Pop Smoke’s Brother Reveals Pop Was Receiving Death Threats

The one-year anniversary of Pop Smoke‘s death is approaching and his older brother has opened up about the Brooklyn rapper’s tragic murder.

During a new episode of actress Taraji P. Henson’s Facebook Watch series, Peace of Mind With Taraji, which premiered online today (Jan. 4), Obasi Jackson revealed that prior to Pop Smoke being shot and killed in Los Angeles last February, he had been receiving death threats. However, no one could place where the threats were coming from.

“All of that stuff he went through, it was just—there was a time when he went through a situation that was also… People would put him down and count him out,” Jackson explained. “There was a lot of threats on his life because of that. And people were trying to figure out where the threats were coming from. I didn’t think that anybody would do that and it’s just a lot that goes into it.”

Elsewhere in the conversation, Pop’s elder sibling spoke on the lack of security his rapper brother had at the time when he was gunned down during a home invasion in the Hollywood Hills section of LA.

“It’s mind-boggling to me that someone would let a superstar go out with no security,” he added. “That still plays on my mind. That just don’t make no sense. So, I don’t wanna point fingers, that’s not who I am as a person, but the truth is what the truth is and that’s something that bothers me.”

Obasi Jackson also shared how he was informed of the news about his brother’s death.

“That was crazy. I’m not gon‘ lie,” he explained. “I woke up early. One of my homegirls from school, she came and knocked on my door. I open the door and she’s like, ‘Yo bro, I’m sorry to tell you this. I would hate to be the one to tell you this, but your brother passed away.’ And I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’ I go in my bathroom. I’m on the floor, just like, ‘Ma is this true?’ ‘We don’t know yet.’ Everything is in a confused state. She called me back like, ‘Yeah, it’s true.'”

Pop Smoke was 20 years old when he was killed on Feb. 19, 2020. Following his death, he had one of the most successful albums of 2020 with his debut effort, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon.

Last July, five people were arrested in connection with Pop’s death. Two of the men were charged with murder and are facing the death penalty. A third man was charged with attempted murder. There were two juveniles involved in the incident as well and they each were charged with murder and one count of robbery.

See a longer version of Pop Smoke’s brother’s conversation with Taraji P. Henson around the 13:00-mark below.