This story was produced as part of our Writing Heals program, in which we hire a family member of the deceased to write the story of the loved one they lost. For more information or to sign up to write about someone you lost to gun violence, click here.
“This story was made possible through a collaboration with The Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting and Survivor Connection. Learn more at pcgvr.org“
___________________________________________________By Corliss Jackson, Shanine Jackson and Asiyah Jackson, Rasheen’s mother, aunt and cousin.
The trips to the tailor became something of a ritual, but not on purpose.
In the months leading up to senior prom, Rasheen Naseeb Robinson and his mother, Corliss Jackson, drove to New Jersey again and again because he wanted his pants to fit perfectly. After six visits to make tiny adjustments that most people would never notice, it was all worth it.
When he finally walked out for his prom send-off, he was dancing with confidence and joy.
“That night was one of the best nights of both of our lives,” Corliss said.
The memory endures not only because of how handsome he looked, but because it captured so much of who he was. Robinson loved fashion, performing and making people smile. Long before he appeared in films or on stage, he understood how to command a room.
His aunt, Shanine Jackson, remembers that smile more than anything.
“When I think of my nephew, the first thing that comes to mind is his smile,” she said. “He was always so happy and full of life.”
Whenever he saw her, he would greet her with a grin and a cheerful “Aunt Shanine” delivered in a way that made her feel uniquely loved.
“It never felt so good to hear my name,” she said.
That combination of confidence, warmth and natural charisma made acting feel like an obvious path. Robinson grew up watching movies such as Stomp the Yard and Drumline on repeat. He practiced scenes from actors he admired, especially Michael B. Jordan, and performed skits for family members whenever he had the chance.
“He would ask for my opinion, and I knew he was talented,” Shanine said.
Robinson, known to family and friends as “Nas” or “Nu-Nu,” was pursuing that dream when his life was cut short. The aspiring actor was 22 years old when he was killed on March 22, 2022, during a shooting at a gas station on the 100 block of West Lehigh Avenue in Kensington.
To those who knew him best, however, the tragedy never defines the story.
“When I think about Nas, I think about life,” his mother said. “Everything I did was because of him or for him.”
Even as a child, Robinson possessed an uncommon sense of independence. At just 9 years old, he began taking public transportation to school because he was determined not to be late. He earned his learner’s permit at 15 and was driving himself to school a year later.
At the same time, he never lost the playful personality that made him beloved by family members.
“He was a goofy child who understood the importance of not taking life too seriously,” Corliss said.
That sense of humor created countless family stories, including one that his cousin, Asiyah Jackson, still laughs about today.
After spending an entire day searching for a missing hairbrush, Rasheen was convinced it had simply vanished. Then a relative jokingly suggested that a deceased family member might have hidden it.
Moments later, he opened the refrigerator and found the brush sitting inside.
“He hollered as if it had scared him,” Asiyah said. “We all burst out laughing.”
Now whenever she misplaces something, she still catches herself saying, “Nas, give it back.”
Rasheen attended Lankenau High School and graduated in 2018. He also attended a semester at Philadelphia Community College, and along the way he held various jobs such as working at Lexus as a car attendant and for Uber and DoorDash.
As Rasheen grew older, acting became more than an interest. He attended classes, built a professional portfolio and landed the lead role in an independent film called Corrupted Minds. He also appeared in a stage production focused on nonviolence, where he performed a monologue about gun violence that he wrote himself.
“Listening to his monologue about gun violence brought tears to my eyes,” Shanine said. “That was truly one of the moments when I was most proud of him.”
Watching him perform convinced his family that his talent was real.
“There were scenes where he didn’t say a single word, yet his facial expressions and body language told the audience everything they needed to know,” his mother said. “It was then that I realized my son possessed a true gift.”
Outside of acting, Robinson was deeply thoughtful about the person he wanted to become. Shanine remembers long conversations about faith after he decided to become Muslim as a young adult.
“I knew it wasn’t just because our stepfather was Muslim,” she said. “Nas waited until he was a grown man and made that decision on his own.”
Today, his loved ones continue to remember the aspiring actor whose future seemed limitless. They remember his laughter, his ambition, his smile and the way he made people feel seen.
“What made him unique was his big heart,” Shanine Jackson said. “He was kind, gentle and would do anything for the people he loved.”
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