When Grammy nominations were rolled out earlier this week, the late Pop Smoke earned his first with the infectious “Dior” being picked as part of the Best Rap Song category. For Pop’s manager Steven Victor, the nom is a bittersweet moment, as he believes the Recording Academy made a huge mistake when snubbing Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon.
“I think the Grammys is cap, bro,” Victor explained in a feature with GQ. “No disrespect, but who is D Smoke? This is an artist—I’m not saying he started a genre, because he didn’t start drill music— but [Pop] bought drill music to the forefront and made it mainstream. He had a huge impact. Forget about whether he passed away, his impact was felt way before that.”
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Victor details how Pop has the second highest-selling album behind Lil Baby’s My Turn and the story of Hip Hop in 2020 can’t be told without Pop, whose debut has remained in the Billboard 200 top 5 for 20 weeks now. The Victor Victor boss believes Pop should’ve received noms in Best New Artist and Album of the Year categories as well.
“This is his only chance to get nominated for these awards,” he said. “So to me, the Grammys is cap. “I don’t know who’s making these decisions. He should’ve been nominated for “Dior” in more than one category, he should’ve been nominated for Best New Artist, he should’ve been nominated for Album of the Year, and he should’ve been nominated for Rap Album of the Year.”
Victor continued to declare, “He should’ve swept the whole thing. It doesn’t make any sense. That kid was incredibly talented, he gave his life to his music, and you can’t at least nominate him?”
Regardless of his feelings about the Grammys, Victor wanted those nominations for Pop’s mother and Pop himself, who often spoke about winning a Grammy Award being one of his goals.
“Especially for his mother,” he said. “Because it’s an acknowledgment. It’s history, right? Regardless of what I want to say about the Grammys, calling them cap and all this other stuff, the fact remains that it’s historical. [Pop] wanted to win a Grammy, because he knew what it meant for his career and his legacy.”
He went on to accuse the Recording Academy of “trolling” with their “far-left” selections of Freddie Gibbs, Nas, Jay Electronica, D Smoke and Royce Da 5’9 in the Best Rap Album category. Journalist Gary Suarez floated the theory of the Recording Academy mistakenly voting for D Smoke instead of Pop.
“They didn’t include any albums that had commercial success,” Victor stated. “I’m not saying that’s the criteria for the Grammys. Lil Baby and Pop Smoke, those were culturally impactful records. You look at the songs from Pop Smoke, they were super relevant with what was going on in our community earlier this year.”
In the stacked Best Rap Song category, 2019’s “Dior” will compete against Big Sean and Nipsey Hussle’s “Deep Reverance,” Jack Harlow’s “WHATS POPPIN,” Lil Baby’s “The Bigger Picture,” DaBaby’s “Bop” and Megan Thee Stallion and Beyonce’s “Savage.”
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Pop Smoke was killed during a February 19 home invasion in Los Angeles. His Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon debut album dropped in July and four singles are still holding chart position on the Billboard Hot 100.
I dont think I ever heard of D Smoke before this week. I heard of Smoke Dza though
Hadn’t heard of D Smoke Sir is flames tho! Heard of Pop smoke for nothing other than 50 cent bs maybe im out of touch but just watched that Dior video and that is total dookie stains I get its for the youngster but that’s str8 garbage
D Smoke album is better than Pop Smoke album
If yall been sleeping then yall need to wake the hell up.
For the ppl who don’t know, d smoke was the winner of that rap competition show that premiered on netflix last year.
Lets keep 100, that Pop Smoke just wasn’t hitting. RIP to the man, but just because he gone doesnt mean we going to prop up an album that was a regional hit to album of the year status.
The Mainstream knows Pop cuz he’s dead…stop pretending anybody paid attention before that. Why all the crying…Pop lucky to have a Nom and The Weeknd dropped a shit album which is why he ain’t get no Noms
You really think the Weeknd’s album is trash when it is critically acclaimed and one of the best-selling and most talked-about albums of the year? Hmm, intriguing. I’m not even a fan of his and I realize this.
Hello i am Nteh Ulrich i am looking for pop smoke Manage i find him everywhere but i could have him i went to be com a musician like pop smoke but i need help from him
Pop was garbage let’s be real
let’s keep 200 – pop smoke is just ok, nothin’ besides this, he has some hype because of 50 cent gassin’ him, another average rapper, them brooklyn niccas always trying to sell themselves as super duper pens , but we do know the story is hella different, all grammy nominees has strong storytelling as well as mighty penmanship and bars , peace
Pop smoke wasn’t a super lyrical artist but you have to admit that he had a unique voice and strong potential. He had the look, the voice, and the charisma to be one of the next big International Stars. They apparently loved him so much in Paris that he went there to model and they had a hologram of him right after he died.
On the real, no on cared about POP until he died. #fakefans
Honestly pop music is thrash and besides Dior nothing else bangs and I can’t even go back and listen to dior!
Yo Pop Smoke deez nutz
#PopSmokeDeezNutz
#PopSmoke Deez Nutz
Pop was a 50 cent cover act. D Smoke is the generic backpack rapper for white kids who have never heard backpack rap. Lil Baby has one flow and totally unremarkable lyrics. Meg has better Instagram freestyles than music, any of us could’ve written “Shots Fired” in middle school. Jack Harlow is as average and fake-deep as Logic but with more swag. Royce is amazing but The Allegory is a pseudo-intellectual try hard concept album with little to no replay value (besides Overcomer). Jay Elec, Freddie, and Nas are the only true rappers being represented/talked about. If you don’t agree you don’t know rap. Simple as that.
Yo u sound like a OG, like a real one that no the truth. What u think of griselda? What about drake? And T.I.? And Lupe? And RTJ? Yo I wanna no what u think about all them. Joyner?
Freddie Gibbs definitely deserve to get nominated for a Grammy this year as well as Jay because their albums were actually good rap albums! But I really don’t understand why The Weeknd got snubbed when he is probably one of the biggest selling artists this year, and even I realize that while not being a huge fan of his..
Hello i am Nteh ulrich i am looking for pop smoke Manage i went to be a musician like pop smoke but i need help i have be looking for him everywhere but i could find him
All let us be real Pop Smoke album was not rap music. Let us be honest. We need to stop people. We are killing our genre of music with the like of Pop Smoke’s music. You cannot understand what the F he is saying people. Come on!!! We are better than that!!!
Pop Smoke was a legend in the making I don’t know what album yall heard . Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but truthfully yall haters wouldn’t know talent if it was ur first name.
Divide and conquer. We fall for it every time
D Smoke’s album was actually incredible. The only drawback to D Smoke was his similarity to Kendrick in the way he raps/sounds…Other than that, the beats are fire and his songs actually have content. Trap or drill music just doesn’t have any value musically to the Grammy’s. Why would it? It’s the most inauthentic music ever and dumbs down the people.
People overhype the shit out of pop smoke smh that shit is ass. He didn’t have a flow and he sounded like he had throat cancer GTFOH!! Lil baby’s music is cringeworthy and had 1 song that was good. Wtf happen to the time when rappers had to actually rap??
Im surprised drill and trap music even make it to Grammys. I mean thats not the shit they tryna promote out there. But i think some of y’all getting it twisted asking Trap n drill yo ve something its not. This what you get if you want to listen to that music. I liked Pop Smoke but just like with most rappers i listen to, dont usually enjoy their whole albums. I listened Pop Smoke hopping on another genre and it was pretty bad. I dont think getting high n shooting opps is what they tryna promote out there at the Grammys.
I understand what he meant. Pop Smoke was at the forefront of a wave. The kid had a big impact on the game, however put some RESPECK on D Smoke name as well. Black Habits is more than worthy of a nomination for the Grammys.
To me 2020 has been a really good year in hip-hop, so someone was bound to get snubbed. There are about 10 to 15 albums that could have been in those 5 spots. This is actually the one year I’m paying attention to the Grammys. ??♂️
With all due respect, pop smoke can’t fuck wit D smoke! That boy dope as fuck. Fuck a victor
D-SMOKE is an amazing rapper, that took the rap game by storm, he is bi lingual, very smart, well respected and not a trouble maker. So respect the man for his talent . Pop smoke some can say the same who is he??? One that follows what everyone else is doing with this teenage rap.. D-Smoke brings real life and words you can understand, not thos half talk garbage. Dont be mad this man came at this 100 he is a goat in this game, he won cause he did work….