Pop Smoke

Biography

Bashar Barakah Jackson, known professionally as Pop Smoke, was an American rapper born in Brooklyn, New York on July 20, 1999. Raised in the Canarsie neighborhood, his mother is of Jamaican descent and his father is Panamanian. Jackson attended nine different schools growing up. He was expelled from the eighth grade for bringing a gun to school and subsequently spent two years on house arrest. Before his music career, he had a passion for basketball and received a scholarship to Rocktop Academy in Philadelphia, but had to leave after being diagnosed with a heart murmur.

Musical Career

Pop Smoke began his music career in 2018, initially by remixing songs within the Brooklyn drill scene. His stage name was a combination of "Poppa," a name from his grandmother, and "Smocco Guwop," a childhood nickname. He rose to prominence with his breakout singles "Welcome to the Party" and "Dior" in 2019. He was a leading figure in the Brooklyn drill movement, which was heavily influenced by the UK drill scene, often collaborating with British producers like 808Melo. In April 2019, he signed a record deal with Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records. He released his debut mixtape, "Meet the Woo," in July 2019. His second mixtape, "Meet the Woo 2," was released on February 7, 2020, and debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 chart.

Death and Legacy

On February 19, 2020, just twelve days after his second mixtape's release, Pop Smoke was murdered during a home invasion in the Hollywood Hills, California. He was 20 years old. His posthumous debut studio album, "Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon," was executive produced by 50 Cent and released on July 3, 2020. The album was a massive commercial success, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200, with all 19 of its tracks charting on the Billboard Hot 100. A second posthumous album, "Faith," was released in 2021 and also debuted at number one, making him the first artist to have their first two posthumous albums top the charts. Pop Smoke is remembered for his unique gravelly voice, his fusion of UK and New York drill sounds, and his significant impact on popularizing the Brooklyn drill scene worldwide.