Rapper Pop Smoke Shot and Killed in Home Invasion

According to TMZ, Brooklyn rapper was shot and killed at approximately 4:30am at a home in the Hollywood Hills. After speaking with law enforcement sources, TMZ reported that two men wearing hoodies and black masks broke into the house, firing multiple shots before fleeing on foot. Pop Smoke was shot and critically injured, later taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in West Hollywood, where he was later pronounced dead. The suspects have yet to be caught or identified, and there’s currently no known connection between Smoke and either of the shooters.

Pop Smoke was born Bashar Barakah Jackson in Brooklyn, NY on July 20th, 1999, making him 20-years-old at the time of his death. In April 2019, he released his debut single, “Welcome to the Party,” off his first mixtape “Meet the Woo.” In August 2019, the single was remixed by Nicki Minaj, who was also one of the first people to break the news of Smoke’s passing on social media. In December 2019, Smoke appeared on the single “Gatti,” by Jackboys and Travis Scott, which appeared on the album “Jackboys,” that debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200 chart.

Smoke released his second mixtape in February 2020, which featured songs with Quavo, A Boogie wit da Hoodie and PnB Rock. The mixtape is currently sitting at number seven on the Billboard Top 200.

Smoke was scheduled to go on an international tour in March and April 2020, with sold out shows in Houston, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, Birmingham, Manchester and London. He was also scheduled to perform at a number of music festivals, including, Rolling Loud Miami and Something in the Water (Virginia Beach).

We will continue to update our readers on this story as more information breaks. For now, we wish to share our condolences with the friends and family of Smoke. May he rest in peace.