Warner Chappell Music has entered a global co-publishing agreement with the estate of Pop Smoke, the beloved Brooklyn rapper and face of the New York drill movement who was fatally shot in February at age 20.
The deal covers all work written by the late artist, including breakthrough hit “Welcome to the Party” and his upcoming debut album, which was largely completed prior to his passing and will be released posthumously this summer by Steven Victor‘s joint venture with Universal Music Group, Victor Victor Worldwide.
“Pop meant so much to so many people across the world,” Warner Chappell Music president of A&R, U.S. Ryan Press said. “At a young age, he became the prominent emerging voice on the New York rap scene, helping to bring it back to the forefront. Pop was deeply connected to the culture and well on his way to becoming one of the best artists of his generation.
“I had the honor of meeting him, and I’m personally committed to doing everything I can to support the Jackson family and Steven Victor in keeping Pop’s legacy alive,” he continued. “Warner Chappell is very proud to help continue to share Pop’s music with the world.”
After achieving national acclaim in 2019 with “Welcome to the Party,” the artist born Bashar Barakah Jackson earned his first top 10 entry on the Billboard 200 albums chart in February with his mixtape Meet the Woo 2. His rise was cut tragically short just days after the mixtape’s release, when he was killed during a home invasion in Los Angeles on Feb. 19.
While his posthumous LP was originally set for a June 12 release, it has been pushed back to July 3 in light of the current Black Lives Matter protests across the country. The first song off the project, “Make It Rain,” is out now.
“We are very pleased and proud to entrust the protection and enhancement of Pop Smoke’s music to Ryan Press and the rest of the Warner Chappell team,” the Estate of Pop Smoke shared. “Our new alliance with the company and its vast global resources will significantly support the family’s efforts to preserve Pop Smoke’s legacy and musical impact among his fans and the world.”