Man Convicted In Pop Smoke Case Wants To Apologize To His Mom

Remorse was not part of Blockstar’s public posture when he first spoke at length about Pop Smoke’s death. Two years later, he says there is one apology he wishes he had made directly to the late rapper’s mother, Audrey Jackson. During a new interview with XVTV, Blockstar was asked about an apology he never got the chance to give. He immediately named Jackson. “I’ll say an apology I never got to give was to Pop Smoke’s mom,” he said. “I’ll say I never really got to apologize to her. And you know, an apology not gonna change nothing.”

He continued by acknowledging that Jackson may not want to hear from him at all. Blockstar maintained that Pop Smoke was not personally targeted over a feud and said the February 2020 home invasion was supposed to be about money. “I always say the situation was never supposed to go like that. He’s not my enemy,” he explained. “What happened, what occurred, was not personal.”

Blockstar was 17 when the robbery at the Hollywood Hills home where Pop Smoke was staying turned deadly. He later pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and home invasion robbery and received a four-year, two-month juvenile sentence. The Los Angeles Times reported that he admitted entering the property intending to rob the Brooklyn rapper. Another juvenile defendant later admitted to shooting Pop Smoke.

The apology lands differently because Blockstar sounded far less remorseful after leaving juvenile custody in 2024. During a No Jumper interview that summer, he repeatedly said he was not sorry for his involvement, even while acknowledging that Pop Smoke should not have died.

“I’m not sorry about nothing,” he said at the time. “It should’ve never happened, but I ain’t sorry.” The comments quickly drew criticism, but Jackson made clear she had little interest in consuming interviews from someone connected to her son’s death. Speaking with Hot 97 later that month, Jackson said she had deliberately avoided watching Blockstar’s interviews and only heard about his remarks when other people brought them to her attention. She admitted that hearing he had been disrespectful affected her, but said holding onto that anger would only hurt her.

“I gotta let that go because that’ll eat me up,” Jackson said. She already decided two years ago that whatever he chose to say next did not need to become part of her world.