Pop Smoke: The Deep Voice, Biography, and Unanswered Questions

Few voices in hip-hop stop you in your tracks the way Pop Smoke’s did. Born Bashar Barakah Jackson in Brooklyn, he reshaped the sound of drill music before his life was cut short at age 20.

Born: July 20, 1999 · Died: February 19, 2020 · Age at death: 20 · Breakout single: Welcome to the Party · Posthumous album: Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon

Seven key details, one pattern: Pop Smoke’s story is defined by a meteoric rise and a brutal, unresolved ending.

The table below captures the essential biographical data.

Why is Pop Smoke’s voice so deep?

What causes a deep voice?

• A naturally deep voice is typically due to thicker, longer vocal cords (Wikipedia (voice physiology)).
• Pop Smoke’s voice was notably deep and gravelly, a defining trait of his delivery (IMDb).

How did Pop Smoke’s voice become his signature?

Pop Smoke’s vocal quality set him apart from other drill artists. His deep, booming tone commanded attention and became instantly recognizable. There is no medical documentation explaining why his voice was so low; it appears to be a natural trait (Wikipedia).

Which rapper is LGBTQ?

List of openly LGBTQ rappers

• Lil Nas X (openly gay) (Wikipedia)
• Frank Ocean (bisexual) (Wikipedia)
• Tyler, The Creator (has alluded to same-sex attraction) (Wikipedia)

How has the rap community responded?

LGBTQ rappers have faced both support and backlash. Lil Nas X’s success shows growing acceptance, but homophobic taunts remain common in hip-hop circles. Pop Smoke himself did not publicly address LGBTQ issues, but his collaborations with diverse artists reflect the genre’s evolving landscape (Los Angeles Times).

Which rapper got 15 kids?

Rappers known for large families

• Snoop Dogg has four children (Wikipedia)
• E-40 has three children (Wikipedia)
• Nick Cannon has 12 children (Wikipedia)

Is the claim of 15 children verified?

No widely known rapper has publicly claimed to have 15 biological children. The claim appears to be an internet rumor, possibly conflating Nick Cannon’s 12 with an exaggerated figure. Pop Smoke had no known children (Wikipedia).

Who was Pop Smoke?

Early life

• Born Bashar Barakah Jackson on July 20, 1999, in Canarsie, Brooklyn (Wikipedia)
• Grew up in a middle‑class family; attended local schools (Los Angeles Times)

Rise to fame

• Began music in 2018 with “MPR (Panic Part 3 Remix)” (Hip Hop Scriptures)
• Breakout single “Welcome to the Party” (2019) (Wikipedia)
• Debut mixtape Meet the Woo (July 2019) (Wikipedia)
• Second mixtape Meet the Woo 2 (Feb 2020) debuted at #7 on Billboard 200 (Wikipedia)

Pop Smoke’s rapid ascent positioned him as the leading voice of Brooklyn drill — a subgenre he helped define (Los Angeles Times).

How did Pop Smoke die?

Details of the shooting

• Killed during a home invasion in Los Angeles on February 19, 2020 (Wikipedia)
• Los Angeles police treated the death as likely gang‑related (Los Angeles Times)
• It was reported he may have inadvertently posted the home’s address on social media (Los Angeles Times)

Aftermath

• Posthumous album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon released July 2020 (Wikipedia)
• Album debuted at #1 on Billboard 200, all 19 tracks entered Hot 100 (Wikipedia)
• Murder remains unsolved; no arrests have been made (Los Angeles Times)

“Pop Smoke helped found a distinctly Brooklyn variant of drill music.”

— Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles Times)

Pop Smoke began his musical career in late 2018 with the debut single ‘MPR (Panic Part 3 Remix)’.

— Hip Hop Scriptures (Hip Hop Scriptures)

Frequently asked questions

For fans and the wider hip-hop community, Pop Smoke’s story is a cautionary tale about talent and vulnerability. His music lives on through billions of streams, but the justice he deserves has not come. The drill scene he helped build now carries both his sound and his unresolved tragedy.