Rapper Lil Poppa, a rising voice in Southern hip-hop, has died at the age of 25, authorities have confirmed.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office in Georgia said the Jacksonville, Florida-based artist, born Janarious Mykel Wheeler, was pronounced dead at 11:23 a.m. Wednesday.
A cause of death has not been released.
Signed to Collective Music Group, the record label founded by Yo Gotti, Lil Poppa had built a loyal following through emotionally honest storytelling.
Tracks such as Love & War, Mind over matter and TEARS OF JOY helped cement his reputation as a rapper bold enough to explore pain, love and mental health.
His latest album, Almost normal againwith 16 songs, arrived in August.
A few days before his death, he released a new single, Out of town Baeand was scheduled to perform in New Orleans next month for his birthday.
Fans began searching for answers as rumors spread online and flooded his social media with messages.
“Poppa tell me it’s not true,” wrote one follower, while another pleaded, “Poppa please say something, this can’t be happening.”
In a now-poignant Instagram story posted shortly before his death, Lil Poppa shared a video soundtracked by Let it go by Rod Wave, with lyrics on screen.
“You know what happened / I know what happened / The world never will.” The clip has since taken on new meaning for grieving fans.
Originally from Jacksonville, Lil Poppa began releasing music as a teenager and was known for turning personal loss into powerful songs.
He only gained greater attention in 2018 with Purple heartsan independently released track inspired by the death of a close friend, which went on to amass millions of views on YouTube.
the same year, Nightmare on Elm St further boosted his profile.
At the time of his death, Lil Poppa had more than 960,000 followers on Instagram and over 600,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
His biography read: “First we are born, next we suffer, then we die… The End!!”
Tributes have continued to pour in on social media.
“Lil Poppa was super talented. Sad to hear, RIP,” wrote one fan, while another said: “Damn.. bro was the definition of pain music, long live lil poppa.”
As fans mourn a career cut short, Lil Poppa is remembered for his raw lyricism, soulful delivery and the honesty that made so many listeners feel seen.
