King Vermont Raskel, the 21-year-old convicted in the 2020 murder of rapper Pop Smoke, surfaced in a viral video displaying a severely bruised and swollen left eye after an alleged assault at a Los Angeles gas station. In the 20-second clip, originally posted on Instagram and quickly reposted across platforms like X, Raskel raps defiantly about the incident while smoking a blunt in his car, turning a moment of vulnerability into a bold statement. This development reignites debates over street justice following his early release from juvenile detention in June 2024, after serving just four years for the fatal home invasion.
Details from the video reveal Raskel describing the attack in his lyrics, mentioning he “got out this day 8” and was kicked by someone named Jaebo at
“a gas station from my block,”
with lines like
“3rd O kicked in, popped a perc he troll, round 4 we was, they say I ain’t that iraq, open shots ain’t missin at all 80.”
His voice carries a gritty, nonchalant tone over a simple background rap beat that echoes West Coast drill patterns, reminiscent of Pop Smoke’s own deep, commanding delivery influenced by his father’s vocal style, though Raskel’s flow lacks the late rapper’s polished menace. The close-up footage, captured in natural daylight inside a car, emphasizes his hurting eye—blackened, puffy, and discolored—while his body language remains relaxed and gesturing, suggesting an attempt to downplay the pain amid the hip-hop community’s ongoing scrutiny.
Raskel’s background as the then-15-year-old shooter in the Hollywood Hills robbery that killed 20-year-old Bashar Barakah Jackson, known as Pop Smoke, adds layers to this incident, especially given his post-release behavior, including mocking the victim’s last words online, appearing unremorseful in interviews, and even wearing Pop Smoke merchandise in viral photos. Released at age 21 after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in juvenile court, Raskel had briefly worn an ankle monitor before cutting it off in another video, actions that have drawn widespread criticism from fans and Pop Smoke’s family. The assault, unconfirmed by police reports but speculated as retaliation, occurred near his neighborhood, highlighting the persistent risks he faces outside detention.
Public reaction has been swift and largely unsympathetic, with X’s reposts garnering millions of views and comments expressing outrage over his freedom, such as calls for repeated confrontations or skepticism about the injuries being staged with makeup. Engagement metrics show that a single major repost alone has exceeded 2.6 million views, 11,000 likes, and hundreds of replies laced with dark humor and demands for harsher justice. This sentiment underscores a broader distrust in the juvenile system’s handling of violent crimes, particularly in high-profile cases tied to the music industry.
From a journalistic standpoint, this episode exposes the fragile line between legal redemption and street accountability in hip-hop culture, where figures like Raskel often navigate fame through controversy but risk real-world consequences that the courts cannot mitigate. It raises questions about whether early releases for minors truly rehabilitate or merely defer inevitable conflicts, especially when the perpetrator shows little contrition. As the hip-hop world continues to mourn Pop Smoke, whose posthumous estate has grown to an estimated $2-4 million through ongoing music releases, incidents like this serve as a stark reminder that closure remains elusive for victims’ families.
For more details on the case, review the Los Angeles County Superior Court records. Context on Pop Smoke’s life and legacy can be found in his official artist profile. The original video repost is available on X. Further insights into juvenile justice in similar cases appear in California Department of Justice reports.
