Man allegedly involved in the cold-blooded murder of Brooklyn drill-rap pioneer Pop Smoke has shown no remorse for the tragic event in a recent interview. King Vermont Raskel, known as “Blockstar,” made his first public comments on the No Jumper podcast, expressing indifference to the fatal shooting.
During the interview, Raskel stated, “I’m not sorry about nothing,” regarding the incident on February 19, 2020, when he and three others allegedly broke into a Hollywood Hills home where Pop Smoke, born Bashar Barakah Jackson, was staying. Pop Smoke was shot three times in the back and later died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
One of the assailants, who was 15 at the time, admitted in court to shooting the 20-year-old rapper. It remains unclear whether Raskel fired the gun or if another of his co-defendants, who were also minors, pulled the trigger. Another alleged perpetrator, Corey Walker, is still awaiting trial.
Raskel reportedly pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and home invasion robbery in 2023, receiving a four-year sentence. Due to the confidentiality of juvenile criminal proceedings, the details of his release remain undisclosed. A video posted on his Instagram on June 27 shows him using scissors to cut off his ankle monitor, captioned, “Can’t let no P.O. determine my safety.”
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office commented, “If someone has an official ankle bracelet on, they’re not supposed to cut it off.”
In his interview with Adam22, founder of No Jumper, Raskel reiterated, “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.”
Raskel denied that the murder was premeditated, insisting it was a robbery gone wrong. “Nobody sent us. Nobody did none of that,” he said. “Nobody [was] intended to get hurt. …We were 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.”
Reflecting on his upbringing, he added, “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 suggested that Pop Smoke may have been targeted after posting the address of the rented home, owned by Edwin Arroyave, husband of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Teddi Mellencamp, on social media.
Fans expressed outrage over Raskel’s interview on No Jumper’s Instagram, where the video has garnered over 1.6 million views. One user lamented, “Robbed all of us of a great musician,” while another described the incident as “sick and demonic.”
Pop Smoke, a native of Canarsie, Brooklyn, died just 12 days after releasing his second mixtape, “Meet the Woo 2,” which debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. He had collaborated with prominent artists like Nicki Minaj, Lil Baby, and Travis Scott. Raskel could not be reached for further comment.
