Like many of us, actor Sarunas J. Jackson was shocked and shaken by the passing of Los Angeles rapper Nipsey Hussle. While working with the MC’s girlfriend, Lauren London, on new BET series Games People Play, Jackson became close with the actress and had the pleasure of speaking to Hussle a few times before his untimely death. During a conversation with EBONY, Jackson shares that he understands people, from the rapper’s closest friends to complete strangers, have taken his loss so hard because of, “the example he set.” “When you have such a strong leader for the community, for Black culture specifically…to have someone who’s such a progressive thinker and uplifter of the culture…to lose that, that has such a heavy affect because we don’t get many of them.” The Insecure actor also says the “Victory Lap” artist was the only one to inspire him, “on and off a track.” “Honestly, the majority of the time I was listening to Nip, it was an interview. It wasn’t even his music, and I love his music! But I was looking up any interview I could. I was looking into property, and he’s the one that sparked that in me.”