If you’re only just hearing about Pop Smoke, then you’re just in time for the party. His latest single, Welcome to the Party, is setting New York alight and has already been dubbed song of the summer.

Hailing from Canarsie, Brooklyn, the 19-year-old almost mistakingly found himself in the rap world. When asked during his Hot 97 interview what made him pursue a rap career, he quickly retorted ‘I ain’t a rapper. I’m a hustler’.  His response echoes like the likes of Cardi B and Blueface who have expressed that they like rap, but like the money more.

From the end of 2018 to the early months of 2019, Pop Smoke released a string of bangers including: Money Power Respect, Meet The Woo and Flexin’.  He admitted he only dropped Flexin as a sneer to his enemies ‘I only dropped flexing because these little n*ggas kept talking too much. They said I was going to die before that sh*t dropped’. So in some regards,  Flexin is sort of his ‘hold on wait a minute, y’all thought I was finished’, I’m having the last laugh moment.

Welcome To The Party, produced by U.K drill beat mater, 808Melo is what has catapulted Pop Smoke. The beat is almost the epitome of London-drill. It’s almost strange to hear a Brooklyn flow over such a distinctively U.K beat but the crossover works amazingly, even the visuals look like it was shot in London. The song is as infectious as Bobby Schmurda’s Hot N*gga and laced with lyrics detailing his Brooklyn lifestyle.

Pop Smoke has stated he draws elements of his influence from 50 Cent. He’s confident, braggadocios and charming. Welcome to the Party has garnered over 4.5 million views on YouTube. He was brought out by Pusha T at the Greatest Day Ever Festival and the eruption in the crowd just showed he was made for the stage. His mixtape drops this Friday (July 26th) and he’s on the line-up for New York’s first ever Rolling Loud Festival.  In his interview with Genius he said ‘I don’t sound better than n*ggas. I just sound older than n*ggas. And when you sound better than *iggas, n*ggas don’t want you to be heard’.

And the industry has heard Pop Smoke loud and clear.

Stream Welcome To The Party!