The young man — who was 15 at the time of the crime – admitted to a first-degree murder charge stemming from the Feb. 19, 2020 killing of the rapper, whose real name was Bashar Jackson, along with an allegation that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm during the crime.
He also admitted to the home-invasion robbery count.
The man is expected to be held in a state juvenile facility until he turns 25.
L.A. County Superior Court Judge J. Christopher Smith told the 18-year-old and his 19-year-old co-defendant that Jackson “lost his life over no good reason.”
“You have no right to take somebody’s life. You have no right to take somebody’s property,”
Smith said
Three other people were charged in Jackson’s death: one other juvenile defendant who was a minor at the time of the crime and Corey Walker and Keandre Rodgers, who were 19 and 18.
Judge has issued a court order barring the media from identifying the juvenile defendants.
Pop Smoke, 20, was an up-and-coming Brooklyn rap star who was known for songs including “For the Night” and “What You Know Bout Love.” Nicki Minaj , Lil Baby and Travis Scott were among the rap stars who collaborated with the late performer.
On Feb. 19, 2020, a group of people, including one wearing a mask and armed with a handgun, broke into the rapper’s rental home in Hollywood Hills. The rapper, who was on a four-day trip to Los Angeles, had shared an Instagram post that revealed the address.
The defendants burst Into Jackson’s bedroom and confronted him in a shower, where the 15-year-old boy pistol-whipped the rapper and shot him three times in the back, according to testimony. They ran off with Jackson’s watch, a diamond-studded Rolex that they sold for $2,000.
