Rapper Lil Poppa Dies at 25

Lil Poppa, the prolific Georgia-born rapper known for songs such as “Love & War” and “Purple Hearts,” has died at the age of 25.

The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the news Wednesday to Entertainment Weekly. Senior Medical Examiner Investigator Brian Jost Reents told the outlet that the manner and cause of death are still under investigation.

TMZ was first to report the death of the Jacksonville-based artist, whose real name was Janarious Mykel Wheeler.

Over the course of a decade-long career, Lil Poppa built a catalog that rivaled artists with far longer tenures in the industry. He released his debut track, “Fall Off,” in the summer of 2016. By the end of the 2010s, he had dropped five full-length albums along with numerous singles.

One of those singles, “Purple Hearts,” drew the attention of Interscope Records, which later signed him. The track reflects on a drive-by shooting that nearly claimed his life and set the tone for a career marked by candid, emotionally raw storytelling.

Lil Poppa later joined Collective Music Group, the imprint founded by “No Fake Love” rapper Yo Gotti. The label’s roster also includes Grammy-nominated breakout star GloRilla.

His biggest commercial success came in 2021 with “Love & War,” a standout track from his album Blessed, I Guess. In the song, Lil Poppa raps about opening up to a romantic interest while grappling with the dangers and violence surrounding him.

He released his most recent single, “Out of Town Bae,” on Feb. 13 — just five days before his death.

In a 2021 interview with Audiomack, Lil Poppa downplayed the challenges of breaking into the music industry.

“Being an artist is easy as long as you got something to talk about,” he said at the time. “As long as you’ve been through something, it’s gon’ always be easy.”