50 Cent and Nicki Minaj lead the tributes to rising rapper Pop Smoke, who was fatally shot during a suspected home invasion robbery in Los Angeles.
Masked gunmen reportedly broke into the up-and-coming rapper’s leased Hollywood Hills home in the early hours of Wednesday, Feb. 19. The thugs fired multiple shots, striking and critically wounding the 20 year old. No one else was injured.
LAPD has previously issued warnings to the hip-hop community about gangs stalking rapper timelines on social media.
Smoke, real name Bashar Barakah Jackson, was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
50 Cent was among the first to comment on the sad news as his death hit headlines, taking to Twitter and writing, “R.I.P to my man Pop Smoke, No sympathy for winners. God bless him”.
Nicki Minaj, who collaborated with the Brooklyn, New York native on a remix of his breakthrough hit “Welcome to the Party” last year, also mourned his loss by posting a photo on Instagram and captioning it, “The Bible tells us that jealousy is as cruel as the grave. Unbelievable. Rest In Peace, Pop.”
Atlanta rapper Ludacris posted, “Man Come On I don’t even know dude but he was just getting started in this Rap Game. I was definitely interested in seeing his Growth. Too many young lives with so much potential being taken away. This S**t has to stop R.I.P. Pop Smoke”.
Man Come On I don’t even know dude but he was just getting started in this Rap Game. I was definitely interested in seeing his Growth. Too many young lives with so much potential being taken away. This Shit has to… https://t.co/pEuGN11gF2
— Ludacris (@Ludacris) February 19, 2020
Fellow rappers Nas, Quavo, Talib Kweli, Joe Budden, and Questlove, also shared tributes, while The Game tweeted, “Fell asleep for 3 hours, woke up & Pop Smoke dead. That’s brazy…. 20 years old, damn.”
Fell asleep for 3 hours, woke up & Pop Smoke dead. That’s brazy…. 20 years old, damn.
— The Game (@thegame) February 19, 2020
Police have yet to identify the suspects, who fled the scene on foot, but reality TV star Teddi Mellencamp revealed she owns the rental property in which Smoke was killed.
In a note on Instagram, the daughter of rocker John Mellencamp admitted she and her family were stunned by the tragedy as she offered up her condolences to Smoke’s relatives, WENN.com reported.
“We would like to extend our prayers and condolences to the family and loved ones affected by this tragic loss of life,” she wrote.
