It is clear through lyrics like this, that he would have done whatever it took to get to the top even as young as he was. He states that if he sees members of opposing gangs then he’ll have his gang shoot at their car. “I be in New York with the gangsters…Know a n*gga that’ll shoot you for a ‘Tander…If my opps is chillin’ in the foreign…Then my n*ggas shootin’ up the Phantom,” says Pop in a track called “Gangsters”. Pop Smoke was clearly young and ambitious. What truly makes this album stand out was the feeling that it evokes in the listener. We have seen Pop’s music become the soundtrack of the moment, unifying the masses…Given recent events, we have decided to delay the release of his album out of respect for the movement,” said Pop’s manager in an Instagram Post on June 10. We have been watching, along with the rest of the world, as long overdue change starts to take root. This track was released on Friday, June 12th before the release of the rest of the album. It was also important to black New Yorkers and non-New Yorkers alike who identified with his music and used it to get through the Black Lives Matter protests going on everywhere. Pop Smoke skillfully switches from rap hits like “Gangstas” to more melodic and romantic songs like “Diana” and “Enjoy Yourself.” The latter songs are especially interesting because they are “gangster” love songs that emulate what 50 Cent did in the early 2000s.Ī tribute to who he was and where he came from, “Make It Rain” paid homage to Pop’s roots as a New Yorker as it featured rapper Rowdy Rebel, who is also from Brooklyn. The album also showcases both rapping and singing, which not many artists do. In this song which was named after the handgun, he makes references to New York nightlife, luxury brands, and Riker’s Island. He was very New York and that was shown via his sound and the lyrics of his songs. Most well-known for his deep and gravelly voice, Shoot for the Stars featured songs like “44 BullDog” where he utilizes a menacing tone that his fans loved from previous albums. People were and still are creating, hundreds of thousands of videos using Pop Smoke’s music in the background. “What You Know Bout Love”, “Something Special”, and “Mood Swings” were just a few of the songs that became overwhelmingly popular among Tik Tok users. The album debuted at number one not just in the United States Billboard 200, becoming the first hip hop artist in history to have a number one posthumous debut album, but was number one in several other countries as well. On July 3, his label, Republic Records, released his posthumous album: Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon with features from major artists such as Quavo, 50 Cent, DaBaby, Swae Lee, Lil Baby and more. Pop Smoke was a rising star from Brooklyn, New York, and was killed only 12 days before the release of his newest mixtape. In February, 20-year-old rap artist Bashar Barakah Jackson, more famously known as Pop Smoke, was shot and killed in a home-invasion robbery in Beverly Hills, California. There has been an unresolved debate as to whether or not an artist’s work should be released upon their passing. They leave countless unfinished projects, rejected beats, and possible hits. Amazing artists often get taken away from the world too soon.
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