Lil Poppa

Janarious Mykel Wheeler (March 18, 2000 – February 18, 2026), better known by his stage name Lil Poppa, was an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with his 2018 single "Purple Hearts" as well as "Eternal Living" and "Love & War" (2021) — "Eternal Living" has received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Lil Poppa signed with Interscope Records in 2019. His debut album, Blessed, I Guess (2021), entered the Billboard 200 and received positive critical reception. He then signed with Yo Gotti's Collective Music Group (CMG) record label in 2022 to release several more projects. He performed on "Big League", the theme song of the 2022 NBA Finals, with fellow CMG signees.

According to SiriusXM, Lil Poppa's music "balanc[ed] tales of violence and retribution with loyalty to his loved ones, regret for his missteps, and the desperation to create a better life for himself." It was later described in HotNewHipHop as an "undeniably riveting sound that relie on the brute honesty that he mask[ed] through his melodic delivery." In 2025, the same publication described Lil Poppa as "one of rap’s most introspective storytellers."

Early life Wheeler was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on March 18, 2000. He grew up alternating between his mother's house on the Eastside of Jacksonville and his grandma and aunt’s house on the Westside. Wheeler was occasionally bedridden as a result of a chronic blood disease. By age 10, he was performing his raps in church. with his musical influences including rappers Bow Wow, Chief Keef, and Kodak Black.

Growing up in Jacksonville, Wheeler survived a shooting in which two of his best friends were killed. He was featured on their most popular song, "Lions, Tigers, and Bears", released in 2014. Lil Poppa began uploading his own music to websites like SoundCloud and MyMixtapez. He caught the attention of Bigga Rankin, a prominent local DJ who began to sponsor his mixtapes and help him promote his music, significantly boosting his profile. He followed up with a seven-track extended play (EP) called "Evergreen Wildchild" (2018).

Later that year, Lil Poppa released a mixtape titled Under Investigation, which, according Complex, "sent his stock through the roof." Lil Poppa followed this up with another mixtape, Almost Normal. According to Audiomack, it "prize subtlety over sweeping statements and zoom[ed] in on [his] carefully considered, sometimes conflicted thoughts". One of the songs on the album, "Love & War", later received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2026.

2022–2026: Signing with CMG and subsequent releases In April 2022, Lil Poppa signed with Yo Gotti's record label, Collective Music Group (CMG), an imprint of Interscope. The two commemorated the deal by releasing a collaborative single, "H Spot", along with a corresponding music video. A week later, Lil Poppa released the 21-track mixtape Under Investigation 3, which featured guest appearances from Yo Gotti and Lil Duval. The mixtape, which peaked at No. 194 on the Billboard 200 in May, Shortly thereafter, Lil Poppa was featured on the single "Big League", which served as the official theme song of the 2022 NBA Finals, alongside Yo Gotti and fellow CMG artists Mozzy and Moneybagg Yo. He also co-headlined the Wicked Wildchild United Summer Bash at the Florida Theatre with fellow Jacksonville rapper Nardo Wick.

Lil Poppa released another album, titled Heavy is the Head, in November 2022, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart.

Personal life Wheeler dated Toie Roberts, daughter of rapper Rick Ross, and had one son. Wheeler's manager accused Roberts of restricting him from visiting his son, contributing to his mental health issues at the time of his death.

Death Wheeler was found dead in Fulton County, Georgia, on February 18, 2026, at the age of 25. An autopsy was performed on February 19, 2026. The Fulton County medical examiner concluded that Wheeler had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head after he crashed his car on a highway near Hapeville, Georgia. Meek Mill, Lil Duval, Boosie Badazz, Yo Gotti, Rob49, Dej Loaf, Mozzy, Nardo Wick, Yungeen Ace, and Lil Baby paid tribute.

Discography Albums

Blessed, I Guess (2021) – No. 160 Billboard 200 HEAVY IS THE HEAD (2022) – No. 4 Billboard Heatseekers Half Man, Half Vamp (2023) WEE ARE WHO WE ARE (2024) Almost Normal Again (2025)

Extended plays Title EP details Evergreen Wildchild(as That Boy Poppa) Released: April 11, 2018 Label: Team Bigga Rankin Formats: Digital download, streaming It's Me, I'm The Problem Released: December 8, 2023 Label: Interscope / CMG Formats: Digital download, streaming

Mixtapes + List of mixtapes, with year released and selected chart positions Title Details Peak chart positions US EST. 2000(as That Boy Poppa) Released: August 20, 2016 Label: Team Bigga Rankin Format: Digital download, streaming — Life After Desi Released: August 30, 2017 Label: Wildchild Format: Digital download, streaming — Under Investigation Released: October 29, 2018 Label: Wildchild Format: Digital download, streaming — Under Investigation 2 Released: March 22, 2019 Label: Interscope / Rule #1 Format: Digital download, streaming — Almost Normal Released: December 13, 2019 Label: Interscope / Rule #1 Format: Digital download, streaming — Evergreen Wildchild 2 Released: May 29, 2020 Label: Interscope / Rule #1 Format: Digital download, streaming — Under Investigation 3 Released: April 27, 2022 Label: Interscope / CMG Format: Digital download, streaming 194 ENJOY THE SHOW(with Jdot Breezy) Released: September 15, 2023 Label: CMG / Hitmaker Music Group / Blac Noize! Format: Digital download, streaming — "—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory.

Singles

As lead artist + List of singles, with showing year released, certifications and album name Title Year Album(s) "Nightmare on Elm Street" 2018 Under Investigation "Purple Hearts" "Out Of Town Bae" 2026

As featured artist + List of singles as a featured artist, showing year released and album name Title Year Album "Price Tag" 2020 Beyond Bulletproof "Grammy" 2022

Other certified songs + List of singles, with showing year released, certifications and album name Title Year Certifications Album(s) "Love & War" 2021RIAA: Gold Blessed, I Guess