Pop Smoke: The Brooklyn Drill Pioneer

Bashar Barakah Jackson, known professionally as Pop Smoke, was a rapper from Brooklyn, New York who became the defining voice of the city's drill scene. His meteoric rise was cemented by the posthumous success of his debut studio album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in 2020.

Early career

Born in 1999 in Canarsie, Brooklyn, Pop Smoke began his music career in 2018 after a stint in a Panamanian juvenile detention center inspired him to focus on rapping. He connected with UK drill producer 808Melo in 2019, a partnership that would forge his signature ominous and minimalist sound.

Breakthrough

Pop Smoke's breakthrough arrived in April 2019 with the release of his viral single Welcome to the Party. The track's explosive energy and his deep, gravelly voice made it an instant street anthem, leading to a bidding war and his eventual signing with Steven Victor's label, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group.

Key tracks

Welcome to the Party — This breakout single established the blueprint for Brooklyn drill and sparked a remix frenzy featuring Nicki Minaj and Skepta.

Dior — Arguably his most iconic song, it became a cultural phenomenon and posthumously peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Christopher Walking — This track further showcased his commanding flow and solidified his reputation for crafting menacing, club-ready hits.

For the Night (feat. Lil Baby & DaBaby) — A major single from his posthumous album that demonstrated his crossover potential, reaching the top ten of the Hot 100.

What You Know Bout Love — This melodic track highlighted his versatility and became his first solo single to chart on the Hot 100 after his passing.

His momentum continued with the mixtape Meet the Woo 2 in February 2020, which debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200. Tragically, Pop Smoke was fatally shot during a home invasion in Los Angeles just days after the mixtape's release, cutting short a career that was rapidly ascending.

Posthumous legacy

His debut studio album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, was completed posthumously and released in July 2020 to critical and commercial acclaim. Executive produced by 50 Cent, the album spent two non-consecutive weeks at number one and was certified double platinum by the RIAA, spawning several charting singles including For the Night and What You Know Bout Love. A second posthumous project, Faith, arrived in 2021 and also debuted atop the Billboard 200.

Fans of Pop Smoke's gritty, bass-heavy New York drill sound also gravitate toward artists like Fivio Foreign, a fellow Brooklyn drill rapper known for his energetic flow and viral hits. Sheff G is another key figure in the Brooklyn scene, pioneering the drill sound alongside Pop Smoke. The UK drill influence is evident in the work of Headie One, whose style helped shape the genre's transatlantic exchange. For a similar blend of melodic rap and street narratives, listeners explore Lil Tjay, a collaborator from the Bronx.

Pop Smoke's music maintains a constant presence on hip-hop and modern rap radio stations featured on this website. His distinct voice and anthemic productions are staples on urban contemporary FM stations and online rap radio streams, keeping his legacy alive for millions of listeners.

You can hear the powerful music of Pop Smoke on radio stations featured across our network. Discover and listen to his catalog of hits through the hip-hop and top 40 radio stations available on onairium.com.