Source: Awol Erizku / GQ
Last month, Lauren London and Nipsey Hustle had folks scratching their heads wondering if the two had gotten engaged. But the photos that leaked actually came from another place. They were behind the scenes images from the couple’s beautiful photo shoot and piece for GQ.
The couple traveled Slauson Avenue, a Black neighborhood in Crenshaw California—sometimes on a White horseback documenting their flyness and their coupledom.
London and Hussle were photographed by Awok Erizku, the same photographer who captured Beyoncé’s pregnancy announcement and the reveal of her twins, shortly after they were born. The photo went on to become the most liked photo on Instagram.
Erizku’s other popular works include Girl With a Bamboo Earring (2009).
In the accompanying article, the two talk about how they met on Instagram when, in 2013, London was attempting to buy Hussle’s $100 album as a wrap gift for her castmates on “The Game.” After she secured the copies, she followed him. Hussle said, “You know what that means, right?!” He took it as a sign of her interest and he slid into her DMs.
In the article the couple, who are parents to a son named Kross, dispelled engagement rumors to say that they’ve been together for five years and are “building.”
In the piece the two discuss being important to Black culture but not necessarily crossing over to mainstream audiences. For London, in the time when she had the chance to possibly cross over, life happened.
“I auditioned to be Faith Evans in Notorious,” Lauren recalled. “I talked to Faith, Puff, everybody. It just came down that the director didn’t believe me as Faith.” Riding the ups and downs together, they seem to be having fun. But it was one single decision that made them more than just another celebrity couple in Nipsey’s eyes.
“Lauren was handpicked by John Singleton to do Snowfall. She read, got the part, shot the pilot…did stunts…this was her dream role,” Nipsey said. “And then she got pregnant with our son. That was a really hard decision for her to make. It was the toughest decision of my career by far.”
But ultimately, London said she made the right decision.
“Do I choose my soul or myself?” Lauren said. “I went with my soul.”
Source: Awok Erizku / Awok Erizku
See what people had to say about the shoot on the following pages.
