Bashar Barakah Jackson (born July 20, 1999 – died February 19, 2020) was born in New York City, United States. He is an American rapper and actor. He is professionally known as Pop Smoke. He burst onto the music scene in late 2018 with his debut single "MPR (Panic Part 3 Remix)" and quickly gained recognition with his breakout hits "Welcome to the Party" and "Dior" in 2019.
Pop Smoke's unique style was heavily influenced by UK drill artists and producers, who incorporated aggressive instrumentation that differentiated his sound from American drill artists from Chicago, effectively reintroducing the genre as Brooklyn drill.
Record producer Rico Beats introduced Pop Smoke to Steven Victor in April 2019, who eventually signed him to Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records. Pop Smoke's debut mixtape, Meet the Woo, was released in July 2019, and his second mixtape, Meet the Woo 2, dropped in February 2020, debuting at number seven on the Billboard 200, marking the rapper's first top-10 project in the United States.
Unfortunately, just 12 days after the release of Meet the Woo 2, Pop Smoke was murdered during a home invasion in Los Angeles on February 19, 2020. Despite his untimely death, his legacy lived on with the posthumous release of his debut studio album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, on July 3, 2020, which was executive produced by New York rapper 50 Cent. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and all 19 tracks from the album charted on the Billboard Hot 100. The album also spawned several international top-10 singles, including "For the Night" featuring DaBaby and Lil Baby, and "What You Know Bout Love".
A year later, in July 2021, Republic Records released Pop Smoke's second studio album, Faith, which featured collaborations with various artists, including Kanye West, Pusha T, and Pharrell Williams. The album received positive reviews and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, cementing Pop Smoke's status as a rising star in the music industry. Despite his short career, Pop Smoke's impact on the music industry and his unique style continue to inspire new artists and fans alike.
