Pop Smoke rose to fame as a leading voice of Brooklyn drill in 2019 and 2020, known for his deep delivery and hard-hitting street anthems. After his death in February 2020, his voice became even more recognisable to fans and creators, who reuse short vocal moments in edits, memes and tribute videos. Because the sound is so brief and distinctive, it continues to circulate online as shorthand for confidence, hype and New York drill culture.