AXS Blames ‘High Demand’ for Nipsey Hussle Memorial Tickets Selling Out in Minutes

Nipsey Hussle (Credit: Shutterstock)

Thousands of Nipsey Hussle fans were left disappointed after complimentary tickets to Thursday’s memorial service honoring the slain rapper were snapped up within minutes.

Tickets for “Nipsey Hussle’s Celebration of Life’” at Staples Center were distributed via the AXS.com website starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

However, one fan told Urban Hollywood 411 she went on the site at exactly 10 a.m. and waited about 42 minutes, only to get a message on-screen saying “all tickets have been distributed.”

A spokesperson for AXS said interest was extremely high.

“The high demand for the ‘Nipsey Hussle’s Celebration of Life’ memorial resulted in all tickets available at Staples Center being claimed in just minutes,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “The AXS ticketing system performed as expected under the substantial demand with no technical issues or downtime.”

Read MoreDetails Released on Nipsey Hussle Staples Center Memorial

Staples Center holds 21,000 seats, but AXS would not comment on how many complimentary tickets were made available to fans.

As for why people who logged on early or at the appointed time were unable to get tickets, a source at AXS, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said technology was a factor.

“People were selected randomly to enter the purchase room” by the computer system, the source told Urban Hollywood 411, meaning the computer decided who got past the “waiting room” loading screen to enter the “purchase room” and claim free tickets.

Staples Center previously said tickets were limited to California residents and there would be a four-ticket limit per household. Still, some of the tickets are already up for grabs on sites like Craigslist.

“People are trying to sell tickets to Nipsey Hussle’s memorial service on Craigslist (for up to $500!) and the site has been taking all of those ads down,” one fan tweeted.

“@Craigslist please shut down all Nipsey Hussle funeral tickets for sale on this site. This is an outrage!” someone else pleaded on Twitter, and included a screen grab from a Craigslist seller.

For those who did get tickets, the AXS spokesperson said passes will be issued via AXS Mobile ID delivery and are non-transferable.

“The use of AXS Mobile ID also reduces fraud and eliminates the opportunity for a sale of this free event from a broker or third party,” the spokesperson said. “All ticket holders must enter the venue using the AXS app signed into with their AXS ID, and with their entire party present.”

Doors to Staples Center will open at 8 a.m. Thursday ahead of the 10 a.m. service, and attendees are encouraged to arrive early.

Staples Center has also said guests will be subject to metal-detector screenings and bag searches. No backpacks, cameras or recording devices will be allowed in the arena, and anyone seen taking photos or recording the event will be asked to leave.

News of the event came a little over a week after Hussle was fatally shot on March 31 outside his Marathon Clothing store in South Los Angeles.

It’s unclear if the rapper’s family will make arrangements to stream the memorial service live for fans who were unable to get tickets.

Additional details on the memorial can be found on the Staples Center website.


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