Today is the day I reintroduce the world to all the craziness that goes on in my head, my household, and my heart. I had a post all prepared and ready to go. It was set to post at midnight automatically. Then I got the news that Nipsey Hussle had been shot outside of his store.

My initial reaction was one of hope. Without any details of the shooting I just assumed he would be ok. Mainly because he had been doing so many great things for not only his community but for black folks as a whole. Surely, God would protect him and return him to his two children. Then I got the news he had passed. My immediate response was to call my husband and let him know. About an hour went by and I could not shake the news. Why did it matter so much to me? I had never met this man in my life.

About a year ago I listened to Victory Lap for the first time. I remember telling my homegirl that the album was beyond dope and she had to listen. She told me she had no idea was such a thug. I’m that meme of a girl that’s somewhere between glitter and goon. Every day I ride in my car alone and I listen to rap music with all the cuss words left in it. Victory Lap was so well written and produced that Nip’s lyrics created visuals that were almost tangible.

After some unpacking and thinking to myself I realized that I couldn’t shake the news because of all of the good he was doing. Far too often, black men are gunned down before they reach their full potential. They have goals and aspirations. They have families and loved ones. They have found success and then in a blink of an eye, they are gone. They leave behind kids, spouses, and families that are forced to grieve in a space that often times doesn’t allow for grieving. How can a mother truly take the time to grieve the loss of her love while continuing to show up for her children?

So today, instead of the original writing for my inaugural post I want to simply say….Love on your village. Love on your black men. Keep them close. Hold them close. Tomorrow is not promised and if you have not listened to Victory Lap, do yourself a favor.

Alexa, play Hussle and Motivate