Pop Smoke fans got a semblance of closure on Wednesday. One of four men responsible for the rapper’s death accepted a plea deal and was sentenced to 29 years in prison. The man in question, Corey Walker, was a legal adult at the time of Pop Smoke’s murder. Walker’s sentencing will be held on February 21. It’s a victory for justice, but Smoke’s mother, Audrey Jackson, was not overjoyed following the conviction. Jackson told Rolling Stone reporter Nancy Dillon that she was still devastated from the loss of her son.
Jackson noted that the trial is over for everybody except for her. “This never ends for me. And that’s unfair,” she asserted. She went on to assure Pop Smoke fans that she is pleased her son got the justice he deserved in court. She’s relieved to see those responsible get their just punishment. The loss of Pop is never going to fully go away, though. “I appreciate they got justice to the fullest extent of the law. But my life doesn’t change,” Jackson concluded. “I still don’t have my son.” Audrey Jackson has gone out of her way to preserve her son’s memory since his 2020 death.
Pop Smoke’s Mother Still Mourns His Untimely Death
This includes calling out those who speak disrespectfully of Pop Smoke. Blockstar, one of the men who was behind Pop’s murder, was released from youth prison in 2024. He discussed his crime with Adam22 on the No Jumper podcast, and admitted he felt no remorse. The podcast episode drew severe backlash from Pop Smoke fans. Many felt Blockstar and Adam22 were disparaging someone’s memory to garner attention. Audrey Jackson was one of these people.
The rapper’s mother went on describe the interview as “disrespectful.” She told Hot 97 host TT Torres that she did not watch it herself, but has tried her best to block what she’s heard out of her mind. “I gotta let that go because that’ll eat me up,” Jackson explained. “I gotta’ let that go. The bottom line is your life is over. His life Is finished. He’s living, but if that’s his approach to what he’s done, life is done for him.” Pop Smoke’s legacy will, conversely, live on through his music.
