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He released his first album, “Meet the Woo,” this past July, and in the months to follow, he collaborated with Nicki Minaj, Travis Scott, and others. His second album opened this month at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 chart.
He had moved on from his family’s duplex in a middle-class section of Brooklyn, and, at 20 years old, was living in a rented four-bedroom home owned by one of the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” with a backyard pool featuring expansive views of the Hollywood Hills.
Before dawn Wednesday, several people broke into that home, at least one holding a gun and at least one masked, according to the Los Angeles police. Someone staying there called a friend on the East Coast, who then called 911. Within minutes, the call was relayed to Los Angeles and police were at the home, but it was too late; the intruders had fled and a person inside had been fatally shot. Pop Smoke’s record label, Republic, confirmed that he was the victim.
There were no arrests Wednesday and the police said they were still investigating a motive. A number of celebrities in Los Angeles have been victims of home invasions in recent years, and fans of Pop Smoke, whose real name was Bashar Jackson, wondered whether he had unwittingly provided bait to thieves by posting photos of cash, and his address, on social media.
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Pop Smoke emerged last year as the first breakout star of Brooklyn’s growing drill rap scene with the hits “Dior” and “Welcome to the Party,” which became the ubiquitous hip-hop song of the summer. He was scheduled to go on tour in March for his second album, “Meet the Woo, Vol. 2.” Just last week, he returned from a trip to London, where he sat for a series of radio and magazine interviews.
Pop Smoke is one of several notable rappers to have died in the last couple of years. Accidental drug overdoses have claimed the lives of established rappers including Mac Miller and up-and-comers like Juice WRLD and Lil Peep. Shootings have killed Nipsey Hussle, XXXTentacion and a host of rappers well-known in their local scenes.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times .