It’s been nearly half a year since local rapper Nipsey Hussle was fatally shot outside of his Marathon Clothing store in Crenshaw.

In the immediate wake of Hussle’s death, local leaders, including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, praised Hussle for his work in the community.

Since then, reports have emerged about a longstanding investigation into gang activity at the Marathon store.

The New York Times wrote, “Hussle’s story has exposed deep divisions within the city’s leadership, underscored by the reaction after his death, with city officials praising the rapper as a model for the neighborhood, even as he was under investigation.”

“He was a complicated person,” Garcetti said. “I think growing up in certain neighborhoods, too, you don’t have a 100% clean story. People who are faced with hardships or have been criminally involved in the justice system, as many people are, it’s really where do you go and what are you bringing along – not where you have been.”

He said while he doesn’t know all the details of Hussle’s life, he gave back and brought inspiration to his community.

“He was the first to admit that there were challenges in his life, things that he had to overcome. And that’s, I think, why so many people related to him,” Garcetti said.

A report on California’s gang database, CalGang, shows there are people on the list that are over 70-years-old and it has been determined that some people were put on the list at a mere one-years-old. Most of these people are from Southern California.

While proponents say it’s a great way to track gang activity, opponents of the list say it’s disproportionate in terms of who’s winding up on it.

“I wouldn’t ever abolish the ability of law enforcement to track criminal enterprises, but, yes at the same time we need this not to be seen as a permanent stamp and the entry in has to be excruciatingly, carefully examined, because, when somebody’s [on the list] it can be a life sentence, essentially,” Garcetti said.

The Mayor also says the City Attorney has done a lot of work on how to get people off the list and says now people can apply to be taken off.

What do you think? How should the City of Los Angeles pay tribute to the late rapper? What questions do you have for Mayor Garcetti? Click here to submit your inquiry.