Pop Smoke

Canarsie

Bashar Barakah Jackson was born on July 20, 1999, in Brooklyn to a Jamaican mother and a Panamanian father. He grew up in Canarsie, in the borough's southeast, attending several schools, and played drums in his local church as a child. He began rapping after a 2018 visit to a Brooklyn recording studio with Jay Gwuapo, and later that year recorded over a beat he found on UK producer 808Melo's YouTube channel. In April 2019, after producer Rico Beats introduced him to executive Steven Victor, he signed with Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records.

Brooklyn Drill

Pop Smoke rose to fame with the 2019 singles "Welcome to the Party" and "Dior." Working frequently with UK drill producers, especially 808Melo, he helped establish Brooklyn drill as a distinct regional sound, built on sparse, aggressive instrumentation and his deep, rasping voice. Remixes of "Welcome to the Party" featured Nicki Minaj and British rapper Skepta. Both singles appeared on his debut mixtape, Meet the Woo, released in July 2019. The follow-up, Meet the Woo 2, came out on February 7, 2020, and debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200.

Death

On February 19, 2020, less than two weeks after Meet the Woo 2 was released, Jackson was shot and killed during a home invasion at a house in the Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles. He was 20 years old.

Posthumous Releases

His debut studio album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, was released posthumously on July 3, 2020, and reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It included "Mood Swings," featuring fellow New York rapper Lil Tjay, and "What You Know Bout Love." A second posthumous album, Faith, was released on July 16, 2021, and also debuted at No. 1. His brief career, active from 2018 to 2020, made Canarsie and the wider Brooklyn drill scene a focal point for New York rap at the end of the 2010s. "Dior" became his first posthumous solo hit, peaking at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, and earned a 2021 Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance. His recordings with 808Melo and other UK producers are also frequently cited as a link between the London and New York drill scenes.