Pop Smoke may be a newcomer to the rap game, but he and his recent Meet The Woo 2 album have already come out swinging. Still feeling the residual success of his breakout single "Welcome To The Party," Smoke's momentum has ultimately led to a respectable first-week haul for the young artist. Especially considering the lack of prominent features from A-list talent, often employed as a not-entirely-subtle tactic to boost streaming numbers.
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Though he wasn't quite able to topple Roddy Ricch's seemingly unwavering Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial, Pop Smoke did manage to crack the Billboard top 10, coming in at number seven. Clocking in a total of 36,000 album-equivalent units, the project marked a new milestone for Smoke, validation that his early success was far from a fluke. Unfortunately, not even a thoroughly introduced Woo was enough to conquer the enduring powers of Green Day, who waged war on trap music and "Swedish Songwriters" with their critically maligned Father Of All album.
In any case, a top ten chart placement remains a big win for Pop Smoke, and we can only hope he continues to keep the streak alive -- lord knows that an artist can little afford any breathing room these days, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him back in the booth before long, barking a barrage of baritone bars into existence.