Tributes are pouring in from all over across social media in celebration of Pop Smoke on what would’ve been his 21st birthday (July 20). The recognitions come during the release of the deluxe edition of his posthumous debut album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, this end of the week.
The original version of the posthumous album was released recently and imprints the late rapper’s first project to ever go number one. This set Pop Smoke close by Juice WRLD, Tupac, Biggie, and XXXtentacion as the only rappers to have an album top the charts after death. The deluxe edition released this previous end of the week accompanied an extra 15 tracks highlighting Fivio Foreign, Young Thug, Guuna, Jamie Foxx, and Burna Boy among others.
Alongside the deluxe release of Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, a music video for “The Woo” including 50 Cent and Roddy Ricch likewise dropped on Pop Smoke’s birthday.
“Happy birthday superstar,” his manager, Steven Victor, wrote on Instagram. “Today we celebrate you. Today we turn our pain into champagne forever & always.”
Fivio Foreign likewise took to the social platform to recognize his fallen sibling in-rhyme.
“HAPPY Cday [Woo],” he wrote for his late friend. “Wat we did 2 dis industry is juss different Dey gon kno who we are forever & Yu was da biggest part ov dat Luv Yu forever gangsta.”
The hip-hop community has kept on grappling with the unfavorable going of Pop Smoke. The updates on his passing sent reverberating shockwaves over the industry. The 20-year old was tragically shot and killed in the early morning hours of Feb. 19 in what gave off an impression of being a home invasion after a group of masked men attacked the home and robbed him. The Los Angeles Police Department uncovered that five individuals have been arrested in association with the shooting, three grown-ups, and two juveniles.
Two of the grown-up suspects — 19-year-old Corey Walker and 18-year-old Keandre Rogers — were accused of homicide with a special situation claim, as per Variety. The two juvenile suspect names have not been released in light of their age however they were likewise accused of one check every one of murder and robbery. They will be attempted in juvenile court.