How 'Welcome to the Party' Became Pop Smoke's Legacy and Anthem

Brooklyn’s creative pulse in the late 2010s forged unlikely bonds, uniting artists from neighborhoods like Canarsie, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and South Slope. Among them was Obasi, whose older brother would soon rise from those gatherings to become rap’s defining voice of a generation. The late rapper Pop Smoke, born Bashar Barakah Jackson, transformed “Welcome to the Party” from a local Brooklyn anthem into a global rallying cry, only to be violently cut down at age 20. His death in Los Angeles in February 2020 sent shockwaves through the music world, catalyzing a posthumous legacy that reshaped hip-hop.

The song’s journey began in the summer of 2019, when a loose collective of aspiring musicians gathered in a modest room on Montrose Street in East Williamsburg. Among them were Adrian, Jha, and Obasi, who shared a belief in their collective potential. Their sessions, fueled by Backwoods and bottom-shelf Cognac, produced raw, unfiltered energy. One lo-fi recording captured the group’s youthful bravado, with Adrian and Jha debating writing credits over twangy bossa-nova chords. The moment was electric, a snapshot of untested promise. But by fall, the group disbanded as members dispersed for college, leaving their musical dreams unfulfilled.

Pop Smoke’s emergence as a cultural force was immediate. While performing a small tour with his band in 2019, the narrator first encountered “Welcome to the Party” in the back room of Freddy’s Bar in South Slope. The song’s hypnotic synths and defiant swagger transported listeners to Brooklyn’s gritty streets, even within the dive’s subdued interior. Its release in January 2019, produced by 808Melo and others, became an instant anthem, echoing across Brooklyn and beyond.

Pop Smoke’s murder on February 19, 2020, shocked the music world. Shot during a home invasion in Los Angeles, his death at 20 cut short a career that had already redefined drill music. News of his passing reached Obasi through Instagram, revealing the familial connection that had gone unspoken during their Montrose sessions. The loss resonated deeply, not only for the artistic potential lost but for the shared struggle of artists chasing dreams against long odds.

Posthumous releases amplified Pop Smoke’s influence. In July 2020, 50 Cent executive produced “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon,” a 19-track album pieced together from unreleased recordings. The project debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and spawned hits like “Dior” and “For the Night.” At the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, Obasi and his mother accepted trophies on the red carpet, honoring their late son and brother. His nomination for Best Rap Performance at the 2021 Grammys further cemented his legacy.

By spring 2021, as New York City emerged from pandemic restrictions, Pop Smoke’s music remained a unifying force. Underground raves in Chelsea and Brooklyn revived communal spaces, where his voice still boomed through massive sound systems. At one such gathering, hundreds danced under chandeliers in a Chelsea ballroom, only to be dispersed by police. As the crowd fled into the rainy streets, a pickup truck blared “Welcome to the Party,” its haunting refrain echoing through the night. For many, the song had become both anthem and elegy—a celebration of life, defiance, and loss.

Pop Smoke’s story reflects the fleeting nature of artistic promise and the enduring power of music to transcend tragedy.

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