Pop Smoke Dead at 20

Rapper Pop Smoke, born Bashar Barakah Jackson, is dead at 20.

Pop Smoke’s record label, Republic Records, confirmed his death on its Twitter page.

“We are devastated by the unexpected and tragic loss of (Pop Smoke),” the label posted. “Our thoughts and prayers and thoughts go out to his family, friends and fans as we mourn this loss together.”

In a press conference that aired by numerous media outlets, Captain Steven Lurie told reporters that numerous officers responded to a home at 2033 Hercules Drive in the Hollywood Hills shortly before 5 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

Lurie said that someone from “back east” had made the 911 call and said numerous people had entered the home and one of them had a handgun. Officers found a single shooting victim inside the house. The victim was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and later pronounced dead.

Lurie did not identify Pop Smoke as the dead man during the press conference but numerous media outlets did throughout the day on Wednesday. He said that police were continuing to investigate the matter. Several people inside the home were briefly detained but later released.

NBC News reported that Jackson, who was from Brooklyn originally, released his breakout hit, “Welcome to the Party,” in April. Nicky Minaj remixed the song, which was originally a part of Jackson’s debut mixtape, “Meet the Woo.”

Minaj paid tribute to the fallen rapper on her Instagram page.

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

Rapper 50 cent also mourned the loss of Pop Smoke on Twitter.

“R.I.P to my man Pop Smoke, No sympathy for winners. God bless him,” 50 Cent wrote on one post and “No such thing as success with out jealousy, treachery comes from those who are close. R.i.P. God bless him,” in a later post.

Pop Smoke was expected to go on tour later this month, including a show at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles on March 15.