Mike Dee aka Michael Durodola was staying with rapper Pop Smoke in Teddi Mellencamp’s home in the Hollywood Hills on February 19.
Around 4:30 a.m., Smoke was shot dead inside of the Airbnb rental by a group of home invaders. Police believe that there may be as many six suspects in the shooting. Pop Smoke’s real name was Bashar Barakah Jackson. He was 20 years old. Smoke was rushed to Cedars Sinai hospital where he was pronounced dead. Heavy has reached out to Pop Smoke’s camp and Michael Durodola for comment on the story. Pop Smoke died in the same hospital as Biggie Smalls.
Shortly after news spread that Pop Smoke had been killed, fellow New York rapper Nicki Minaj, posted a photo on Instagram with the caption, “The Bible tells us that jealousy is as cruel as the grave. Unbelievable. Rest In Peace, Pop.”
50 Cent tweeted about the shooting, “No such thing as success with out jealousy, treachery comes from those who are close. R.i.P.”
Mike Dee Has Reacted Angrily To Those Who Accused Him of ‘Setting Up’ Pop Smoke
In a passionate Instagram post that was sent out in the hours after Pop Smoke’s death, Durodola reacted angrily to those who accused him of setting up Pop Smoke to be killed. Durodola wrote, “Can’t nothing express the pain I’m feeling. I just lost my f***ing brother, my heart my dawgz. You guys have no type of sense or sympathy! Y’all don’t know what’s going on y’all 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 mother child. I don’t gotta explain nothing to nobody that don’t know me but for the ones who know me know when you saw me, you saw Pop. We live in such a f***ed up society y’all gotta wake up. Just know, I got you forever brother. The truth will come to light until then, sleep in peace.”
Prior to that post, Durodola deleted all of his previous Instagram pictures.
Durodola Was Shown Holding a Stack of Money While Doing an Impression of Pop Smoke, the Day Before the Rapper Was Killed
The day before the shooting, Durodola posted a video showing him walking around a home while holding a stack of money to his ear. He says in the video that he’s doing an impression of Pop Smoke. The video was recorded in Beverly Hills. In a group of photos posted on Durodola’s Instagram profile on February 18, part of the home’s number is visible. In another, showing the same wall where the number of tiles are hung, the number is not visible.
The New York Times reports that Pop Smoke was a member of a gang set associated with the Crips. While the Los Angeles Times reports that the shooting is being treated as “gang-related.”
Durodola Is an Aspiring Actor Who Has Appeared in Roles With Adam Sandler & Regina King
According to Durodola’s IMDb page, he is a native of Brooklyn, just like Pop Smoke. Durodola has appeared in the Netflix series, “Seven Seconds,” alongside Oscar-winner Regina King, and had an uncredited role in Adam Sandler’s “Uncut Gems.” It’s written on the bio section that Durodola began his acting career in 2017 and is “slowly kicking his way up in the industry. Acting is his craft and passion.”
Durodola described his time working on “Seven Seconds” in an Instagram post writing, “It was an honor working with [Regina King] she’s a ?and a cool person, Sadly Netflix Cut the show but every disappointment is a blessing?? With that being said.. more to come stay tuned this was just my beginnings all the little things count ?.”
Durodola Was a Highly Rated Basketball Player in High School
On a separate profile, Durodola says that he is a member of the Screen Actors Guild. Durodola adds that he is a skilled basketball player and was featured in the 2018 Steven Soderbergh movie, “High Flying Bird.” Durodola also lists appearances in a 2018 ASAP Rocky music video and in a commercial for a basketball clothing company, Point 3.
Durodola graduated from Richmond Hill High School in New York in 2017. During his time at the school, Durodola played as a guard for the school’s basketball team. Durodola also appeared in a basketball commercial for Adidas in September 2019.
Pop Smoke Had Been Celebrating the Fact That He Was Living in Beverly Hills
Above was Pop Smoke’s final Instagram post, which was sent around 12 hours before his tragic death. While on his Instagram story on the day before his death, Pop Smoke celebrated the fact that he was living in Beverly Hills:
Instagram/Pop Smoke
Pop Smoke’s final tweet came just before his death, judging by the timestamp:
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