Pop Smoke: Bio, Career, Net worth, and Death

Who is Pop Smoke?

Bashar Barakah Jackson, professionally known as Pop Smoke, was an American rapper, songwriter, and singer. In late 2018, Pop Smoke first began his musical career. However, he became recognizable only after releasing the “Welcome To The Party” and “Dior” breakout singles. 

As the face of Brooklyn drill, Pop Smoke released his debut mixtape called Meet The Woo in July 2019, following his second mixtape, Meet The Woo 2, released on February 7, 2020. Pop Smoke became the rapper’s first top-10 project in the United States by becoming number seven on the Billboard 200 in 2020.

Unfortunately, On Feb. 19, 2020, the life of Brooklyn-bred rapper Pop Smoke was murdered in his home in Los Angeles, California, less than two weeks after the release of his mixtapes.

Quit Facts 

Early life and Childhood

Bashar Barakah Jackson, AKA Pop Smoke, was born on July 20, 1999, in Brooklyn, New York City, USA. He is a mix of Jamaican and Panamanian. His mother, Audrey Jackson, is Jamaican, and his father, Greg Jackson, is a Panamanian. He also has an older brother whose name is Obasi Jackson.

Growing up, Bashar Jackson attended nine different schools in Canarsie, Brooklyn. He was interested in playing African drums, and he played them in his local church when he was small. 

Unfortunately, Bashar was expelled from his school in eighth grade for bringing a gun into the school premises. After that incident, he had to spend two years on house arrest. He then tried his hands-on sports and started playing basketball. 

Later, Bashar Barakah Jackson moved to Philadelphia, PA, USA, and enrolled in Rocktop Academy. But unfortunately, he had to unwillingly leave the academy when he was diagnosed with a heart issue which is called a heart murmur. 

Career

Bashar Barakah Jackson first started rapping in 2018 when he visited a Brooklyn recording studio with Jay Gwuapo. He said in an interview that his stage name, Pop Smoke is a combination of Poppa and Smocco Guwop. Poppa is a name his grandmother gave to him, and Smocco Guwop is his nickname from his childhood friends.

He started his musical career with the release of his debut single titled “Mpr (Panic Part 3 Remix)”.

On January 28, 2019, he released his first-ever album, “Flexin.” Then, on April 23, 2019, Pop Smoke Released his breakout singles called “Welcome To The Party” and “Dior.”

In April 2019, Pop Smoke, producer Rico Beats, and record executive Steven Victor set up an interview, and Pop Smoke signed to Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records.

On July 26, 2019, Jackson released his debut mixtape, “Meet the Woo”. Additionally, Jackson released multiple singles from October to December 2019, including “War” with Lil Tjay and “100k on a Coupe” with Callboy.

On December 27, 2019, Jackson appeared on Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack Records compilation album “JackBoys” on the song “Gatti,” accompanied by a music video.  

On February 7, 2020, Pop Smoke released his second mixtape, “Meet the Woo 2”, which featured Quavo, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Fivio Foreign, and Lil Tjay.

The mixtape was a huge success, making him appear at number seven on the US Billboard 200. A deluxe edition was released after five days after its release, with three new songs, each featuring a guest appearance which included Nav, Gunna, and PnB Rock.

In July of 2020, after his untimely death, Victor Victor and Republic issued the rapper’s first Posthumous release, “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon”. The album touched on various styles with executive production from 50 Cent. 

The features ranged across the musical spectrum and topped the Billboard 200. In 2021, the two labels issued a second posthumous number-one album, Faith. It has a much wider and radio-centric approach to rap.

Pop Smoke Movie

Pop Smoke was seen in the movie “Boogie” released in 2021. He played the role of Monk. He was an antagonist in the movie.

In 2021, a documentary was made on Pop Smoke titled “TBA.” 

Awards and Nominations 

Pop Smoke’s Death

On February 19, 2020, Bashar Barakah Jackson was renting a house through Airbnb, located in Hollywood Hills, California, owned by Teddi Mellencamp and her husband, Edwin Arroyave. 

At around 4:30 in the morning, five hooded men broke into the house he was staying in. The men carried a handgun, had ski masks on, and entered the house through a second-story balcony. 

The intruders threatened to kill a woman holding a gun to the woman’s head. Soon after that, the woman heard gunshots in which Pop was shot three times after they argued.

The police arrived six minutes after the incident and found Pop Smoke with multiple gunshot wounds. He was immediately taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and doctors performed a thoracotomy on his left chest. Unfortunately, after a few hours of the surgery, he was declared dead.

Pop Smoke’s Relationship

Bashar Jackson was in a relationship with American Model, Yummy Yellow. Her real name is Alyssa Danielle. Yellow is an entrepreneur. She has her own kids boutique, famous for custom-made clothes for kids. Her business is also an affiliate of Fashion Nova. 

Yummy Yellow and Pop Smoke had a daughter together. She is an incredible single mother.

Their daughter’s name is Aaliyah, she turned 8 years old as of 2022.

Before the heartfelt demise of the rapper, no one knew about his relationship as they had kept it private. However, after the death of Pop Smoke, Yummy Yellow came on social media and showed her tribute via Instagram. 

Yummy Yellow has an estimated net worth of USD 500,000. 

Social Media

Pop Smoke had good number of followers on his social media before his death. He had around 3.8 million followers on his Instagram. 

Pop Smoke Net Worth

Smoke’s records did well before his death, increasing his worth. Pop Smoke’s net worth was around USD 5-7 million at his demise.

FAQs