E-40 and Nipsey Hussle almost had a collaborative hit on their hands five years ago. But, in a recent interview, the Bay Area legend admitted that he is still floored at how time got away from him, leaving fans to only imagine what could have been.
“He sent me ‘Grinding All My Life,’ and I didn’t know. He didn’t tell me when he needed it back. Next thing you know, I’m like, ‘Ah, d**n. This one of them ones too,’” E-40 told Billboard in a newly published sit-down. He continued, “We didn’t even discuss it. Next thing you know, he just took it to the face. I was like, ‘D**n.’”
The track landed on Hussle’s debut studio album, Victory Lap, in 2018. The project earned him a nomination for Best Rap Album at the 61st Grammy Awards. The 16-track LP has since gone on to earn multiple RIAA gold and platinum certificates, including double-platinum status for “Grinding All My Life.” Features who made the cut include Dom Kennedy, The-Dream, CeeLo Green, Buddy, Kendrick Lamar, YG and a few others.
As widely reported by REVOLT, the Los Angeles emcee was tragically gunned down in March 2019 at 33 years old. “I miss Nipsey. He was really a good dude. He always showed me respect. He patterned his hustle after mine, you know what I’m saying,” said the “Goon with the Spoon” author as he expressed reverence for his late peer. “I really miss him, and I think he would really make a big impact in rap right now if he was still living. His music was great, and he was an overall great person,” he added.
A year before Hussle’s untimely demise, Meek Mill revealed that they had been in the studio working on a joint album. “We’ve been cutting ideas and just getting in. We got a couple records that’s going to go off for the summer. It’s not hard at all we just got to lock in and get the records done,” he told the Real 92.3 radio station.
Several months after the multifaceted artist’s demise, Meek tweeted, “We never finished it… it’s songs left but they for his family!” in a response to a fan’s inquiry about the project. Though there have been multiple reports of a possible posthumous album, his family, who oversees his estate, has not released an official statement on the matter.