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How do we cope? Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke dead at 20 after home invasion

Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke, real name Bashar Barakah Jackson, was pronounced dead this morning at a Hollywood Hills home.

Pop Smoke, whose 2019 album “Meet the Woo” shocked the airwaves and shot him into international popularity, had not even grazed the apex of his ability.

It’s like we keep losing those on the come up or heroes that we idolize. Last year it was Nipsey, X, John Singleton, John Witherspoon, Juice Wrld, and more. And at the top of 2020, we lost a legend, Kobe Bryant.

Why does this keep happening and how do we continue to cope with the deaths of famous people we look up to? Use their legacy to push through.

Pop Smoke brought a new level of energy to not only the rap game but the music industry as a whole. His music hit new decibels and, in a way, he took his pain and turned the negative energy sourced from his environment and turned it into a positive vibe.

His lifestyle was one for the books and what we saw in Pop Smoke’s videos is how happy we wanted to be when chilling with our respective squads.

We saw him climb the ladder to success. An LA Leakers Freestyle here an Angie Martinez interview there… His energy was everywhere.

It’s important that we continue to recycle his energy and keep his spirit alive. We should all be “WOOING” to the best of our abilities. Watch his interviews, listen to his music, and research what he might’ve been working on.

 

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Still, it will be hard to deal with this one, fam.

As heartbreaking as the news of another talented artist being killed is, even more heart wrenching is the realization that Pop Smoke was only 20-years-old. He was just at the beginning of what was to be a groundbreaking and illustrious career.

Los Angeles Police told Radio 1 Newsbeat that a man was shot at his home Wednesday morning and later pronounced dead. Officers responded to a report of a robbery and got to the scene six minutes after they received the call, at 4:55 am.

It has been reported that the call to authorities came from the East Coast and that whoever made the call to the line on the East Coast, presumably Pop Smoke, had instructed them to contact the authorities.

Pop Smoke came onto the scene with his single “Welcome to the Party,” last Spring, and when we pulled up to his album release party, we knew there was something special to this young artist.

His passing comes as a shock to the rap and music industry, and his peers expressed their sadness and condolences.

 

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Damn pop….. 🙏🏾

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Damn we was just together loc 🤦🏽‍♂️ R.I.P @realpopsmoke 👼🙏🏽 life too short ! #LLWOO

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Prayers To The Fam !! We As Men Have To Do A Perfect Job Protecting Ourselves Life Is Too Short , LIVE LIFE

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The Bible tells us that jealousy is as cruel as the grave. Unbelievable. Rest In Peace, Pop.

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Without more information on Pop Smoke’s passing, we can’t help but wonder if this was a spontaneous robbery attempt by people who heard about his whereabouts in town, or whether Pop Smoke knew the men who killed him.

So far, the police have not taken any suspects into custody, but up to six people are sought in connection with the slaying, with at least one of the intruders wearing a black mask.

Pop Smoke was just starting to really hit it big, moving up the charts and just this week getting his first US top 10 albums.

It is beyond saddening to know he is gone, so quickly, and that every moment is fleeting and not promised. Rest In Peace, Pop, your impact on the game will not be forgotten.