Early Wednesday morning, the hip hop community was devastated to learn about the tragic passing of Brooklyn-bred rapper Pop Smoke, whose life was cut short in what appeared to be a targeted hit. Tributes and condolences were shared by many, from celebrities to his everyday fans. The music world continues to grieve, and many are doing so through his music.
According to Billboard and Nielsen Music/MRC Data, Pop Smoke saw a 392% increase in streams following his death. On February 19, the day he passed, Pop Smoke amassed a total of 24.7 million streams, while his music only tallied up 5 million streams the day before. The top track was “Dior,” off his 2019 tape, Meet The Woo, which was streamed a total of 5.2 million times, — a 467% increase from the previous day, which saw 909,000 streams.
The motive behind Pop Smoke’s killing has yet to be found, but it seems like initial reports of a robbery may be more false than true. According to TMZ, surveillance cameras showed four men approaching the house before heading to the back. A couple minutes later, three men can be seen returning to the front of the house, signaling that the fourth individual had entered through the back. The fourth man is later seen fleeing from the front door.
Read our piece on Pop Smoke and his legacy here.
[via Billboard]
