Brooklynites gathered together to celebrate the life of the late Pop Smoke during a funeral procession in Brooklyn on Thursday afternoon, two weeks after he was tragically murdered in Los Angeles. Though his family and loved ones held their own private memorial last weekend to say goodbye, folks were able to honour Pop's memory by taking to the streets of his native neighbourhood of Canarsie, beginning their march on 82nd Street and Flatlands. Family, friends, and fans of the late rapper could be seen gathered under a mural of his likeness on 82nd as a horse-drawn carriage rode by with the words "POP SMOKE" engraved on the glass walls, in the signature style of Off White designer, Virgil Abloh.
According to Complex, attendees belted out the lyrics to songs of his like “Welcome to the Party,” “Dior,” and “Shake the Room" that were blasting out of car speakers. Folks could be seen dancing on top of cars and yelling out his signature catchphrase, "Woo!" any chance they got. A man even popped a bottle of champagne while Pop's "Element" played in the streets, before the celebration ultimately came to an end at the corner of 92nd Street and Seaview Avenue. “You would never see this sh*t before Pop Smoke,” a man shouted over the crowd. “We’re united! This is real Brooklyn sh*t.”
Pop Smoke has always been proud to rep Canarsie. In September 2019, while driving through his neighbourhood, he told The New York Times that he made music for the young people who grew up like him and “got to carry their guns to school because it ain’t safe, but they still got to make sure they get they diploma ’cause they mom could be happy.”
50 Cent has announced that Pop Smoke's first posthumous album, which he will be executive producing, is set to be released in May, with features from Roddy Ricch, Drake, Post Malone, and more.
