Man involved in Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke’s grisly 2020 murder shows no remorse in new interview
A man who was allegedly involved in the cold-blooded murder of Brooklyn-born drill-rap pioneer Pop Smoke showed no remorse over the senseless tragedy in a new interview.
“Blockstar,” whose real name is King Vermont Raskel, told the No Jumper podcast that he’s “not sorry about nothing” in his first public comments since he and three other men allegedly broke into a Hollywood Hills home where 20-year-old Pop Smoke was staying around 4:30 a.m. on Feb. 19, 2020.
One of the perps, who was 15 at the time of the murder, admitted in court three years later to shooting the famous rapper — whose legal name is Bashar Barakah Jackson — according to reports, which did not identify the defendant because he was being tried as a minor.
Pop Smoke, who was hit three times in the back, later died from the wounds at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
It’s unclear if Blockstar, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, fired the gun, or if it was another of his co-defendants, two of whom were also minors and also prosecuted as juveniles.
Another alleged perpetrator, Corey Walker, is awaiting trial.
Blockstar reportedly pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and home invasion robbery in 2023, and was given a four-year sentence. Because juvenile criminal proceedings are confidential, it is not clear when or under what conditions he was released.
A June 27 video on his Instagram appears to show him using scissors to cut off his ankle monitor, while the caption reads, “Can’t let no P.O. determine my safety.”
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office told The Post: “If someone has an official ankle bracelet on, they’re not supposed to cut it off.”
Blockstar told Adam22, the founder of the podcast “No Jumper” in a July 4 interview: “It should’ve never happened, but I ain’t sorry. If I could go back, I’ll go back. But I ain’t sorry. N—s die every day. [Pop Smoke] was rapping about it. All type of sh-t. So, I ain’t sorry about it. I send my condolences to the family. I wish it never happened. But … I don’t regret nothing,”
In the interview, Blockstar denied reports that the murder was a premeditated hit.
“It was a robbery,” Blockstar insisted. “Nobody sent us. Nobody did none of that.”
“Nobody [was] intended to get hurt. …We was just kids being kids – being kids from the hood. And [there was] too much movement … Movement from everybody. Too much sh-t going on. Just too much sh-t going on. It wasn’t intentional.”
He continued: “Growing up . . . my people, my family told me, ‘You ain’t sorry for sh-t. Whatever you did, you did it for a reason and stand on it.'”
Detectives reportedly said Pop Smoke may have posted the address of the home – which was owned by “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Teddi Mellencamp’s husband, Edwin Arroyave – on social media and been targeted by the crew.
Fans ripped Blockstar on No Jumper’s Instagram, where a video of the interview has been seen 1.6 million times.
“Robbed all of us of a great musician,” one user wrote.
“This is sick and demonic,” another wrote.
During the interview, Blockstar admitted, “I did get off too lightly.”
Pop Smoke, a Canarsie native, died just 12 days after releasing his second mixtape, “Meet the Woo 2,” which debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. He collaborated with stars including Nicki Minaj, Lil Baby and Travis Scott.
Blockstar could not be reached for comment.
