Lil Poppa

Born Janarious Mykel Wheeler on March 18, 2000, in Jacksonville, Florida, Lil Poppa was an American rapper, singer, and songwriter who began writing at age seven. He released the EP Evergreen Wildchild (2018) and the single "Purple Hearts" (2018), attracting major label interest. In 2019, he signed with Interscope Records and issued the mixtape Under Investigation 2, featuring the gold‑certified "Eternal Living" (featuring Polo G). His debut studio album Blessed, I Guess (2021) peaked at Number 160 on the Billboard 200. After joining Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group in 2022, he released Under Investigation 3 (2022) and the NBA Finals theme "Big League" (2022). His 2025 album Almost Normal Again continued his work as a storyteller. Lil Poppa died February 18, 2026, in Fulton County, Georgia, after a self‑inflicted gunshot wound; his single "Out of Town Bae" was released five days prior.