Dec. 16, 2020
By Michael Simeone
Staff Writer
Pop Smoke died on Feb. 19, 2020, at the age of 20 after being murdered during an invasion of his home in Los Angeles. His death came only 12 days after the debut of his second mixtape titled “Meet The Woo 2.”
Almost five months later, 19 tracks of his unreleased music were finally made public. On July 3, the not-to-be-missed debut studio album “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon” became available to the public.
Pop Smoke’s music career was fairly short, but with his two mixtapes, he was able to make a big name for himself. His first mixtape, “Meet The Woo,” was released on July 26, 2019 and kickstarted his massive popularity and success. “Meet The Woo” features hit songs including “Dior,” “PTSD” and “Welcome To The Party,” which were trending on major platforms. “Meet The Woo 2,” however, was what caused him to achieve true success on the music scene. This album consisted of the songs “Mannequin,” “Shake the Room” and “War.”
“Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon” has a lot of hit songs, but the ones that gained the most popularity are “For the Night,” “Got It on Me” and “Mood Swings.”
In his prime, 50 Cent was known as the “King of New York,” and that title would have been handed down to Brooklyn native Pop Smoke had it not been for his tragic death.
“Got It on Me” is surely one of the best songs on the entire album because of its deep meaning. Not only does it feature Pop Smoke’s mentor 50 Cent, but it is also a remake of 50 Cent’s hit song “Many Men.” In his prime, 50 Cent was known as the “King of New York,” and that title would have been handed down to Brooklyn native Pop Smoke had it not been for his tragic death. 50 Cent wasn’t the only artist featured on the album. Other great rappers who make an appearance are DaBaby, Lil Baby, Lil Tjay, Quavo and Roddy Ricch.
The songs “For the Night” and “Mood Swings” both held top spots on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart. “For the Night” features DaBaby and Lil Baby, and “Mood Swings” features Lil Tjay. These songs, and the album as a whole, are outstanding, which is why it debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard 200 and returned to no. 1 on Oct. 24.
It is not surprising that “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon” has had so much success. In this album, Pop Smoke strikes the most perfect balance between various styles. It is an energizing album that hypes up the listener. Pop Smoke’s fast-paced rhythms and rapping make listeners want to dance and sing at the same time. Pop Smoke does a great job sticking to his normal style while slowing down the pace a little to create a more chill and relaxing vibe.
“Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon” is a flawless testament to the late rapper’s talent, but don’t assume you’ve heard the last new song by Pop Smoke. His manager, Steven Victor, confirmed that more never-before-heard Pop Smoke music will be released. Hopefully that is true because his music has most definitely had a positive impact on both the music industry and fans.
