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UPDATE: A coroner’s report obtained by TMZ has confirmed that the rapper — whose real name was Janarious Mykel Wheeler — died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the left side of the head shortly after being involved in a car accident on Interstate 85 south of Hapeville, Georgia.
The results of a toxicology report are still pending.
Read on for our initial coverage of this horrible tragedy:
We have tragic news to report from the world of music today.
Lil Poppa — the up-and-coming rapper out of Jacksonville, Florida — has passed away.
He was just 25 years old.
Word of the artist’s passing comes courtesy of the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office in Georgia.
A spokesperson for the ME reportedly confirmed the news to TMZ on Wednesday. His death has now been ruled a suicide by self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Rapper Trap Beckham later verified the news of Poppa’s death in a Facebook post:
“This one hit different. RIP to the chosen one,” Beckham wrote.
“The city is truly not the same. @lilpoppa been a real one. A talent that most of seen from the jump. DUVAL LEGEND.”
News of Poppa’s passing comes just days after he released a new song, titled “Out of Town Bae.”
Less than a week old, the music video for the song has already racked up nearly a quarter million views on YouTube alone.
Poppa was signed to Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group (CMG), and he’s released several hit songs over the last few years, including “Love & War,” “Mind Over Matter,” and “HAPPY TEARS.”
His latest album “Almost Normal” was released in August of last year.
“Poppa tell me it ain’t true,” wrote one devastated Instagram follower.
“Poppa please say something this can’t be happening,” another wrote.
“You ain’t leave me like this … ain’t NO WAY,” a third commented.
“PLEASE CLEAR THE RUMORS,” a fourth commenter begged.
Sadly, the rumors have now been confirmed, and Lil Poppa is no longer with us.
He is just one of several rappers who have tragically died young in the past year.
Our thoughts go out to his loved ones as they begin to try and process this tragedy.
We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.