As the hip hop community continues to mourn the tragic loss of Pop Smoke, some rappers have opted to immortalize the late rapper with new music. Lil Tjay, Joey Bada$$ and more remembered the beloved Brooklynite with singles, freestyles and performances this week.
“Forever Pop,” which was released on Friday morning (Feb. 20), finds Lil Tjay in disbelief by his former collaborator’s untimely passing.
“Can’t believe this sh*t, can’t believe this sh*t is true/ Took you out your glory, who would’ve wanted to see you lose?/ Woke up in the morning, seen my ni**a on the news/ And I’m still like damn, tryna put together screws,” he solemnly spits.
The promising upstarts last worked together on Pop’s Meet The Woo 2 track, “Mannequin.”
Joey Bada$$, a fellow Brooklyn-native, paid tribute to Pop in a freestyle uploaded to Instagram on Thursday (Feb. 20).
“God blessed the kid with many talents, he was chosen/ That’s why you see him living in the moment every second, gotta own it/ ‘Cause you never know what could be your last,” he raps. “Where I’m from, stories never end with no happily ever afters / Just broken families, forced to start new chapters.”
“A lil something I wrote in light of all the fu*ked up sh*t goin on rn. I need hip hop to have a hug,” he captioned the clip, adding that he plans to record and release the freestyle as a single.
Hundreds of fans reportedly gathered in Brooklyn on Wednesday night (Feb. 19) to listen and dance to Pop’s music in what turned into an impromptu vigil. Roddy Ricch also performed the rising star’s breakout hit “Welcome to the Party” at a Manhattan show this week.
According to Billboard, investigators believe Pop’s home invasion was likely not a robbery. On Thursday (Feb. 20), Los Angeles Police Department Capt. Jonathan Tippet told the outlet that authorities haven’t ruled out a burglary, but are currently investigating other possible motives.
On Wednesday morning (Feb. 19), someone in Pop’s house reportedly called 911 to report armed intruders inside the home. The intruders, who have been described by authorities as four men wearing masks and hoodies, fired shots inside the home. Pop was critically injured and was tragically pronounced dead at a local hospital later that morning.
Police have not yet announced any arrests or named any suspects. We continue to offer our deepest condolences to Pop’s friends, family and fans and will continue to update you on the ongoing investigation.