Rapper Pop Smoke, 20, fatally shot by masked invaders at Hollywood Hills home
Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke was gunned down and killed in a home in the Hollywood Hills. Pop Smoke, whose legal name is Bashar Barakah Jackson, was a rising star in the music industry with his second mixtape Meet the Woo, V.2. landing at No. 7 on this week's Billboard Top 200 list. He was 20.
When contacted by Yahoo Entertainment Wednesday, the LAPD would not identify the victim but confirmed officers responded to an incident in the 2000 block of Hercules Drive at 4:29 a.m. Unknown suspects entered the property and masked gunmen shot the victim before fleeing the scene. The victim was transported to a Los Angeles hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Republic Records, the rapper's label, confirmed he was killed saying in a statement Wednesday.
Republic Records statement on death of Pop Smoke pic.twitter.com/GjBioTi3H8
— Anastasia (@AnastasiaElyseW) February 19, 2020
Police were alerted to the incident after someone called from the East Coast saying intruders entered their friend's home, LAPD Capt. Steve Lurie told the Los Angeles Times. The caller said that at least one suspect was wearing a black mask and was armed with a handgun.
When officers arrived, Pop Smoke was reportedly found with gunshot wounds.
The LAPD told the Los Angeles Times they detained several people inside the house, who were later released. Between two and six suspects fled the scene and have not been found.
Hours before the fatal shooting, Pop Smoke posed for an Instagram photo with a friend, who was holding stacks of money, in the driveway of the home he was renting. In another picture posted on social media of the two, the address of the home was visible.
The home Pop Smoke was renting is owned by Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Teddi Mellencamp and her husband, Edwin Arroyave. The reality star posted a statement on Instagram Wednesday that they "were informed by a 3rd party leasing and management company overseeing a rental home we own in Los Angeles that a shooting had taken place at the property."
Mellencamp added, "We aren’t aware of any of the details beyond what we’ve been told or seen reported on the news and at this time we would like to refrain from commenting further as we wish for the focus to remain on the law enforcement officers who are diligently doing their jobs."
Pop Smoke's breakthrough mixtape Meet the Woo was released last year and has amassed 280 million streams. The rapper is best known for hits "Welcome to the Party" and "Dior" and has collaborated with stars like Nicki Minaj and Travis Scott. Tributes are pouring in from across the music industry. Both Minaj and 50 Cent touched on "jealousy" in their posts.
No such thing as success with out jealousy, treachery comes from those who are close. R.i.P pic.twitter.com/OZxKtpPZog
— 50cent (@50cent) February 19, 2020
Rest Up Pop Smoke, you were too young. God Bless and comfort your family. What a crazy trajectory you were on man smh 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) February 19, 2020
Fell asleep for 3 hours, woke up & Pop Smoke dead. That’s brazy.... 20 years old, damn.
— The Game (@thegame) February 19, 2020
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