his medium of choice, the artist asked Francis again for advice. He was ready to release a new mixtape that, in his opinion, would resonate with his main fans, but he was looking for a way to make a sensation with a traditional audience.

When Francis asked Hussle to read a book called "Contagious" that partly explains why some products and ideas became popular, the rapper came back intrigued by the story of a $ 100 Philly cheese-steak. The sandwich price has attracted curious customers from around the world, including personalities such as Denzel Washington and Oprah Winfrey.

At a time when the value of recorded music has reached its lowest level, Hussle and Francis have daringly concocted a plan to sell 1,000 paper copies of the $ 100 mixtape to the unit in a pop-up format. up shop in Los Angeles. Fans who purchase the limited-edition mixtape would receive special benefits, such as autographs and memorabilia, Hussle phone calls, as well as tickets to an exclusive show in an intimate setting.

"When we made that decision, Steve was looking at me:" Let's hope it works, "said Francis," I'll be honest with you, I was so scared. "

To Francis' great relief, the scheme did not turn against him. Hussle sold the 1,000 copies, of which 100 were bought by Jay-Z. Instead of making fun of his pride in mainstream media, Hussle has been hailed as an insightful entrepreneur.

It was the break he needed to reach a wider audience, including a Dominican teenager trying to adapt to an unknown language and culture.

Nipsey Hussle poses with Bobby Francis and former manager Steve Lobel last Saturday at the Texas Tech-Gonzaga Elite Eight game. (via Bobby Francis)

How Nipsey Hussle helped repair the father-son bond

A year after Brandone Francis's departure from the Dominican Republic in search of a stronger basketball competition in the United States, the sophomore high school student approached his father with a very pressing question.

"Dad," said Brandone, "have you ever heard of Nipsey Hussle?

The irony of the question was not the only reason why Brandone's father had made a mischievous smile. Bobby Francis also acknowledged that he was fortunate enough to do something special for Brandone and maybe take a small step forward to fix their broken relationship.

Rather than telling his son stories about the rapper, Bobby pulled his phone out of his pocket and FaceTimed Hussle on the spot. Shocked and stuck, Brandone spent a few minutes chatting with Hussle.

"Nipsey has made me cool with my son," said Bobby Francis. "He made me trustworthy. He made me honest. He trusted my son in me. This conversation is what started the healing process between me and my son. "

From that day, Hussle became more than a rapper of Brandone Francis. It was an idol, a big brother.

Hussle sent Brandone video ads on his birthday and texted him or FaceTime sporadically. The rapper was still asking what Brandone's basketball season was all about when he was talking to Bobby.

Listening to Hussle's albums was one of the main methods Brandone used to improve her English in high school. He would even mimic the way Hussle spoke, a source of endless fun for Bobby since there was nothing difficult to do with Brandone's education.

"He's not loyal to any artist as he is Nipsey Hussle," said Bobby Francis.

That's why it was so important for Bobby that Hussle take time, despite his busy schedule, to support Brandone in Anaheim last weekend.

Hussle could not participate in Texas Tech's Sweet 16 rout in Michigan, but he faced Bobby during that game. Then he made his fashion debut late on Saturday, offering a haunting but lasting memory to all those who spoke with him.

"He likes basketball. It's his favorite thing, "said Brandone Francis. "It was amazing for him to put everything aside, meetings and music videos, and take the time to come and support me and my teammates. This is something I will never forget. I will probably tell my children one day. "

Anaheim, Calif. - March 30: Brandone Francis No. 1 of Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrates as he leaves the field after defeating the Bulldogs Gonzaga at the 2019 West Regional NCAA Basketball Tournament at Honda Center on March 30, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images) — Brandone Francis celebrates his victory by leaving the field after defeating the Bulldogs Gonzaga. (Getty Images)

"My heart was like I weighed 1,000 pounds"

For Bobby Francis, the most disturbing part of Hussle's death is not even the fact that he spent a few hours with the rapper the day before.

This is nothing compared to being on the site of the alleged murder of Hussle, an hour or so before that happens.

On Sunday afternoon, Bobby went to the Marathon clothing store to buy souvenirs to bring to Minneapolis for his son. He did not fail to see Hussle for a few minutes.

Shortly after, Bobby received a series of text messages from friends saying that Hussle had been shot. When a close friend and record producer L. T. Hutton told him that Hussle was "not doing well", it was when Bobby broke down after realizing he had probably seen his friend for the last time.

"My heart was like I weighed 1,000 pounds," Bobby said.

In addition to his personal relationship with Hussle, one of Bobby's most challenging aspects is that the rapper still had a lot to offer his community. Hussle realized what could be done by reinvesting rap money in his South Los Angeles neighborhood, buying a mall, a burger restaurant, a fish market and a barber, by funding the repair. neighborhood parks and basketball courts and by offering shoes to students from a primary school.

Like his father, Brandone was also surprised by the discovery by one of his teammates Sunday night of the death of one of his heroes.

"I became very sad, very moved," he said.

At first, Brandone did not know if he was emotionally ready to play a basketball game Saturday against Michigan State, but his father told him that was what Hussle would have wanted. To prove it, Bobby encouraged Brandone to listen to a verse from one of Hussle's most recent songs.

Grammy nominated, in the tears of the sauna

All this money, this power, this fame and I can not make you reappear

But I do not wipe them

We have just embraced the only life we know

If it were me, I would say, "N-, live your life and grow up"

I would say, "Finish what we started, reach their heights, you know?

So, Brandone will try to "hit them" Saturday against the Michigan State. He intends to listen to Hussle's music before the game, scribble a message to the rapper on his sneakers, then try to pay tribute to his deceased friend with his performance on the ground.

"It's a bit bittersweet moment for me to be here," said Francis. "Probably one of the most special moments of my life, but at the same time I lost one of my favorite people."

If Hussle was still alive, he had planned to be in Minneapolis on Saturday, sitting alongside Bobby and applauding for Brandone.

Now this seat will be vacant instead.

Nipsey Hussle and Bobby Francis have been friends for over ten years. (photo via Bobby Francis)

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