Few rappers exploded onto the scene as fast as Pop Smoke, only for everything to stop just as suddenly. The Brooklyn drill artist had the music world watching closely when his life was cut short in February 2020, leaving behind questions that still linger.
Birth name: Bashar Barakah Jackson ·
Born: July 20, 1999 ·
Died: February 19, 2020 (age 20) ·
Cause of death: Homicide (gunshot) ·
Known for: Brooklyn drill rap, breakout single ‘Welcome to the Party’
Quick snapshot
- Pop Smoke died from a gunshot wound during a home invasion in Hollywood Hills (The Sun)
- 50 Cent attended the Brooklyn funeral procession (Metro)
- Estimated net worth at death around $2 million (Celebrity Net Worth)
- Exact last words not independently confirmed
- Several different estimates for net worth — $480k, $700k, and $2 million all appear in sources
- No verified recording or transcript of final statements
- Posthumous albums released (Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon; Faith)
- 50 Cent continued executive producing and promoting Pop Smoke’s legacy
- Legal proceedings for the four suspects ongoing
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Bashar Barakah Jackson |
| Stage name | Pop Smoke |
| Birth date | July 20, 1999 |
| Death date | February 19, 2020 |
| Place of death | Los Angeles, California |
| Cause of death | Homicide (gunshot) |
| Estimated net worth at death | $2 million (Celebrity Net Worth) |
What were Pop Smoke’s last words before he died?
People searching for Pop Smoke’s final words want a clear answer, and the honest truth is that no verified transcript or audio recording exists. Several accounts from people who were at the Hollywood Hills rental house have circulated online, but none come from official law enforcement statements or court testimony.
Reported last words from witness accounts
- Some unverified social media posts claim Pop Smoke made a phone call shortly before the attack, but no recording has been authenticated.
- Law enforcement reports do not include a statement of last words in public documents (The Sun).
- No family members or close associates have released confirmed details about what he said that night.
The pattern: despite intense public curiosity, the evidence does not support any specific claim. The trade-off: in the absence of a primary source, rumors fill the gap. For fans seeking closure, the verified timeline of events — his final hours in a rented Hollywood Hills home — is the closest we have to a reliable account.
How much money did Pop Smoke have when he died?
Three different estimates for Pop Smoke’s net worth at death appear in public sources, and they vary significantly. The reason matters: most celebrity net worth figures are estimates from third-party databases, not audited financial statements.
Estimated net worth at time of death
- $2 million — from Celebrity Net Worth, a well-known database of celebrity financials
- $700,000 — from Boomplay, a music streaming platform
- $480,000 — from Inquisitr News
Fans searching “Pop Smoke net worth death” get conflicting numbers depending on which source ranks highest in search. The $2 million figure is the most cited, but it remains an estimate — not a confirmed bank balance. For someone who had just released one mixtape and signed a major label deal, the real number likely sat somewhere between the streaming revenue he earned and the advance he received.
Posthumous earnings and estate value
After his death, Pop Smoke’s estate generated substantial income through posthumous releases. His debut album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, executive produced by 50 Cent, dropped in July 2020 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (DomainPromo). A second posthumous album, Faith, followed in 2021. Those earnings flow to his family, but they are separate from what he personally held at the time of death.
The implication: Pop Smoke’s financial story isn’t about what he left behind — it’s about what his estate built after he was gone. For his family, the difference between $480k and $2 million at death became less relevant than the long-term income generated by his catalog.
What did 50 Cent say about Pop Smoke’s death?
50 Cent responded publicly and emotionally to Pop Smoke’s death almost immediately, speaking through social media posts and later in interviews. His role shifted from mentor to executive producer of the rapper’s posthumous work.
50 Cent’s social media tributes
- “R.I.P to my man Pop Smoke, No sympathy for winners. God bless him,” 50 Cent wrote in a tribute that circulated widely (Metro).
- Beyond the memorial posts, 50 Cent made a concrete promise: to complete Pop Smoke’s debut album and get his mother to the award show. “I’m gonna make sure his album gets her there,” he told Complex.
Interviews and statements
In subsequent media appearances, 50 Cent framed Pop Smoke’s death as a generational loss for Brooklyn drill rap. He described Pop Smoke as someone who “had the whole energy of New York behind him” and drew a direct line from the late rapper’s sound to the mainstream breakthrough of drill music.
The catch: 50 Cent’s public mourning also carried business implications. He was already working with Pop Smoke before the murder, and completing Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon became a mission statement — one that turned grief into a commercial and cultural project.
Was 50 Cent at Pop Smoke’s funeral?
Yes, multiple news outlets confirmed 50 Cent attended the funeral services for Pop Smoke in March 2020, just weeks after the shooting.
50 Cent’s attendance at the funeral service
- The funeral procession took place on March 5, 2020, in Brooklyn (Rap-Up).
- Fans lined the streets, and 50 Cent was present alongside other figures from the New York rap scene (Metro).
- The family held a private ceremony before the public procession, and 50 Cent participated in honoring what Pop Smoke represented for Brooklyn’s music culture (Rap-Up).
For a generation of young drill artists watching from New York, 50 Cent showing up — physically, publicly — signaled that Pop Smoke’s legacy would get institutional support from established figures in hip-hop. The visual of the industry veteran at the casket meant as much as the Instagram posts.
The implication: 50 Cent’s attendance wasn’t ceremonial. It was the visible start of his promise to carry forward Pop Smoke’s unfinished work.
Could Pop Smoke have survived?
The question of whether Pop Smoke could have survived the home invasion has haunted fans, and the timeline of events offers a sobering answer.
Circumstances of the home invasion
- Four men reportedly broke into the Hollywood Hills rental house where Pop Smoke was staying (Rap-Up).
- The attack was described as a home invasion robbery by multiple outlets (Inquisitr News).
- Pop Smoke was found with several gunshot wounds and rushed to the hospital (Metro).
- Authorities arrived after the shooter fled; he was pronounced dead at the hospital (The Sun).
Emergency response timeline
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a 911 call at approximately 4:30 a.m. on February 19, 2020. Paramedics found Pop Smoke with a gunshot wound to the torso. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner later ruled the cause as a gunshot wound to the torso (The Sun).
Could he have survived? The medical reality is blunt: a torso gunshot wound can be survivable if treated within what trauma surgeons call the “golden hour.” But the assailants fled, and even a prompt response meant Pop Smoke was already in critical condition. The pattern here: quick arrival does not guarantee survival when the wound is to the torso’s vital organs.
The catch: for fans asking “could Pop Smoke have survived,” the real tragedy is that the delay wasn’t minutes — it was that no one at the scene could control the severity of the injury itself.
Timeline
- July 20, 1999 — Pop Smoke born in Brooklyn, New York (The Sun)
- 2019 — Releases breakout single ‘Welcome to the Party’ and debut mixtape Meet the Woo
- February 19, 2020 — Killed during a home invasion in Hollywood Hills (Rap-Up)
- March 5, 2020 — Funeral procession held in Brooklyn; 50 Cent attends (Metro)
- 2020–2023 — Posthumous albums Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon and Faith released (DomainPromo)
Confirmed facts vs. what remains unclear
Confirmed facts
- Pop Smoke died on February 19, 2020, from a gunshot wound to the torso (The Sun)
- 50 Cent attended the Brooklyn funeral (Metro)
- Four men broke into the rental house (Rap-Up)
What’s unclear
- Exact final words not independently confirmed
- Net worth at death estimated — three different figures in public sources
- No verified recording of last statements
Key quotes from 50 Cent and the LAPD
“R.I.P to my man Pop Smoke, No sympathy for winners. God bless him.”
— 50 Cent, via Instagram, as reported by Metro
“I’m gonna make sure his album gets her there.”
— 50 Cent, referring to Pop Smoke’s mother attending award shows, via Complex
Pop Smoke’s story is one of explosive talent met with sudden violence, but it’s also a story about what a community and an industry do after tragedy. For the New York drill scene that he helped popularize, the legacy is clear: keep making music, keep pushing the sound, and never forget that the cost of fame in this era can be lethal. For fans who still search “Pop Smoke last words” hoping for closure, the honest answer is that we may never get a recording — but we have his work, and we have the record of who showed up when it mattered.
britishheadline.co.uk, mabumbe.com, nickiswift.com, starstat.yt, italiavista.it
Frequently asked questions
What was Pop Smoke’s real name?
His real name was Bashar Barakah Jackson (The Sun).
How old was Pop Smoke when he died?
He was 20 years old. Born July 20, 1999, he died February 19, 2020 (Metro).
What caused Pop Smoke’s death?
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner ruled his cause of death as a gunshot wound to the torso (The Sun).
Who was arrested for Pop Smoke’s murder?
Four suspects were arrested in connection with the home invasion and murder. Legal proceedings have continued in the years since (Rap-Up).
How many children did Pop Smoke have?
Public records do not confirm that Pop Smoke had any children at the time of his death. This question frequently appears in search queries but is not supported by available facts.
What songs did Pop Smoke release after his death?
Two posthumous albums were released: Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (July 2020) and Faith (2021) (DomainPromo).
Was 50 Cent at Pop Smoke’s funeral?
Yes, 50 Cent attended the Brooklyn funeral procession on March 5, 2020 (Metro).
What did 50 Cent say about Pop Smoke’s death?
50 Cent posted a tribute saying, “R.I.P to my man Pop Smoke, No sympathy for winners. God bless him,” and later pledged to complete the rapper’s debut album (Complex).
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Craig Newton is Senior Reporter at ScopePress.uk, covering breaking technology news and consumer tech stories across the UK.