Pop Smoke‘s voice was impossible to imitate and impossible to forget. Deep, gravelly, and commanding, it turned Brooklyn drill into a global movement in less than a year — and years after his passing, that voice is still being reimagined by producers and remixers around the world. One of the hardest-hitting of those reimaginings is the Lil Teny remix of “The Greatest,” a fan-made drill flip that has been circulating on YouTube and racking up plays from Smoke’s loyal fanbase.
If you came here for the video, it’s right below. If you want the full story — who Pop Smoke was, why his music still dominates, and what makes this remix hit so hard — keep reading.
Who Was Pop Smoke?
Pop Smoke, born Bashar Barakah Jackson on July 20, 1999, in Brooklyn, New York, was the face of the Brooklyn drill explosion. His breakthrough single “Welcome to the Party” arrived in 2019 and instantly reset what New York rap sounded like: sliding 808s borrowed from UK drill, ominous choir-like melodies, and that unmistakable bass-heavy voice riding over it all.
He followed up with two “Meet the Woo” mixtapes in 2019 and early 2020, stacking anthems like “Dior” — a track that would go on to become one of the defining rap records of its era. His momentum was cut short when he was killed on February 19, 2020, at just 20 years old. What followed was one of the most successful posthumous runs in hip-hop history: his debut studio album “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon” (2020), executive-produced with 50 Cent’s guidance, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and stayed there, spawning hits like “Got It on Me,” “Something Special,” and “For the Night.” A second posthumous album, “Faith,” arrived in 2021.
The Lil Teny Remix of “The Greatest”
The remix featured in the video above comes from Lil Teny, a producer whose channel has become a go-to spot for hard-hitting Pop Smoke flips. The formula is simple and effective: take Smoke’s towering vocal presence, rebuild the instrumental with thunderous drill drums and dark, cinematic melodies, and let the energy do the rest.
What makes remixes like this one endure is how they keep Pop Smoke’s legacy in motion. Official releases are finite — there will only ever be so many Pop Smoke verses — but the remix culture around him is endless. Producers keep finding new pockets in his voice, new tempos that fit his flow, new ways to make a catalog frozen in time feel alive. “The Greatest” in Lil Teny’s hands becomes a showcase for exactly that: familiar enough to hit instantly, reworked enough to feel new.
Where to Listen
The definitive place to hear this remix is the YouTube video above. No exact verified Apple Music listing was found for this remix. Turn it up.
Pop Smoke on Apple Music
The Legacy
Pop Smoke’s career lasted barely a year, yet his influence is everywhere: in the drill scenes of London, New York, Chicago, and beyond; in the deep-voiced rappers who followed; in the way producers now build beats around a voice rather than the other way around. Every remix, every flip, every “The Greatest”-style reimagining is proof that his run was never really about quantity. It was about impact — and that impact hasn’t faded.
Press play on the video above and hear why.
Hear Every 808 the Way It Was Meant to Be Heard
Drill lives in the low end — the sliding 808s, the deep vocal, the bass that hits your chest. Cheap earbuds flatten all of it. If you’re going to run a Pop Smoke remix back ten times, do it on gear that can actually handle it:
- Turtle Beach Battle Buds — punchy bass, built for long listening sessions
- Gaming Headset — over-ear comfort with deep, full low end
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