Pop Smoke died of a gunshot wound to the torso, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office. The 20-year-old Brooklyn rapper, whose legal name is Bashar Barakah Jackson, was killed Wednesday at a home in the Hollywood Hills. A 911 call…
Pop Smoke’s girlfriend issues a heartbreaking statement on his death, speaking about their Valentine’s Day gifts and the last moments they spent together. For the last month, Pop Smoke was getting pretty serious with his girlfriend Yummy Yellow, moving carefully…
Last year, as part of Billboard's Black History Month celebration, we asked Black artists spanning all genres to compile unique playlists exclusive to Billboard's Spotify account. Everyone from Normani and Khalid to DJ Premier and Rapsody shared tracks that represented…
Adam Sanders enlisted the help of his famous friends when it came to filming the video for his new single “Ruled the World,” which Billboard premieres today (Feb. 21). The singer-songwriter embraces his country roots on the infectious tune, which…
Plus, the latest on The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish and more. Welcome to the This Week in Billboard News podcast, where Jordyn Rolling, Billboard News host and producer, and Gary Trust, Billboard senior director of charts, dive into the…
Following the tragic murder of Pop Smoke, Waka Flocka looks to dispel the narrative that rap is an inherently dangerous game. Following the death of Pop Smoke, many rappers have been left reflecting on the inherent dangers that tend to…
Billboard’s First Stream serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond. This week, BTS release…
It's easier said than done for Nahko and Medicine for the People, whose lyrics for their latest single "Twisted" — exclusively premiering on Billboard today (Feb. 21) — spell out a cry for help, a petition for forgiveness and an ode to…
In the wake of Pop Smoke's death this week, the rapper's friend and collaborator Lil Tjay unveiled a song in tribute to his memory on Friday (Feb. 21). Titled "Forever Pop," the track finds Lil Tjay mourning and questioning the…
New York rapper Joey Bada$$ spits some freestyled bars following the death of Pop Smoke. The city of New York — and specifically the borough of Brooklyn — are feeling the loss of Pop Smoke hard after celebrating the 20-year-old…