Pop Smoke just earned his first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100 posthumous.
Since news of Pop Smoke’s death reached the media waves, the departed rapper’s streaming numbers have spiked. While he has been featured on the Billboard chart before when he teamed up with Travis Scott for their song “GATTI” which was a track on Scott’s 2019 “JACKBOYS” project, Pop Smoke’s song “Dior” has now entered the Hot 100 chart as his first-ever solo record on the ranking.
“Dior” recorded 5.2 million streams on the day Pop Smoke died. Overall, the rapper received 24.7 million on-demand streams in the U.S. alone on the day he met his demise. According to Nielsen Music, his music streams saw a 392 percent increase after his passing. Consequently, Pop Smoke made his top 50 appearances on Billboard without a feature. “Dior” debuted at no. 49 on the chart this week, which is a new chart peak for Pop whose record with Travis Scott had gone no. 69.
The song “Dior” was originally featured on Pop Smoke’s 2019 EP “Meet The Woo” and then later as a bonus track on the sequel. Pop released “Meet The Woo 2” only a few weeks before he passed. Pop Smoke was shot and killed in Los Angeles, California, during a home invasion robbery. The New York rapper was only 20-years-old. His Billboard Hot 100 entry is bittersweet because it’s, unfortunately, becoming a trend where very young rappers pass away from varying circumstances and experience a significant increase in their music numbers right after which leads to posthumous recognition.
We need to start appreciating living breathing talent a little more while we have them. Do you think more Pop Smoke records will make their Billboard debut?
