Pop Smoke
(Photo : Pinterest)

Rapper Pop Smoke died at the age of 20 years old and was believed to have been murdered by unknown persons in a home invasion, Remezcla reports.

The rising star Pop Smoke whose real name is Bashar Jackson, was born in Brooklyn but has deep Latino roots. He is the son of Jamaican and Panamanian parents. His pseudonym Pop Smoke is also influenced by Latino culture. Pop means "Papa" which his grandmother used to call him and Smoke comes from "Smoke Oh Guap" which his friends used to call him.

Pop Smoke is best remembered for his hit "Welcome to the Party" which he released in April last year. It was later remixed by Nicky Minaj and was originally part of Pop Smoke's debut mixtape, "Meet the Woo." Jackson is one of the rising stars not only in the Latino community but also in the music industry overall. He has released a collab-filled follow up early this year in "Meet the Woo Volume 2." However, the stardom that everyone expects him to have is now cut short.

Law enforcement said that his death could be homicide or murder. It is still not clear until now the motivation of the crime. They cannot determine if Jackson was the target of the crime or was just a crime of opportunity.

Capt. Steven Lurie, of the Los Angeles police, told reporters that there were two to six people who invaded the house and at least one of them was wearing a mask in the Hollywood Hills home on Hercules drive where Pop Smoke was. 

The incident was tracked after a person from the East Coast called the police around 4:45 a.m. and told them that one of their friends who were inside the house called and told them that multiple persons broke into the house and one of them wore a mask and the other one had a handgun.

Moreover, Capt. Lurie said that one person in the house was fatally shot and was taken immediately to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where the man was later on declared dead. Police detained several people inside the house who were released later. There were no arrests made yet because they could not establish the motivation of the crime. Meanwhile, detectives said on Wednesday that they already did an investigation and interviewed the witnesses.

It also not clear as to who owns the house and whether was the invasion intended or not. However, based on the Public Property Record that the property is somehow connected to the daughter of musician John Mellencamp, Teddi Mellencamp- star of the "Real Housewives of the Beverly Hills."

Teddi Mellencamp immediately posted in her Instagram account confirming the shooting incident that took place in her rental property. She wrote: "Early this am we were informed by a 3rd party leasing and management company overseeing a rental home we own in Los Angeles that a shooting had taken place at the property. Foremost, we would like to extend our prayers and condolences to the family and loved ones affected by this tragic loss of life."

In a report from NBC News, New York Police said that Pop Smoke had a criminal record way back in 2017 and that includes his eight arrests. Law enforcement said that Pop Smoke has been a gang member based on court documents but it is not clear what role he had in the group. Police authorities also have the assumption if his connection with the gang has something to do with the crime. 

In the developing investigation, it was also found out that just in January Pop Smoke was accused of stealing a Rolls Royce across the state-line. The owner of the car and Pop Smoke later on, agreed that the rapper can use the car in his music video in exchange for the owner will get special treatment during Pop Smoke's concert. His other arrests in 2018 include allegations of shoplifting, possession of firearms, and drug-related offenses.

Police authorities are now seeing all angles that will help them solve the crime by looking into also the offenses committed by Pop Smoke in the past that may have a connection in his death. A news outlet tried to reach out to the lawyer of Pop Smoke but did not give any comments yet.