Rapper Pop Smoke, 20, Reportedly Murdered in Alleged Home Invasion
Rapper Pop Smoke was reportedly shot and killed in his home in an alleged home invasion during the early hours of Wednesday morning. He was 20 years old.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed with PEOPLE that they responded to a call that came in at 4:29 a.m. local time on the 2000 block of Hercules Drive where they say an unknown number of masked suspects entered a residence and shot a black male in his 20s.
Authorities tell PEOPLE the victim was transported to a local hospital by the Los Angeles Fire Department where he was pronounced dead.
TMZ was the first to report the news, reporting that Pop Smoke was taken to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in West Hollywood.
A representative for Pop Smoke did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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Pop Smoke — born Bashar Barakah Jackson — hails from Brooklyn, New York, and initially rose to fame in July 2019 after he released his first EP, Meet the Woo.
His track “Welcome to the Party” became a hit single that summer. The song was famously remixed by Nicki Minaj.
The up-and-coming artist later went on to collaborate with Travis Scott on the song “Gatti” in December.
Earlier this month, Pop Smoke released his second mixtape, titled Meet the Woo V.2, which has received raving reviews in its first week. It secured him his first top 10 placement on the Billboard charts.
In January, the young rapper was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and charged with stealing a black 2019 Rolls-Royce that he had borrowed for a music video in California, The New York Times reported.
Investigators alleged that Pop Smoke transported the Rolls-Royce to New York City on the back of a flatbed truck, later posting a since-deleted photo of himself and the stolen car on Instagram.
Pop Smoke denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to charges of interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, according to the outlet.
The Los Angeles Police Department will be holding a press conference at 7:30 a.m. local time with more information regarding the murder and home invasion.
This is a developing story.
