A man charged with killing rapper Nipsey Hussle has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder charges.
Eric Holder, 29, was ordered to be held in custody after a brief court appearance.
Holder is charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder in connection with the attack outside Hussle’s The Marathon clothing store on Sunday that left the rapper dead and two other men wounded.
Authorities say Holder and Hussle, who knew each other, had several conversations on Sunday outside the rapper’s Los Angeles clothing store.
They say Holder eventually returned with a handgun and shot Hussle, who was declared dead at a hospital. He also wounded two other men during the attack, authorities said.
If convicted, Holder faces life in prison.
In 2012 he pleaded no contest to possession of a loaded firearm and was sentenced to six months in jail and three years’ probation.
The case filed on Thursday includes a charge that he was a felon in possession of a gun during the attack on Hussle.
The rapper and suspect had some sort of personal dispute the day of the shooting, police said, declining to give further details about their relationship.
Hussle, 33, was engaged to actress Lauren London, with whom he had a two-year-old son. He had another daughter from a previous relationship.
I will be heading to the House Floor next week to formally enter Nipsey Hussle’s contributions to South Los Angeles into the Congressional Record where it will be a part of United States history forever.
— Congressmember Bass (@RepKarenBass) April 4, 2019
He was a beloved figure in the community that he was seeking to rebuild starting with his clothing store, among his fellow entertainers, and with public officials who praised his philanthropy and advocacy.
Hussle had success in hip-hop’s inner circles for 10 years through his coveted mixtapes, then last year broke big with his major-label debut album, “Victory Lap,” which was nominated for a Grammy.
The California State Senate adjourned in his honour on Thursday.
Congresswoman Karen Bass said she planned to honour Hussle on the floor of the US House of Representatives.
“I will be heading to the House Floor next week to formally enter Nipsey Hussle’s contributions to South Los Angeles into the Congressional Record where it will be a part of United States history forever,” Ms Bass tweeted.