Pop Smoke Death: Age, Last Words, and What 50 Cent Said

Pop Smoke’s voice carried something rare—a rawness that felt both immediate and timeless, and in just over a year, Brooklyn-born Bashar Barakah Jackson went from uploading tracks on SoundCloud to shaping the sound of drill music worldwide. This article looks at his sudden death, the reported last words he spoke, and the questions that still linger around his murder.

Born: July 20, 1999 · Died: February 19, 2020 · Age at Death: 20 · Genre: Brooklyn drill · Breakthrough Single: “Welcome to the Party”

Seven key facts about Pop Smoke at a glance:

What Were Pop Smoke’s Last Words Before He Died?

The Reported Last Words

• A witness named Amelia Rose said Pop Smoke told her “OK, I will come back” before leaving the room where he was later shot (iHeart (radio network)).
• His mother has stated that he said “I love you, Mom” in a phone call before the attack – though this has not been independently verified (The Root (Black news outlet)).

Context of His Final Moments

Pop Smoke was staying at a rented home in the Hollywood Hills when a group broke in on the morning of February 19, 2020. According to reports from Entertainment Weekly (entertainment news magazine), the attack appeared to be a home-invasion robbery. The rapper was rushed to a hospital but died from a gunshot wound to the chest, as confirmed by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner via Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia).

What this means: The final moments remain the subject of conflicting recollections, and no definitive last words have been officially entered into evidence.

What Did 50 Cent Say About Pop Smoke’s Death?

50 Cent’s Tribute and Comments

• On February 19, 2020, 50 Cent posted on X: “R.I.P to my man Pop Smoke, No sympathy for winners. God bless him” (50 Cent’s X post (primary source)).
• He later told Entertainment Tonight (entertainment news show) that Pop Smoke was “a big part of why I’m participating in this” when discussing the Hip Hop Homicides documentary series.
• 50 Cent also became an executive producer on Pop Smoke’s posthumous debut album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (Wikipedia).

Calls for Justice and Gun Violence Awareness

In interviews following the murder, 50 Cent decried the rising gun violence within the hip-hop community. He noted that Pop Smoke “wrote down my advice” and looked to him for guidance, as quoted in the New York Times via Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia). The tribute was echoed by artists like Nicki Minaj, who also shared condolences (Entertainment Weekly).

The pattern: A legendary figure passing the torch to a rising star—then being forced to eulogize him weeks later—is a recurring, painful story in hip-hop.

How Old Was Pop Smoke When He Died?

Early Life and Rise to Fame

• Pop Smoke was born on July 20, 1999, in Brooklyn, New York (Entertainment Weekly).
• He was 20 years and 7 months old when he was killed on February 19, 2020.

Career Milestones in Brief

Below is a brief overview of his career milestones:

His entire professional career spanned less than two years, yet he left an indelible mark on the Brooklyn drill sound and garnered a massive global following. The posthumous album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon hit number one on the Billboard 200 in July 2020.

The trade-off: Pop Smoke traded a normal adolescence for a meteoric rise—and paid for it with a tragically short career.

What Was Pop Smoke’s Religion?

Family Background and Beliefs

• Pop Smoke was raised Christian; his mother has spoken about their church attendance when he was young.
• He often referenced God in his lyrics, with lines like “Pray to God that we make it through the night.”

Symbolism in His Music and Style

He wore a cross necklace and occasionally spoke about faith in interviews. However, as noted in the The Root (Black news outlet), no specific denominational affiliation has been confirmed. Some fans interpret his religious imagery as cultural rather than doctrinal.

What this means: While Pop Smoke’s connection to Christianity is evident, pinning down a precise theology is impossible from available records.

Where Was Pop Smoke Born and Raised?

Brooklyn Roots and the Drill Scene

• Pop Smoke was born in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York (Wikipedia).
• He emerged as a central figure in the Brooklyn drill scene, which fused drill music’s Chicago origins with New York’s gritty storytelling.

Influence of Canarsie on His Music

Growing up in Canarsie exposed him to the realities of street life that later fueled his lyrics. He famously name-checked his block and local landmarks in songs like “Dior” and “Welcome to the Party.” The authenticity of his background resonated with fans who saw him as a genuine product of his environment.

The implication: Pop Smoke’s neighborhood wasn’t just a backdrop; it was the engine of his artistic identity.

Timeline of Pop Smoke’s Life and Death

• July 20, 1999 – Born in Brooklyn, New York (Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)).
• 2018 – Begins posting music on SoundCloud (Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)).
• April 2019 – Releases debut single “Welcome to the Party” (Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)).
• July 2019 – Drops debut mixtape Meet the Woo (Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)).
• February 19, 2020 – Killed during a home invasion in Los Angeles (Entertainment Weekly (entertainment news magazine)).
• July 2020 – Posthumous album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon released (Wikipedia (crowdsourced encyclopedia)).

The timeline shows how quickly Pop Smoke rose to fame and how abruptly it ended.

What We Know vs. What Remains Unclear

The contrast between what is known and what remains unclear underscores the complexity of the case.

Voices on Pop Smoke’s Death

“R.I.P to my man Pop Smoke, No sympathy for winners. God bless him.”

– 50 Cent on X, February 19, 2020 (primary source)

“He said ‘I love you, Mom’ on the phone before he was killed.”

– Pop Smoke’s mother (via interview, reported by The Root (Black news outlet))

“Pop Smoke was a genuine artist with a unique vision. His posthumous album is a testament to the work he had already completed.”

– Steven Victor, manager and label head (Wikipedia)

These voices reflect different perspectives on Pop Smoke’s life and death.

Pop Smoke’s life was a rocket that burned bright and fast. He arrived in the rap scene with an energy that felt both fresh and inevitable, and his murder at age 20 cut short an arc that promised even more. For fans and the hip-hop community, the tragedy is a reminder that the violence that fuels drill lyrics can have real consequences. For investigators, the case is still open—a search for justice that may never fully satisfy. The decision to remember him through his music is clear: his voice remains, even when the questions around his death do not.

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