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Who Is Pop Smoke? 10 Facts About The Rapper

By Michael Bamidele

19 February 2020   |   8:17 pm

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On Feb. 19, 2020, the life of Brooklyn-bred rapper Pop Smoke was cut short when he was murdered in his home in California. The rapper who came to limelight after the release of "Welcome to the Party" in 2019 was shot dead by unidentified men. Pop Smoke joins young talented rappers such as Mac Miller,…

Pop Smoke | Image: Getty Images/The Sun UK

On Feb. 19, 2020, the life of Brooklyn-bred rapper Pop Smoke was cut short when he was murdered in his home in California.

The rapper who came to limelight after the release of “Welcome to the Party” in 2019 was shot dead by unidentified men.

Pop Smoke joins young talented rappers such as Mac Miller, Lil Peep, the problematic XXXTentacion, Nipsey Hussle and Juice WRLD whose lives were cut short in the prime of their careers.

Here are some facts you should know about Pop Smoke:

1. His birth name is Bashar Barakah Jackson.

2. He was born on July 20, 1999 in Brooklyn, New York.

3. His mother is Jamaican and his father a Panamanian.

4. In a Genius interview, he stated that his artist name of Pop Smoke is a combination of Papa (a nickname given to him by his Panamanian grandmother) and Smoke Oh Guap (a nickname given to him by childhood friends).

5. In April 2019, he released his breakout single, “Welcome to the Party”, the lead single of his debut mixtape, Meet the Woo (2019). The song was later remixed, featuring Nicki Minaj and Skepta in August 2019.

6. In February 2020, Pop Smoke released his second mixtape Meet the Woo 2 with features from Quavo, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Fivio Foreign and Lil Tjay.

7. On January 17, 2020, Jackson was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on a charge of transporting a stolen vehicle, a Rolls-Royce Wraith, across state lines. The owner had reported it stolen after Jackson had reportedly borrowed it in California for a music video shoot on the condition it would be returned the next day. Jackson pleaded not guilty and was released on $250,000 bail on the same day.

8. According to the Sun UK, Pop Smoke had an estimated net worth of $700,000.

9. He was set to play at Wireless Festival in London on Friday July 3, alongside A$AP Rocky and Young Thug.

10. Smoke told The Fader in December 2019 that he had originally dreamed of a career in sports, excelling in football, baseball and basketball. Smoke said, “I thought I was gonna go to Howard, go over there and join a fraternity. It wasn’t always rapping. Who would have thought I would be a rapper?”