Los Angeles, CA – Shortly after Pop Smoke was shot and killed at a Hollywood Hills home on Wednesday morning (February 19), people started accusing his best friend Mike “Mike Dee” Durodola of setting him up. Durodola was staying with the 20-year-old Brooklyn rapper at the time of the shooting.
However, Durodola is adamant he would never do something to someone he loved so much. On Wednesday afternoon, Durodola shared several photos of himself with Pop Smoke and condemned social media for making such an offensive allegation.
“CANT NOTHING EXPRESS THE PAIN IM FEELING,” he wrote in all caps. “I JUST LOST MY FUCKING BROTHER, MY HEART MY DAWGZ. YOU GUYS HAVE NO TYPE OF SENSE OR SYMPATHY ! YALL DONT KNO WHATS GOING ON. YALL COME ON HERE PLAYING INVESTIGATOR AND BASHING ME ON THE INTERNET, I WOULD NEVER IN MY LIFE SET MY BROTHER UP, WE ATE TOGETHER , BROKE BREAD TOGETHER THIS REALLY MY MOTHER CHILD.
“I DONT GOTTA EXPLAIN NOTHING TO NOBODY THAT DONT KNO ME BUT FOR THE ONES WHO KNOW ME KNOW WHEN YOU SAW ME YOU SAW POP WE LIVE IN SUCH A FUCKED UP SOCIETY YALL GOTTA WAKE UP. JUST KNO I GOT YOU FOREVER BROTHER THE TRUTH WILL COME TO LIGHT UNTIL THEN SLEEP IN PEACE.”
Police believe several men dressed in hoodies and masks broke into the home — owned by Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Teddi Mellencamp and her husband Edwin Arroyav — around 4:30 a.m.
Hours before the incident, Pop Smoke accidentally shared his location to his Instagram while showing off some gift bags he’d received recently. He’d also posted a photo of himself with Durodola in a car, who was holding a thick wad of cash.
In the wake of the shooting, Blueface warned other artists about coming to Los Angeles, saying, “I recommend any artist coming this way to get in touch wit the right natives just to keep you up to speed.”
Meanwhile, Juicy J, Nicki Minaj, Redman, The Game and countless others took to social media to express their condolences to Pop Smoke’s friends, family and fans.