Jimmy Wopo

Jimmy Wopo
Jimmy Wopo in 2016
Jimmy Wopo in 2016
Background information
Born
Travon DaShawn Frank Smart

(1997-01-13)January 13, 1997
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died(2018-06-18)June 18, 2018 (aged 21)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Cause of deathHomicide (gunshot wound)
EducationThe Academy Charter School
GenresHip hop
OccupationsRapper
InstrumentVocals
Years active2015–2018
Label
  • Taylor Gang / 018 Muney Lane Records
Formerly ofMuney Lane Muzik[1]

Travon DaShawn Frank Smart (January 13, 1997 – June 18, 2018), better known by his stage name Jimmy Wopo, was an American rapper.

Wopo was an affiliate of fellow Pittsburgh-based rapper Wiz Khalifa and his Taylor Gang imprint. He made his first high-profile appearance with his 2016 breakout single, "Elm Street", produced by Stvii B, which Complex included in the "'Bout to Blow: 10 Dope New Songs You Should Be Hearing Everywhere Soon" list.[2] Following that success, he collaborated with several prominent rappers including Wiz Khalifa, Sonny Digital, 21 Savage and more.[3] After receiving a co-sign from hip hop producer Mike Will Made It, rap duo Rae Sremmurd brought Wopo out to perform during their set at the Pittsburgh stop of their SremmLife 2 Tour.[4] Wopo was murdered in a drive-by shooting on June 18, 2018.

Early life

Wopo was born January 13, 1997, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Tammeka Dennison and James White Jr., and was one of 11 children.[5] Wopo was raised in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, a historically black neighborhood.[6] When Wopo was 7, he started rapping, but would not take it seriously until much later. When he was 14, he started to record music at a nearby studio, but was not allowed to cuss. He attended the Academy Charter School, but would drop out when he was in the tenth-grade.[5][1] When he was a teenager, Wopo had been shot on two separate occasions. While he was recovering from his second shooting, he started to take rap more seriously.[6][1]

Career

In January 2015, Wopo began uploading original tracks to his SoundCloud account. Taylor Maglin, the owner of the Pittsburgh-based blog Daily Loud, partnered with him and began to publicize his music. This additional push helped him to accumulate millions of views on his music videos on his YouTube channel.[7] Joining the wave of Wopo's viral success, urban hip hop blog WorldStarHipHop exclusively debuted five of his music videos in 2016.[8] On July 24, 2016, he premiered his debut project, Woponese, on Daily Loud.[9] This 8-track mixtape included the single "Back Door", which features Sonny Digital.[10] In October 2016, Wopo was featured on Riff Raff's song "Stay Away from You" on his Balloween mixtape.[11] On November 25, 2016, he released a joint album with his fellow Pittsburgh-based rapper Hardo. This nine-track project featured ShadyHigler, 21 Savage and Wiz Khalifa.[12]

Before his death, Wopo completed 50 unreleased songs, which would be released posthumously according to Wopo's manager.[13][5]

On February 7, 2016, Wopo was arrested during a traffic stop in Washington County, Pennsylvania. Police arrested Wopo and two others after finding two stamp bags of suspected heroin and a small amount of marijuana. He was arraigned on drug charges and drinking charges and placed in jail with a $25,000 bond. Later, while out, Wopo, landed in jail because of probation violation. Wopo failed to inform officials of his trip to New York State, where he was caught and imprisoned on such charges. While in jail, he wrote an album, Back Against the Wall, which he recorded the first day he got out of jail.[14][15]

Murder

At 4:22 PM EDT on June 18, 2018, Wopo and a male passenger were shot while driving through Pittsburgh's Hill District neighborhood.[16][17] The passenger survived, but Wopo, who was shot in the head, died after being rushed to UPMC Presbyterian at 5:56 PM.[1] He was 21 years old, and left behind two children, with a third on the way.[18] He also had been murdered on the same day as fellow rapper XXXTentacion.[19][15] As of 2025, no one has been charged for the murder.

Wopo has been posthumously implicated in numerous gang related crimes. Multiple members of his gang were sentenced to prison in 2021.[20]

Discography

  • Woponese (2016)[15]
  • Trapnese (2016) (with Hardo)
  • Jordan Kobe (2017)
  • Back Against the Wall (2017)[15]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Rapper Jimmy Wopo shot and killed in Pittsburgh's Hill District". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 19, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "Bout to Blow: 10 Dope New Songs You Should Be Hearing Everywhere Soon". Complex. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  3. ^ "Hardo-Todays A Good Day Featuring Wiz Khalifa and Jimmy Wopo". Hot New Hip Hop. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  4. ^ "Mike Will Made It Co-Signs Jimmy Wopo". Twitter. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c Mervis, Scott (June 29, 2018). "Mourners gather in Hill District for funeral of slain rapper Jimmy Wopo". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on January 11, 2026. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  6. ^ a b "Jimmy Wopo: The man behind the music". The Pitt News. June 27, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  7. ^ "#BangerAlert: Jimmy Wopo Says "Oh My"". Hip Hop DX. August 25, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  8. ^ "Jimmy Wopo videos". WorldStarHipHop. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  9. ^ "Jimmy Wopo Woponese mixtape". Daily Loud. Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  10. ^ "Jimmy Wopo "Woponese" Mixtape". Live Mixtapes. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  11. ^ "Stream Riff Raff's New 'Balloween' Mixtape". Hypebeast. October 25, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  12. ^ "Trapnese by Hardo and Jimmy Wopo". iTunes. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  13. ^ "Slain Pittsburgh rapper Jimmy Wopo left behind more than 50 unreleased songs". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  14. ^ Warco, Kathie (February 8, 2016). "Eight arrested on drug charges in Washington County over weekend". Observer-Reporter. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  15. ^ a b c d Barron, Laignee (June 18, 2018). "Pittsburgh Rapper Jimmy Wopo Dies in Drive-by Shooting". TIME. Archived from the original on May 17, 2025. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  16. ^ "R.I.P. Jimmy Wopo". The Fader. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  17. ^ "Rapper Jimmy Wopo shot and killed in Pittsburgh's Hill District". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 18, 2018. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  18. ^ "Funeral Service Held For Slain Pittsburgh Rapper Jimmy Wopo - CBS Pittsburgh". www.cbsnews.com. June 29, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  19. ^ "Rapper XXXTentacion shot dead in Florida, police say". June 18, 2018.
  20. ^ "Members Of Jimmy Wopo's Gang Sent To Prison For A Long Time". August 18, 2021.
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