Pop Smoke’s Brooklyn community honors the late rapper’s legacy through an annual celebration that keeps his memory alive and supports youth in his hometown.
Every year since his death in 2020, the community comes together to celebrate the legacy of the rising star who put drill music on the map before his life was cut short. This year’s Pop Smoke Day on July 20 brought families, friends, and elected officials to the streets where he grew up, honouring both his artistry and the work his mother continues in his name. The 20-year-old rapper was shot and killed on February 19, 2020, during a home invasion robbery at an Airbnb in the Hollywood Hills. Five masked intruders broke into the rental property, and after an altercation, one of them fired a gun three times, killing Pop Smoke over a diamond-studded Rolex watch that would later sell for just $2,000.
He’d made the mistake of posting the house address on social media the day before, essentially inviting trouble to his door. His hit single “Welcome to the Party” had already made him a household name in New York, and the city was just beginning to understand what it was losing. Since his death, Pop Smoke’s mother Audrey Jackson has transformed her grief into action through the Shooting Stars Foundation, which provides resources and opportunities for young people across Brooklyn.
The annual parade through Canarsie featured community programming and activities for families, creating a space where people could remember Pop Smoke not just as a victim of violence, but as a young man who genuinely loved his neighbourhood.