UPDATE 2: (July 10): The album has managed to move 248k copies in the first week with about 58k coming from pure sales. This is the best opening for a debut album in 2020. This total also puts him behind only Lil Uzi Vert and Eminem as far as Hip-Hop albums this year are concerned.
UPDATE: (July 7): The first week sales projections for the album have increased considerably. It’s now expected to move 200-225k copies in the first week (35-45k pure).
Previous story (July 5):
Pop Smoke’s highly anticipated debut album Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon is set for a huge debut on the Billboard 200 this week.
According to the first week sales projections, the album is expected to move a whopping 175-195k copies in the first week, giving Pop his first number 1 on the chart. HDD notes that the album is looking at about 200 million streams while 27-30k units are expected to come from pure sales.
These numbers are huge considering the New York rapper was only active in the music scene for a year or so. A lot of experts saw him as potentially being one of the biggest artists to come out of the city in recent times. His biggest influence, 50 Cent executive produced the album and the head of Pop’s label, Steven Victor recently revealed that 50 was the one who convinced him to put together an album from the promising rapper.
Pop was killed in a home invasion in L.A. area in February, a case that still remains unsolved. Most of the album was recorded before his untimely passing and features guest appearances from 50 Cent, Future, Quavo, Lil Baby, DaBaby, Roddy Ricch and more.
