Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke killed in home invasion

At the tender age of 20, with a promising musical career that was just getting started, rapper Pop Smoke was shot and killed on February 19th in what is being reported as a home invasion. Born Bashar Barakah Jackson, Smoke was staying in a home owned by “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Teddi Mellencamp, John Mellencamp’s daughter, and her husband, Edwin Arroyave near Laurel Canyon and Hollywood Boulevards. The home is listed as an Airbnb destination.

Shot multiple times, Smoke was taken to Cedars Sinai Hospital where he succumbed to his fatal injuries. Witnesses reported seeing up to six suspects enter the home while wearing ski masks and subsequently leaving. Law enforcement confirms two masked men robbed him after breaking into the home.

Many celebrities, including Nicki Minaj, Chance the Rapper, and British rapper Chip, have taken to social media to express their shock and offer condolences to Smoke’s family. “Only 20” was one of Twitter’s trending topics on Wednesday.

‘Welcome to the Party’, Smoke’s single that was released in the Summer of 2019, has more than 23 million YouTube views. Smoke was slated to begin his “Meet the Woo Tour” in only a few weeks with an appearance at Miami’s Rolling Loud hip-hop festival.