'We're burning but we're not destroyed' - rapper Nipsey Hussle remembered

Fans and industry peers gathered at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, US, on Thursday to pay their last respects to rapper Nipsey Hussle.

A moving tribute from his girlfriend and mother of his two-year-old son, Lauren London, has been widely shared on social media.

London read out a text she had written for Nipsey Hussle. "I've never felt this type of pain before, but I know that God is alive" she said.  

London's son with rapper Lil Wayne, Cameron Carter, delivered a tribute to Nipsey Hussle that brought tears to many in the crowd.

"Our engine is on fire now. We're burning but we're not destroyed," said the artist's mother Angelique Smith in another emotional tribute. 

Former US president Barack Obama wrote a letter that was read out at the memorial. "His choice to invest in his community rather than ignore it - to build a skills training centre and a co-working space in Crenshaw, to lift up the Eritrean-American community, to set an example for young people to follow - is a legacy worthy of celebration," wrote Obama.

The star-studded celebration included performances from Stevie Wonder, Anthony Hamilton and Jhené Aiko.

The Grammy-nominated rapper was gunned down in March outside his clothing store in Los Angeles.

Eric Holder, the man suspected of killing Nipsey Hussle and wounding two others, has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder. 

#NipseyCelebration trended on social media as many fans and celebrities continued to remember the rapper.