On Thursday, Brandon Smith, best known by his stage name B. Smyth, unfortunately, passed away at 28.
His brother Denzil took to the singer’s Instagram account to announce the tragic news to the Twerkoholic singer’s fanbase, revealing that Smyth passed away from “respiratory failure after a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis.”
Smyth released his hot single Twerkoholic in 2014, which amassed millions of views across music streaming platforms such as Spotify.
Last month, Smyth had just released the second part to his hit single, Twerkoholic Pt. 2.
At the time of his passing, his family thanked his fans for their continued support and all the love they showed the young star.
The family also asked for privacy as they all navigate through their loss.
What is pulmonary fibrosis?
According to the Mayo Clinic, pulmonary fibrosis “is a lung disease that occurs when lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred.”
Due to scar tissue being thicker and stiffer than standard lung tissue, it can hinder the ability of the lungs to function properly. As pulmonary fibrosis progresses, it causes shortness of breath and can have other symptoms such as dry cough, fatigue, aching muscles and joints, and unexplained weight loss.
The lung damage is irreparable, though medications can be used to ease symptoms. Still, some that suffer from pulmonary fibrosis may need a lung transplant.
It can be caused by other medical conditions, exposure to pollutants, radiation treatments, and some medications. The course of the disease can be either slow, with symptoms getting worse over a course of months or years, or it can have a more rapid onset within days or weeks.
Fans react to B. Smyth’s death
Smyth worked with a variety of stars throughout his career, having made music with rappers 2 Chainz and Young Thug, and gained thousands of fans throughout his career.
The musician has over 154,000 followers on Instagram, and many other fans stepped forward after the news of his passing broke, taking to Twitter to send their condolences to the family.
Some fans noted that it was very sad that he passed from respiratory issues and that they weren’t aware he was struggling with pulmonary fibrosis, so the news was a complete shock.
It’s clear that the young musician will be missed, and his death is hitting his fans hard, possibly amplified by the recent passing of Migos rapper Takeoff, who was shot and killed, also only 28 at the time.
Rest in peace, B. Smyth.