WEEKS before his shocking death at the age of 28, R&B singer B Smyth shared a haunting post about “waking up.”
B Smyth, real name Brandon Smith, shared a photo of himself back in June getting out of a car to his over 160,000 Instagram followers.
“If you woke up today N***a you winning !!!” the caption read.
Just weeks later, on Thursday, B Smyth’s older brother Denzil confirmed the musician’s death from respiratory failure following a lengthy battle with pulmonary fibrosis.
“It’s very tough for me to make this video because I never thought I would have to make something like this,” he said.
“We ask right now in this particular moment that you guys respect our privacy and that we accept all the love and condolences on his behalf.”
Denzil added that he and his family are trying to do the best that they can to cope with the tragic situation.
“My brother was very excited to see a lot of you create challenges for his latest released single #Twerkoholic part 2 while he was in the ICU, it really brought him a big smile to his face,” read the caption of the post.
Following the news of B Smyth’s death, many of his fans sent their condolences on his previous social media posts, including this one.
“U didn’t wake,” wrote one heartbroken fan.
“Rest in Paradise bro….”
“Wow, I just learn of you, and very sad to learn of your passing,” someone else said.
“Glad to find this post and feels appropriate to acknowledge you here and would like to give your family my deepest condolences and prayers of God strength in your passing!”
B Smyth earned fame on YouTube, becoming known for his songs Might Cuff You, Ride Good, Creep, Leggo, and more.
His success landed him a record deal with Motown Records in 2012 and later with ByStorm Entertainment and RCA Records in 2015.
He collaborated with artists such as 2 Chainz and Future during his career.
“It’s definitely dope, especially me just being fans of those guys,” he told Complex in 2013.
“To go from being a fan to being amongst them as my peers and doing records with them, it’s really a blessing for me.”