{"id":160943,"date":"2026-02-19T07:36:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T07:36:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/160943\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T07:36:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T07:36:11","slug":"jacksonville-rapper-lil-poppa-dead-at-25-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/160943\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacksonville Rapper Lil Poppa Dead at 25 –"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJacksonville was the blueprint for everything Lil Poppa made, the Northside streets he grew up on, all ran through his music.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Florida hip-hop<\/a> community is in mourning after the sudden passing of Janarious Mykel Wheeler, known globally as Lil Poppa.<\/p>\n

The Fulton County Medical Examiner\u2019s Office in Georgia confirmed that Wheeler passed away at 11:23AM\u00a0Wednesday, February 18, 2026.<\/p>\n

While the hip-hop community reels from the news, an official cause of death remains under investigation, leaving fans and peers in a state of shock.<\/p>\n

Poppa\u2019s career was built on telling unfiltered<\/a> stories about the streets. From his independent start to his rise as a national artist, his music served as the model for the Jacksonville sound.<\/p>\n

Lil Poppa first captured the industry\u2019s attention with his Under Investigation series and the breakout hit \u2018Love & War.\u2019<\/p>\n

In 2022, he signed with Yo Gotti\u2019s Collective Music Group (CMG), joining a roster of heavy hitters and cementing his spot as a Southern rap elite.<\/p>\n

His passing comes at a tragic peak in his career. He had just released his latest<\/a> single, \u2018Out of Town Bae,\u2019 on February 13, and was actively teasing the sequel to his 2025 project, Almost Normal Again.<\/p>\n

The reaction across social media has been immediate and visceral. Jacksonville staple Trap Beckham voiced the sentiment of a grieving city, calling Poppa a \u201cDuval Legend\u201d and noting that \u201cthe city is truly not the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

The rapper was also slated for a high-profile performance in New Orleans next month\u2013a show that was expected to be a victory lap for his recent success.<\/p>\n

The Investigation remains open in Fulton County. Neither CMG nor the Wheeler family has released a formal statement regarding services or the circumstances surrounding his death.<\/p>\n

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