Video Picks
Powered by CircleSquareLA
Thursday, 23 July 2020

POP SMOKE - THE WOO FEAT. 50 CENT & RODDY RICCH

I first came across Pop Smoke about a year ago when I first heard “Welcome To The Party” off his debut mixtape, Meet The Woo. Singles like “Welcome To The Party” and “Dior” catapulted him out of obscurity and into the mainstream as one of the leaders of New York City’s rendition of the drill movement.  

Unfortunately, the 20-year old’s life was cut short on February 19, 2020 after being shot twice during a home invasion in the Hollywood Hills (a suburb of Los Angeles, CA). During this time period, he was hard at work putting together his debut album. After his passing, 50 Cent stepped up to plate in the role of Executive Producer to finish the task and get Pop Smoke’s music out to the world. This video, "The Woo" (feat. 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch) released on what would have been Pop Smoke’s 21st birthday, gives us a good sampler of what is on his posthumous debut album, Shoot For the Stars, Aim For The Moon.

In traditional commercial hip-hop sense, Roddy Ricch and 50 Cent can be found surrounded by beautiful women, fast cars, and bottles of champagne. But in the corner of the room, there’s a collection of TV screens, and on each of those screens displays old music videos, live shows, and raw tour footage of the late Pop Smoke. Roddy and 50 deliver a very modern “2020” hip-hop flavor in both of their verses. You almost wonder how much Pop’s going to contrast with his counterparts, but when he starts that final verse of the song, you almost think 50 was delivering another verse of his own. But no, it’s Pop. Dropping references to “Candy Shop” and “Hate It or Love It” in a slightly melodic tone, two things become abundantly clear: First, 50 Cent was a huge influence on Pop Smoke, and it makes sense why 50 jumped up to the task. Secondly, Pop intended to make an album that showed us more sides of himself than just a drill rapper. Its rumored Pop Smoke has up to 400 pieces of unreleased records, so my hope is we can see more of this stuff down the line.

Rest In Power, Pope Smoke 

 - Kris

 

Written by  Kris Kuganathan
Last modified on Wednesday, 19 August 2020
  • MYSTICAL JOYRIDE feat. SEAN THE STAR EMPEROR - "GODDESS"
    MYSTICAL JOYRIDE feat. SEAN THE STAR EMPEROR -  "GODDESS" Hunnypot has been long time fans of Mystical Joyride and Sean the Star Emperor, both having met as a part of the line up for our Hunnypot Live Showcase. The two have collaborated on many occasions since, culminating with this feminine anthem "GODDESS". L.A. psychedelic and genre-fluid duo Mystical Joyride,… Read more
    Posted Monday, 28 October 2024
  • MILLY - "Bittersweet Mary"
    MILLY - "Bittersweet Mary" “I think about death all the time.” Almost ironic for someone called Brendan Dyer. Principal songwriter and singer of the indie rock, shoegaze band MILLY, Dyer lays his hushed vocals over a bed of heavy guitar riffs while singing about both love and death. In their freshly released third LP… Read more
    Posted Tuesday, 15 October 2024
  • DREAM THEATER, NIGHT TERROR
    DREAM THEATER, NIGHT TERROR When the video for "Night Terror" was released, I did myself the injustice of reading a ton of related social media posts prior to listening to the track out right. I saw everything from 'Best Song Ever' to 'Total Disappointment' and everything in between. Who would have thought a new… Read more
    Posted Sunday, 13 October 2024
  • THE HU, THE TROOPER
    The Hu's music video for their cover of Iron Maiden's "The Trooper" is a captivating fusion of cultures and sounds, marrying the raw power of heavy metal with the profound depth of traditional Mongolian music. From the onset, the band sets the tone with Gala's signature throat singing and the… Read more
    Posted Friday, 04 October 2024
  • VYBZ KARTEL, THE COMET
    Recorded a week after his release from prison, Vybz Kartel released the video for his latest single on Friday Sept. 13th. Within a few hours of its release, it amassed over 67k views and within less than 24 hours after its release, World Boss’s “The Comet” surged to number 1… Read more
    Posted Thursday, 19 September 2024