Popular Jacksonville, Florida, rapper Lil Poppa has died. This is according to a new TMZ report. He was 25. The rapper’s real name was Janarious Mykel Wheeler.
Officials from the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office in Georgia pronounced Poppa dead at 11:23 AM ET on Wednesday, Feb. 18. Poppa’s cause of death is unknown.
Lil Poppa dropped the new single “Out of Town Bae” just this past Friday.
Lil Poppa had been putting out music for nearly a decade. His earliest songs seemingly appeared online around 2017. Poppa signed to Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group (CMG). Over the years, he had some big hits, including “Love & War” and “Mind Over Matter”. In August 2025, he released his fifth album, “Almost Normal Again”.
Lil Poppa had also worked with several high-profile artists, such as YNW Melly, Yo Gotti, and Moneybagg Yo.
Lil Poppa was scheduled to perform in New Orleans on March 21
The news of Lil Poppa’s death has sent shockwaves through the hip-hop community. Among those mourning are Louisiana rapper Boosie Badazz, who posted a heartfelt memorial video for his fallen peer.
Boosie reacts to the passing of Lil Poppa
pic.twitter.com/gtdntOKOt7
— SAY CHEESE!
(@SaycheeseDGTL) February 18, 2026
Comedian-turned-music-star Lil Duval also posted a memorial message to Lil Poppa, writing, “This one really hurt me cuz i really cared about lil poppa. Most of us in Jacksonville knew him since he was a kid. And we all wanted him to win and he was.”
“Cuz once the drill music died done he was the only one left standing,” the message, posted on X/Twitter, continued. “And he deserved it cuz He was really who all these other YN rappers wanted to be in Jacksonville. Even his enemies was his fans first.”
“We talked a couple weeks ago he said ‘i know i was suppose been pulled up to camp Duval but i been busy but im definitely pulling up soon’ and i said ‘ain’t no rush it ain’t going no where’ now i wish i would’ve forced it,” Lil Duval concluded his post.
The post Rapper Lil Poppa Pronounced Dead at 25 Years Old appeared first on VICE.
