Rapper Lil Poppa, whose birth name was Janarious Mykel Wheeler, has died at the age of 25. His death was officially confirmed by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. The cause of death remains under investigation, with specific details currently scarce.

Following the news of his passing, an outpouring of grief and support emerged from his fanbase and fellow artists. Noteworthy rappers such as Dej Loaf, Mozzy, and Nardo Wick were among those who paid tribute to Lil Poppa. Caroline “Baroline” Diaz, CEO of Great Day Records and an A&R who worked with Poppa during the early stages of his career at Interscope, also shared her sorrow on X on February 18, 2026. Diaz wrote, “My little brother is gone. Poppa I love you so much. I am so broken. One of the first artists I had at Interscope. A&R’ed 4 of his projects. I’m so sad right now.”

Lil Poppa’s career saw significant milestones, including signing with Yo Gotti’s CMG label in 2022. Over the years, he collaborated with a range of prominent artists, including Yo Gotti himself, Polo G, Rylo Rodriguez, Toosii, Mozzy, Yungeen Ace, and Seddy Hendrix. Just a week prior to his death, on February 13, 2026, Poppa had released his latest single, “Out of Town Bae.” He had also been actively touring in late 2025 and had an upcoming Birthday Bash show scheduled for March 2026 in New Orleans.

Throughout his career, Lil Poppa achieved recognition on the Billboard charts. His project "Blessed, I Guess" reached No. 160 on the Billboard 200 in May 2021, and his album "Under Investigation 3" peaked at No. 194 on the same chart in May 2022. Additionally, he earned several placements on the Heatseekers Albums chart, with "Heavy is the Head" achieving its highest position at No. 4 in November 2022. Billboard has reportedly reached out to representatives for Lil Poppa for further comment.