Pop Smoke Scores No. 1 With Posthumous Release, Breaks Record

Late rapper, Pop Smoke, debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart rankings, with his posthumous album: “Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon”. The album, which features 19 tracks, was released on 3rd July. 

Debuting at No.1, Pop Smoke’s release also becomes the first posthumous release to top the chart after late rapper, XXXTentatcion’s posthumous album, ‘Skins’, in 2018. Equally important, the album, whose production was completed by Brooklyn rapper 50 Cent, also marks Smoke’s debut studio album. In addition, he also joins Notorious B.I.G, 2pac and XXXTentacion as the only rappers to have scored No. 1 posthumously.

“Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon” includes features from fellow rappers Quavo, Lil Baby, DaBaby, Swae Lee, Future, 50 Cent and Roddy Ricch. 

Earlier last week, Pop Smoke made headlines, when 5 suspects were arrested in an investigation surrounding his murder. Smoke was fatally shot in his home as a result of a home invasion in 2019; he was only 20 years old. 

Pop Smoke rose to fame quickly after stepping foot on the rap scene. After a string of features and participation in the underground rap game, Smoke’s career as a lead artist began to gain traction. Further, his single, ‘Dior‘, peaked at No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, the follow up to his first mixtape, ‘Meet the Woo 2’ even debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 at the time of its release.

Billboard 200 Rankings

As “Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon” reigns supreme on the Billboard 200, after selling a total of 251,000 units, it is joined by other rap and hip-hop acts this week. 

Hamilton comes in at No. 2, reaching a new peak in its stint on the chart. Lil Baby’s ‘My Turn’ and DaBaby’s ‘Blame it on Baby’ sit at No. 3 and No. 4 respectively. And, Post Malone continues to stay in the Top 10, scoring No. 5 with his 2019 release “Hollywood’s Bleeding”. 

By: Ahalya Narayanan