Nelson Mandela lived a fruitful life over the last 95 years.
South Africa’s most revered freedom fighter became a symbol of the country’s fight for racial equality, but over the years Mandela’s reach transcended that of apartheid.
The man born, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, is best known for serving 27 years in prison on charges that he attempted to overthrow the government. He was sentenced to life in prison in 1964, and was able to look at his imprisonment as an opportunity to usher in change, as he said in 1994:
“I realized the role I could play and the possibility before me as a defendant. I was the symbol of justice in the court of the oppressor. The representative of the great ideals of freedom, fairness and democracy in a society that dishonored those virtues. I realized then and there that I could carry on the flight even in the fortress of the enemy.”
Mandela passed away today (Dec. 5) leaving behind a legacy as one of the globe’s most influential figures in modern history, one that touched the Hip-Hop world.
Take a look at some of the stars who paid tribute to Mr. Mandela in the gallery below.
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Photos: SouthAfrica.net/Twitter
