Bashar Barakah Jackson, born on the 20th of July, 1999, was an American rapper, singer and songwriter. Collaborating with and reaching out to his producer 808Melo when he needed a beat to spit on – marked the start of his legacy and his friendship with his recurring and almost permanent producer. Bashar, after being on the streets for such a long time, finally got out and was making a name for himself. From hits like “Welcome to The Party” and collaborations with Nicki Minaj to dropping his most iconic hit “Dior”, Smoke really marked his territory exploiting his unique sound. Speaking of which, his sound comes from the famous UK Drill scene mixed with the New York Drill scene. Pop Smoke was making rounds wherever he went, landing interviews on interviews, collaborations from Complex and more brands and got chosen to be the first artist to be featured on this year’s XXL Freshman Class. Other than just drill, he has made his mark on other genres such as R&B and Pop and has claimed in one of his interviews that most of his playlist growing up included more R&B music than anything else.
This year, Bashar dropped 2 albums – “Meet the Woo 2”, a continuation to his previous album as well as his first posthumous album “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon” whose title is a direct reference to a lyric off of the first verse in his song “Invincible” off of “Meet the Woo 2”. Since its release, “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon” has gone platinum in the very short period of time of its release date.
Being a 21 year old myself, I think I speak for most of the youth when I say that Pop Smoke’s life was taken from him way too soon. This may come off as a tad bit too personal but it is only because it is. Speaking from near death experiences myself, I can only imagine what his loved ones and family are going through even at this moment. He was shot twice during a home invasion on the 19th of February, this year. Even though he is not with us, his memories and music still is and they will live on forever. The fact that he made such a memorable mark on the world in such a short period of time is bizarre and nothing like we’ve ever seen before. Pop Smoke is truly legendary with how he has executed his art and will always have an influence on the upcoming artists of tomorrow. Rest in Peace and Power, Bashar Jackson.
Listen to his latest album “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon” now! Out on all platforms!
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2MDU46hcBn3u94s46BOSdv?si=x62PeuKnRvu0bKov9u6C4Q
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ae/album/shoot-for-the-stars-aim-for-the-moon-deluxe/1524127369