50 Cent was close to Pop Smoke, the 20-year-old rising Brooklyn rapper who was tragically murdered this morning in a home invasion.
We all woke up to the horrendous news that Pop Smoke, one of the brightest young stars in Brooklyn's blossoming drill scene, was . At just 20-years-old, we've lost yet another star who was just at the beginning of his artistic career. Just a few months ago, the hip-hop community was mourning the loss of Juice WRLD, who was 21-years-old at the time of his death, and now we're forced to speak of Pop Smoke in the past tense. It's all so heartbreaking and the rap world is reacting with great pain to his loss. People like , , Young M.A and others have and , who was close to his New York brethren, has officially issued his own response to the tragedy.
Uploading a photo of the two hanging out at a Super Bowl party just a few weeks ago, 50 Cent came to terms with the fact that he'll never get to spend time with Pop Smoke again. He made note of how, once you become successful, people are always watching your moves and jealousy is a common thing. "No such thing as success with out jealousy," said the rapper-turned-television producer. "Treachery comes from those who are close," he added, perhaps suggesting that he believes this was an inside job.
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The details surrounding Pop Smoke's murder remain unclear but some people on social media have mentioned that in a recent video uploaded to Instagram, the rising rapper forgot to blur out his address on his luggage tags. That may somewhat debunk 50 Cent's theory, given the fact that his location had allegedly been made public information, whether it was intentional or not.
In a prior post, Fif said that there is "no sympathy for winners." He also shared a tribute video with "Dior" playing in the background, which is the late rapper's most popular song. Just a few months ago, Pop Smoke made headlines when he at Power 106 Los Angeles. While their musical styles were different, it makes sense why Fiddy would have an affinity for the Brooklyn rapper. Both stars share the same hometown and they both broke out after turning the rap game on its head. Pop Smoke was a very unconventional talent, utilizing his extremely deep voice to audibly represent his gutter-like bars. As a pioneer of the recent surge in Brooklyn drill rap, the 20-year-old was just starting out and he was rightfully on track to create a long-lasting name for himself. While he will live on forever in our hearts, it's horrifying to think of what he could have accomplished in the coming years.
As further updates break out regarding the passing of Pop Smoke, we will keep you updated. For now, revisit his catalogue and , which was released just a couple of weeks ago.
Rest in peace to Pop Smoke, a young Brooklyn King.