Lil Poppa Dead at 25: What's Known About His Cause of Death

Lil Poppa, the Jacksonville, FL, rapper whose real name was Janarious Wheeler, has died at the age of 25.

That much was confirmed by the Fulton County Medical Examiner to News 4 Jax. What was Lil Poppa's cause of death? The medical examiner's office told the television station that "the 25-year-old’s cause of death is under investigation." News broke that Lil Poppa had died on February 18, 2026. Fulton County is located in Georgia. It's not clear why Lil Poppa was in that state.

Lil Poppa "was signed to Collective Music Group, which was founded by rapper Yo Gotti," News4Jax reported. “He's just a great guy. Outside of the music and the artistry, man, he was a good human, and I'll never forget him,” said Scotty OTH, a friend and music producer, to First Coast News.

“I was making beats, then he was making music and 2019, 2018, we ended up making our first track together, but outside it's deeper than music — that was family to me. We called each other cousins,” he said to the station.

Lil Poppa Was Pronounced Dead Just Before Noon, Reports Say, But How He Died Is Under investigation

According to TMZ, Lil Poppa "was pronounced dead" at 11:23 a.m. ET on February 18. TMZ also reported that the cause of death for the rapper is under investigation.

Lil Poppa "has released several hit tracks over the last few years," including "Love & War," "Mind Over Matter," and "HAPPY TEARS," TMZ reported.

Lil Duval wrote a tribute to the rapper on X. "This one really hurt me cuz i really cared about lil poppa. Most of us in Jacksonville knew him since he was a kid. And we all wanted him to win and he was," he wrote.

"Cuz once the drill music died done he was the only one left standing. And he deserved it cuz He was really who all these other YN rappers wanted to be in Jacksonville. Even his enemies was his fans first," Lil Duval added. "We talked a couple weeks ago he said 'i know i was suppose been pulled up to camp Duval but i been busy but im definitely pulling up soon' and i said 'ain’t no rush it ain’t going no where' now i wish i would’ve forced it."

Lil Poppa Had a Large Following on Instagram

Lil Poppa had 1 million followers on his Instagram page.In an Instagram story, he said that he was trying to find "peace of mind."

"First We’re Born, Next We Suffer, Then We Die… The End!!" his page reads. According to Pitchfork, Wheeler "broke through in 2018 with 'Purple Hearts,' a song about surviving a shooting in his hometown, he was only 18."

His latest song, “Out of Town Bae,” was just released. According to WION, Lil Poppa "stayed in the spotlight due to his relationship with Toie Robert." They welcomed a son together in 2022; rumors that they had split were never confirmed, the site reported.

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