{"id":5792,"date":"2025-07-23T17:39:01","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T17:39:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/23\/canarsie-celebrates-pop-smoke-day\/"},"modified":"2025-07-23T17:39:01","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T17:39:01","slug":"canarsie-celebrates-pop-smoke-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/23\/canarsie-celebrates-pop-smoke-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Canarsie celebrates Pop Smoke Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Brooklyn-based Shoot for the Stars Foundation on Sunday, July 20, hosted its annual Pop Smoke Day, commemorating the life and legacy of the late Canarsie rapper Bashar Barakah Jackson, also known as Pop Smoke.<\/p>\n

The full day event, led by Pop Smoke\u2019s Jamaican-born mother, Audrey \u201cMah Smoke\u201d Jackson, honors Pop Smoke\u2019s \u201cimpact on the community, and perpetuates his spirit of upliftment and unity,\u201d Ms. Jackson told Caribbean Life<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

She said the festivities began at 9:00 a.m., with \u201ca colorful parade rolling down 80th Street and Flatlands Avenue toward Seaview Avenue\u2014an echo of Pop Smoke\u2019s strong roots in Canarsie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Audrey

Audrey \u201cMah Smoke\u201d Jackson at the Basketball Court in Canarsie Park.<\/span>Photo by Sara Hendricks<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

But she said the main festival ran from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Canarsie Park, along Seaview Avenue.<\/p>\n

It included live DJ sets, notably by DJ JP, in addition to performances from local artists and drill dance crews.<\/p>\n

Ms. Jackson, a Canarsie resident, said there were \u201cheartfelt community food giveaways\u201d, courtesy of Food with Fam; youth-centered basketball tournaments and clinics \u201cfostering teamwork and mentorship\u201d; and family fun, comprising face painting, double\u2011Dutch stations, games, local vendors, and merchandise stalls.<\/p>\n

She said the Shoot for the Stars Foundation, established by Pop Smoke in January 2020, was created to \u201cempower youth facing adversity\u2014offering access to technology, sports and career-building resources.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Flossy

Flossy Basketball and OSA teams play during Pop Smoke Day in Canarsie, Brooklyn. <\/span>Photo by Sara Hendricks<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

After Pop Moke\u2019s untimely death, Ms. Jackson said she \u201ctook the helm, ensuring Pop Smoke\u2019s vision endured.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do this in celebration of who he was \u2013 his desire to give back, to cover people,\u201d she said. \u00a0\u201cThis is for the people. Pop\u2019s roots are here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ms. Jackson said the celebration is grounded in Pop Smoke\u2019s values: \u201cUnity, community empowerment and pride in Canarsie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond the annual event, she said the foundation organizes related gatherings during the preceding week, such as basketball clinics, youth summits, and the Pop Smoke Fashion Gala at the Brooklyn Museum.<\/p>\n

Ms. Jackson said Pop Smoke\u2019s influence is also visible in murals around Canarsie \u2014 particularly along Flatlands Avenue \u2014\u00a0 \u201cserving as daily reminders of his lasting bond with the neighborhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe festival fosters positive energy and camaraderie, promoting inclusivity and self-esteem,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn essence, Pop Smoke Day is more than a memorial \u2014 it’s a free, inclusive block party that channels the energy Pop Smoke brought to his hometown,\u201d Ms. Jackson continued.<\/p>\n

Local DJ Don P said, \u201cPop Smoke gave us a lane to let us know that we’re important.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Brooklyn-based Shoot for the Stars Foundation on Sunday, July 20, hosted its annual Pop Smoke Day, commemorating the life and legacy of the late Canarsie rapper Bashar Barakah Jackson, also known as Pop Smoke. The full day event, led by Pop Smoke\u2019s Jamaican-born mother, Audrey \u201cMah Smoke\u201d Jackson, honors Pop Smoke\u2019s \u201cimpact on the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-latest-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5792\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}