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The rapper, whose real name is Bashar Jackson, was confirmed dead by the label, Republic Records. He was 20.
“We are devastated by the unexpected and tragic loss of Pop Smoke,” the company said. “Our prayers and thoughts go out to his family, friends and fans, as we mourn this loss together.”
The Los Angeles Police Department said that officers went to a home in Hollywood Hills shortly before 5 a.m. after receiving a 911 call that multiple people had broken into the home. At least one had a gun and at least one was wearing a mask, Capt. Steve Lurie said. The call had been placed by someone “back east” who was a friend of a person inside the house, according to Lurie.
By the time officers arrived six minutes after the call, one person had been shot, and the intruders had fled, he said. The victim was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center but could not be revived. There were no arrests at the scene, and the motive was still unclear, Lurie said.
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Pop Smoke emerged last year as the first breakout star of Brooklyn’s growing drill scene with his hit “Welcome to the Party,” which became the ubiquitous hip-hop song of the summer. A gravel-voiced rapper with a barklike delivery, he quickly honed a signature approach that recalled the rougher New York rap of the 1990s.
He was scheduled to go on tour in March.
Nicki Minaj, who appeared on a remix of “Welcome to the Party,” posted a photo of the rapper to Instagram with the caption, “The Bible tells us that jealousy is as cruel as the grave. Unbelievable. Rest In Peace, Pop.”
Pop Smoke is one of several notable rappers to have died in the last couple of years. Accidental drug overdoses have claimed the lives of established rappers including Mac Miller and up-and-comers like Juice WRLD and Lil Peep. Shootings have killed Nipsey Hussle, XXXTentacion and a host of rappers well-known in their local scenes.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times .