Pusha T pulls song "Hunting Season" from streaming services after Pop Smoke's death

Rapper Pop Smoke died earlier this week, killed at the age of 20 by a group of unknown assailants who reportedly broke into the Los Angeles home where he was staying. In the wake of the Meet The Woo artist’s death, Pusha T has announced that he’s pulling a new song, “Hunting Season,” from various streaming services, stating (per Rolling Stone) that “The whole concept of hunting season and the hypothetical ideas of ‘killing rappers’ isn’t [sitting] well with me.”

Recorded alongside Jadakiss (upon whose upcoming album, Ignatius, it was set to be released), the lyrics of “Hunting Season” traffic in a wide variety of violent imagery, including specific lines about stalking and hunting other rappers as though they were prey. The song’s release on Friday (just two days after Pop Smoke’s death) drew unwanted parallels to the murder, something that Pusha T himself emphasized in an Instagram post about the decision, while also making it clear that the song’s subject matter references a “request” frequently made by his friend, the late IcePick Jay.

Ignatius is Jadakiss’ fifth studio album; it arrives next week, although it’s not clear now whether “Hunting Season” will appear on it.