Fans of the late rapper Pop Smoke held a memorial in Brooklyn Friday night on the posthumous release of his new album, “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon,” outside his parents’ residence.
The July 3 memorial in Canarsie honored Pop Smoke, who was shot and killed at a Hollywood Hills home on Feb. 19 when an unknown number of masked suspects entered his residence and shot him dead in the home invasion.
No arrests have ever been made in the case, but it is purported that the rapper was a member of the Crips street gang.
Hundreds of young men and women gathered at the corner of East 92nd Street and Seaview Avenue in the rain at the childhood home of Pop Smoke, a line of candles and empty Hennessy bottles arranged on the ground under a banner for his new album. The late rapper’s music blared for the crowds as young people milled about, some wearing Crips blue bandanas signifying their apparent membership in the gang.
While the memorial on the release of his album was mostly peaceful, one mourner got into his SUV after allegedly drinking heavily, and struck four other parked vehicles before coming to a half on East 92nd Street between Avenue N and Seaview Avenue. Other teens dragged the driver from the car and beat him before breaking his windshield and the passenger window.
Cops from the 69th Precinct, who were stationed on Seaview Avenue, rushed to the aid of the driver to prevent him from being beaten further and took him to Brookdale University Medical Center with minor injuries. Police said they planned to charge him with DWI.
Four vehicles in addition to the suspect’s SUV, were damaged in the crash, but no other injuries were reported.
