Lil Poppa song playing on a phone. (Kiya Daye/FAMUAN)

Florida rapper Janarious Mykel Wheeler, known by the stage name Lil Poppa, died at age 25 in Georgia on Feb. 18 from a self- inflicted gunshot wound. 

Lil Poppa leaves behind a four-year-old son named PJ that he fathered with rapper Rick Ross’s daughter Toie Roberts. 

He made music that focused on topics like pain, street life, personal growth, and trauma. The rapper was known for songs including “Eternal Living” featuring Polo G, “Love & War”, and “Mind Over Matter”. 

Throughout these songs he spoke on losing friends to gun violence, mental health struggles, and the pressure of fame at a young age.  

For fans, Lil Poppa’s death had a huge impact on Jacksonville. 

Jada Richard, Jacksonville native, says Lil Poppa’s music was an outlet for people struggling to express themselves. 

“You see a lot of people who don’t like to express what they’re going through mentally,” Richard said. “It gave them a chance to hear that somebody else was struggling through the exact same things they were.” 

Lil Poppa’s death opens an urgent conversation about mental health among young adults. Many people suffer in silence and feel like they have nowhere to turn.  

According to the National Institution of Mental Health, in the United States, about 12–12.6% of young adults aged 18–25 reported having serious thoughts of suicide in the past year, significantly higher than older adult age groups.  

Lil Poppa’s music reflected on this issue. He exposed something that many young adults struggle with daily. Struggling with mental health internally while pretending to be okay externally. 

As he admitted in “Eternal Living,” he was “smiling through the pain.” Revealing the emotional shield  many young adults hide behind while silently coping with anxiety, grief, and unresolved trauma. 

Tyrone McGriff, health instructor at Florida A&M University, says that mental health disparities can be caused by unhealthy lifestyles. While he is not familiar with Lil Poppa’s music, he believes that certain music glorifies hardship and can have lasting effects. 

“We have to acknowledge that what [we] put in is going to produce something that will eventually come out,” Tillman said. 

The Mental Health Council of the Big Bend hosted their annual event called Momentum that focused on providing mental health resources and suicide prevention. 

Aaron Tillman, a mental health therapist, says that sometimes people just need a space to be vulnerable and talk about what they experience daily. He believes social media has an influence on mental health.  

“I see a lot of issues and challenges with the youth being able to understand their significance based off what they see on social media,” Tillman said. “Everything feels like its telling them they’re not enough”.  

He says some early signs of someone struggling with mental health are someone becoming withdrawn or starting to isolate themselves, but it is easy to miss signs.  

“It’s easy for someone to just say I’m all good, or it’s easy for someone to hide behind performance, especially if they’re posting different things on social media,” Tillman said. “If their life looks well externally, but inside they’re hurting, I think it’s easy to miss the pain that people are experiencing.”  

Tillman recalls his last moments with his dear friend Adner Marcelin, who he tragically lost due to suicide.  

“I never really thought that was going to be the last moment that I would spend with him, and I wouldn’t have been able to tell that he was contemplating that” Tillman said. 

Tillman wants to leave young adults with the message “explore not ignore” as a reminder that it is always okay to talk about your feelings when you may feel anxiety or depression.