Pop Smoke‘s manager has given fans an update on the status of the late rapper’s next album.
The 20-year-old rapper was shot and killed in February last year during a home invasion, less than two weeks after the release of his acclaimed ‘Meet The Woo 2’ mixtape. His first posthumous release, ‘Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon’, arrived in July.
Recently it was confirmed that a second posthumous album was in the works, although it’s unlikely that 50 Cent will have any involvement this time around, after serving as executive producer on ‘Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon’.
“Steven [Victor] was originally Pop’s manager and the label person that he was signed to,” 50 said in a recent interview with Kris Kaylin. “He talked to me about the new record, and I’m not sure if I’ll participate with this, that record.
“I just wanted to make sure that his record did what it was supposed to. My interaction with Pop was like he was looking at me like I could tell him the right way to go, and that everything would work based on what I was saying.”
Now, Rico Beats, Pop Smoke’s manager, has shared an update on where the upcoming album is in terms of completion. “Pop Album 95% loading the f$&k up!!!!” he wrote on Instagram, sharing a face swap image of basketball players Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, and coach Phil Jackson.
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Last month, Pop Smoke’s name appeared on a track alongside Skepta, A$AP Rocky, Juicy J and Project Pat for the Fast And Furious 9 soundtrack.
Meanwhile, a Los Angeles Police Department detective testified last month that Pop Smoke was shot and killed by a 15-year-old who was part of a group that wanted to steal his watch and jewellery.
According to NY Daily News, the claims regarding the circumstances of the rapper’s death emerged in testimony given by Los Angeles Police Department Detective Carlos Camacho during a preliminary hearing for Corey Walker, a different suspect in the shooting and the only legal adult among the four defendants.
The group allegedly invaded the rapper’s Airbnb rental in Los Angeles with the aim of stealing his diamond-studded Rolex watch and Cuban link chain. They ended up stealing the watch, which they are alleged to have resold for $2,000 (£1,405).