Pop Smoke Shot Dead at 20

Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke has died at the age of 20, TMZ and Rolling Stone report. According to TMZ’s source, he was shot during a home invasion at his house in Hollywood Hills. Pop Smoke was reportedly pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in West Hollywood on the morning of Wednesday, February 19. The suspects have not been caught. Pitchfork has reached out to representatives for more information.

Based in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn, Pop Smoke was often cited as a leader of the scene known as Brooklyn drill. Following the release of his 2019 breakout single “Welcome to the Party,” Pop Smoke released two mixtapes: last year’s Meet the Woo and Meet the Woo Vol. 2, which arrived this month. “Welcome to the Party” saw official remixes from both Nicki Minaj and Skepta. Pop Smoke also collaborated with Travis Scott on “GATTI” from last year’s JACKBOYS label compilation.

At 2019’s Rolling Loud Festival, Pop Smoke was among the artists removed from the lineup after the New York City Police Department sent a letter to festival organizers requesting their removal. In the letter, the NYPD attributed their request to “public safety concerns” stemming from the artists’ alleged affiliations with “recent acts of violence citywide.”