News broke yesterday morning about Pop Smoke, one of the pioneers of the modern wave of Brooklyn drill rap, who was shot and killed in the Hollywood Hills. The exact circumstances of his death remain unclear but, in recent updates, it's been suggested that this could have been a gang-related incident. It is also being treated more as a targeted hit than as a random home invasion. After mourning the losses of Nipsey Hussle, Juice WRLD, and more in the last year, the hip-hop community is having a tough time accepting the fact that Pop Smoke is gone, and the city of New York is understandably taking it the hardest. The Breakfast Club radio show, which is based in the Big Apple, was live on-air when reports started coming in about the tragic passing of the rising rapper and they have now shared the isolated moment when they found out what happened.
The tone of DJ Envy's voice was sombre when he did his usual introduction to the show, swinging things right to Angela Yee who had some truly unfortunate news to report. "This is breaking news. According to TMZ, Pop Smoke was just shot and killed," said Yee, carefully reading through the documents before sending her condolences to the family of the late star.
Just a week before his murder, Pop Smoke had debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 with his new album Meet The Woo 2. The Brooklynite was on pace to become one of the breakout stars of the year and it's honestly heartbreaking to consider how short his life ended up being.
Rest in peace, Pop.