The late rapper Pop Smoke continued to receive accolades in music more than a year after his 2020 murder. Born Bashar Barakah Jackson, the Brooklyn emcee was just 20 years old when he was gunned down in a robbery while staying at a home rental in the Hollywood Hills, via ABC News. Only a few weeks before his February 19th murder, Pop Smoke was riding high off the release of his second mixtape Meet The Woo 2, via All Music. The rising artist was also putting the finishing touches on his official album debut Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon that was posthumously released in July 2020. The chart-topping album featured a number of notable features, including Roddy Ricch, Quavo, and Rowdy Rebel, among others.
The album would go on to become the longest-running No. 1 record on the Top Rap Albums chart after spending 20 weeks dominating the rap charts, via Billboard. Aiding in the album’s success were a number of hit singles, including “Dior,” “The Woo,” “What You Know Bout Love,” “Hello,” and “Something Special”. Additionally, Pop Smoke’s single “For The Night,” that brought the rappers Lil Baby and DaBaby together on the same track, aided in the album’s success as one of four album tracks to break the Billboard top 20 and almost knocked DaBaby’s “Rock Star” out of the No. 1 spot, via Forbes. Here’s a look into the meaning behind “For The Night.”
'For The Night' seems eerily similar to Pop Smoke's death
With Pop Smoke’s posthumous album being released in July 2020, singles like “For The Night” proved to be summer anthems for many hip hop fans. The song’s visuals were released the same month and depicted a CGI version of a Rolls Royce driving down the street as the song played in the background.
The song’s hook includes lyrics that had some eerie similarities to Pop Smoke’s murder earlier that year. “If I tell you once, won’t tell you twice, I’m a thief in the night,” he croons, via Billboard. “I did some wrong, but I’m always right / Said I know how to shoot and I know how to fight,” he continues. As the song plays, Pop Smoke, Lil Baby, and DaBaby rap lyrics about getting women, hitting the streets, and living a life of luxury. “I flew to Paris just to buy some Dior, She beggin’ for attention, I don’t see her,” Lil Baby raps. “Pop the cork on some new Pinot Grigio, I pull up in the Porsche wit’ a freaky h*e,” DaBaby adds in a later verse.
At the time of the album and single’s release, DaBaby expressed how honored he was to be featured on the posthumous album. “It was just a pleasure just to even be part of that, to be a part of something so special for somebody who lost their life behind this,” DaBaby told Billboard.
Source: Read Full Article
