"The Woo" | ||||
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Single by Pop Smoke featuring 50 Cent and Roddy Ricch | ||||
from the album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon | ||||
Released | July 10, 2020 | |||
Recorded | 2020 | |||
Genre | Trap | |||
Length | 3:21 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | 808Melo | |||
Pop Smoke singles chronology | ||||
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50 Cent singles chronology | ||||
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Roddy Ricch singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"The Woo" on YouTube |
"The Woo" is a song by American rapper Pop Smoke featuring fellow American rappers 50 Cent and Roddy Ricch,from the former of the three's posthumous debut studio album, Shoot for the Stars,Aim for the Moon (2020) as well as the EP For The Night (2020). The song was released as the second single from the album on July 10,2020,by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records. It was written by the artists alongside producer 808Melo,co-producers Rxcksta and JW Lucas,and Jess Jackson,who is also credited as an additional producer alongside 1801 Records,Billy J,DJ Drewski,Jer-Z,K. Mack,and Ray Lennon.
"The Woo" is a Latin-influenced trap song that features flickers of Spanish acoustic guitar. Pop Smoke interpolates 50 Cent's single,"Candy Shop". The song received positive reviews from music critics,who praised 50 Cent's and Roddy Ricch's features. "The Woo" was featured in 2020 year-end lists by Vice and Complex . It was nominated for Song of Summer at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards. The song reached number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified a double-platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It reached the top-10 in the United Kingdom,Canada,New Zealand,and Portugal.
An accompanying music video was released on July 20,2020,on what would have been Pop Smoke's twenty-first birthday. The music visual was directed by Eif Rivera,who had directed several videos for 50 Cent in the past. It features old archival footage edited on vintage TV screens of Pop Smoke performing various tasks while showing 50 Cent and Roddy Ricch being surrounded by expensive cars and women wearing bikinis. The video received positive reviews,with one critic saying it was sentimental.
"The Woo" was created the month Pop Smoke died. Pop Smoke asked 808Melo to play some of his beats,one of which Pop Smoke liked. The rapper said:"Oh,yeah,this is something different. This is what I want." Pop Smoke had not made a verse for the song but made a hook. He admitted to 808Melo he was struggling with writer's block. Steven Victor recalled he had never heard the song before. When he first started talking to 50 Cent about producing the album,Victor sent him a folder of all of Pop Smoke's songs. 50 Cent called Victor and was singing the hook of the song. Victor stated he did not even remember Pop Smoke doing it. Victor described it as a "most obscure joint". [1] Victor commented that 50 Cent took over the song. 50 Cent explained that the song's chorus was written and that Victor had left it all the way open. There was no verse taken off of it,so the chorus played. 50 Cent said he then started the record. [1] 50 Cent took to Instagram,reaching out to Roddy Ricch to help with the song,captioning a post of his:"Tell @roddyricch i'm looking for him,i need him on Pop album". [2] [3]
When 50 Cent invited Roddy Ricch to be on the album,he felt like he should have been a part of it general. 50 Cent recorded his verse while he was going through all Pop Smoke's records to find the right tone for the album. There were three records that he recorded,but he did not want to over-feature on the album,and just decided to be featured on "The Woo". Roddy Ricch had heard a couple of other songs from Pop Smoke but felt like "The Woo" was a good one because it was different from what Pop Smoke would usually record. He recorded his verse while he was in quarantine. He had a studio set up at the house and did it in one night. He called his engineer to cut it. The verse that Pop Smoke wrote for the song was in a different key. Producer Jess Jackson explained instead of not using the song at all,he talked to Mike Dean. Jackson was thinking of melodizing the vocals and tuning them,but could not do it because Pop Smoke would not have liked it. Dean said to Jackson:"Why don't you just do a chord change in the whole song?" [1] Jackson sat down and did a key change for the song. 50 Cent and Roddy Ricch were in B minor,with the song switching up once Pop Smoke raps his verse in G minor. [1] Jackson made the song together from two demos in different keys. [4]
It was written by Pop Smoke,known as Bashar Jackson,alongside 50 Cent,Roddy Ricch,808Melo,Rxcksta,and JW Lucas,who have the respective real names of Curtis Jackson,Rodrick Moore,Andre Loblack,Adam Hashim,and John Lucas. Jess Jackson was also credited as a writer. The song was produced by 808Melo while co-produced by Rxcksta and JW Lucas. 1801 Records,Billy J,DJ Drewski,Jer-Z,Jess Jackson,K. Mack,and Ray Lennon were credited as additional producers. [5] Musically,"The Woo" is a Latin-influenced trap song. [6] [7] A.D. Amorosi of Variety said the track is "filled with flickers of Spanish acoustic guitar,and [Pop] Smoke making high and nice with his buds". [8] Danny Schwartz of Rolling Stone commented that the track features "arpeggiated guitar lines". [9] Gary Suarez of Entertainment Weekly stated Pop Smoke "emulates the Queens rapper's cadence and tone". [10] David Arron Blake of HipHopDX commented that Pop Smoke,50 Cent,and Roddy Ricch "trade bars atop 808Melo's groovy production". [11] In his verse,Pop Smoke interpolates 50 Cent's 2005 hit single,"Candy Shop", [10] rapping:"Let me take you to the Candy Shop,show you all I got/I put diamonds on your chain to match your diamond ring." [7]
Vulture 's Craig Jenkins complimented Pop Smoke's versatility,stating that the song "would've silenced anyone who tried to accuse Pop of being a one-dimensional artist". [6] Uproxx's Wongo Okon labeled it a "well-meshed collaboration of the past and the present". [12] NME 's Dhruva Balram opined that it features a "memorable verse from 50 Cent". [13] Roisin O'Connor of The Independent wrote that "West Coast Shit" feels "paper-thin" when following "The Woo". [14] Briana Younger of NPR said Pop "sounds scarily like 50 Cent" on the song. [15] Arron Blake said the song has "the most radio replay value" from Shoot for the Stars,Aim for the Moon. [11] Jade Gomez from Paste stated the song has "50 Cent's satisfying feature accented with Roddy Rich's vocals". [16] M.T. Richards,for Consequence of Sound said 50 Cent "demolishes" the song,saying he would "never tire of 50 [Cent],a cutely insolent schoolyard bully". [17] August Brown of the Los Angeles Times wrote the song has "mournful singing". [18]
Ashton Howard of Earmilk said the song is a "complete swing and a miss". [19] David Crone of AllMusic stated Pop Smoke isn't "even given the dignity of a first verse,with featured artists muscling their way in ahead of the late rapper on tracks like 'The Woo' and 'Diana'". [20] Vice ranked "The Woo" at number 45 on their list of 2020's best songs. Kristin Corry remarked that the song is "an alternate universe of what the Brooklyn rapper could have become—a bridge between the rap of yesterday and the sound of tomorrow". [21] The song placed at number 26 on Complex 'sthe Best Songs of 2020 list,with Eric Skelton calling it the catchiest song on the album,and stating it is "a bittersweet moment that hinted at the fact [Pop Smoke] was about to catapult to global superstardom". [22] He concluded by saying "The Woo" is an "undeniable hit,and a lasting reminder of Pop [Smoke's] limitless abilities". [22] It was nominated for Song of Summer at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards. [23] [24]
"The Woo" was released on Pop Smoke's posthumous debut studio album Shoot for the Stars,Aim for the Moon,as the tenth track on July 3,2020. [20] The song was later released as the album's second single on July 10,2020. [25] Following the release of Shoot for the Stars,Aim for the Moon,"The Woo" debuted and peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100. [26] The song also peaked at number three on the US Rhythmic chart and number nine on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. [27] [28] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the single a double platinum certification,which denotes two million units based on sales and track-equivalent on-demand streams. [29] The song peaked at number 9 on the UK Singles Chart,giving Pop Smoke his first top-10 hit in the United Kingdom. [30] The song was later certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI),denoting track-equivalent sales and streams of 600,000 units in the UK. [31] It further reached the top-10 in Canada, [32] New Zealand, [33] and Portugal. [34] It reached the top-20 in Australia, [35] Denmark, [36] Ireland, [37] and Switzerland. [38]
50 Cent teased clips of the song's music video on his Instagram account on July 17,2020. His post was captioned "You know da Vibes,Monday is Pops birthday so Video Monday." [39] [40] The music video was later uploaded to Pop Smoke's YouTube channel on July 19,2020,along with the release of the deluxe edition of Shoot for the Stars,Aim for the Moon. [40] [41] The music video was then uploaded to 50 Cent's YouTube channel a day later. [42] The visual was released that day to honor what would have Pop Smoke's twenty-first birthday. [40] The music video was directed by Eif Rivera,who had directed a number of videos for 50 Cent in the past. [40] [43] Rivera took inspiration for creating the visual by the parking lot scene from the music video from Dr. Dre,Snoop Dogg,and Akon's hit single "Kush" (2010). [44]
The video features old archival footage edited on vintage TV screens of Pop Smoke inside of a tour bus,making music in a studio,performing on stage,and dancing on top of a car. [40] [43] [45] [46] The visuals also feature 50 Cent and Roddy Ricch singing the song while being surrounded by expensive cars and women wearing bikinis. [43] [45] [47] The video also shows women kissing and hugging each other. [45]
The music video was met with positive reviews from critics. The staff of Rap-Up described the music video as a "steamy clip". [45] Marisa Mendez of HipHopDX stated that the visual "provides an authentic feel despite the absence of its key player". [47] Writing for HotNewHipHop,Alex Zidel commented it was "nice to see some throwback footage of Pop having fun in the studio added into the video," but opined that the "moment is certainly sentimental for fans of the late Brooklyn rapper". [46]
The music video on YouTube has received over 205 million views as of April 2024. [48]
Credits adapted from Tidal. [5]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [64] | Platinum | 70,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [65] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [66] | Platinum | 90,000‡ |
France (SNEP) [67] | Platinum | 200,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [68] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [69] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP) [70] | 2× Platinum | 20,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [31] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [29] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
Streaming | ||
Greece (IFPI Greece) [71] | Gold | 1,000,000† |
Sweden (GLF) [72] | Gold | 4,000,000† |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"Candy Shop" is the second single by rapper 50 Cent from his second commercial album, The Massacre (2005). It features Olivia and was written by 50 Cent and the song's producer, Scott Storch. The single was released through Interscope Records, Eminem's Shady Records, Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, and 50 Cent's G-Unit Records.
Rodrick Wayne Moore Jr., known professionally as Roddy Ricch, is an American rapper, and singer-songwriter from Compton, California. He rose to fame in 2018 following the release of his single "Die Young," which marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. Moore's first two mixtapes, Feed Tha Streets (2017) and Feed Tha Streets II (2018) received widespread acclaim. Moore guest featured alongside Hit-Boy on Nipsey Hussle's 2019 single "Racks in the Middle"—which earned him a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance—and on Mustard's single "Ballin'" that same year, which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received a nomination for the same award.
Bashar Barakah Jackson, known professionally as Pop Smoke, was an American rapper. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, he rose to fame with the release of his 2019 singles "Welcome to the Party" and "Dior". He frequently collaborated with UK drill artists and producers, who employed more minimal and aggressive instrumentation than American drill artists from Chicago, reintroducing the sound as Brooklyn drill.
"Welcome to the Party" is the debut single by American rapper Pop Smoke from his debut mixtape Meet the Woo (2019). It was released on April 23, 2019, by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records. The song was written alongside producer 808Melo. The first official remix for "Welcome to the Party" was released on August 15, 2019, with fellow New York rapper Nicki Minaj. The second official remix with British rapper Skepta was released on August 21, 2019. Both remixes were later released on the deluxe edition of Meet the Woo.
Meet the Woo 2 is the second mixtape by American rapper Pop Smoke. Released by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records on February 7, 2020, it is the second installment in the Meet the Woo mixtape series, following Meet the Woo (2019). The deluxe edition of the mixtape, released on February 12, 2020, features three new tracks, including a remix of "Dior" featuring American rapper Gunna. On February 19, 2020, less than two weeks after the release of the standard edition of Meet the Woo 2, Pop Smoke was shot and killed at age 20 during a home invasion. Guest appearances on the mixtape include Quavo, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Fivio Foreign, Lil Tjay, Nav, Gunna, and PnB Rock.
"Shake the Room" is a song by American rapper Pop Smoke, featuring fellow rapper Quavo, from the former's second mixtape, Meet the Woo 2 (2020). The two artists wrote the song with its producer 808Melo. It was released as the mixtape's second single on March 28, 2020. The song was solely produced by the latter of the three. A drill track, it sees Pop Smoke and Quavo rap about someone who understands the streets.
)( bombe renvoye-)Welcome two party 2024
"Dior" is a song by American rapper Pop Smoke, originally released on July 26, 2019, by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records as a track from his debut mixtape Meet the Woo (2019). A drill and hip hop song, it was written by Pop Smoke alongside producer 808Melo, and was issued as the third and final single from the tape on February 11, 2020. "Dior" was later added to Pop Smoke's second mixtape Meet the Woo 2, along with a remix featuring fellow American rapper Gunna. The solo version appeared again on Pop Smoke's posthumous debut studio album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (2020), then finally once more on the deluxe edition of its follow-up Faith (2021). It has been included on all four of Pop Smoke's commercially released projects and is considered to be his signature song.
"Rockstar" is a song by American rapper DaBaby, featuring fellow American rapper Roddy Ricch. The song was released on April 17, 2020, as the second single from DaBaby's third studio album Blame It on Baby (2020). It was written by the two rappers. "Rockstar" spent seven non-consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Outside of the United States, "Rockstar" topped the charts in Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Greece, New Zealand, Portugal, the Republic of Ireland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, and peaked within the top ten of the charts in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Its music video is set in a zombie apocalypse.
Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon is the debut studio album by American rapper Pop Smoke. It was posthumously released on July 3, 2020, by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records, and a deluxe edition of the album that includes fifteen additional tracks—including remixes of three songs from the original—was released on July 20 that year, a date that would have been Pop Smoke's 21st birthday. It is a drill, trap, and R&B record.
"Aim for the Moon" is a song by American rapper Pop Smoke featuring fellow American rapper Quavo. It was posthumously released as a track from the former's debut studio album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, on July 3, 2020, as well as the EP For The Night (2020). The song was written alongside producers 808Melo, WondaGurl, and 5ive Beatz, Dez Wright, Dani, and Tyy Beats. Serving as a drill track, it sees Pop Smoke and Quavo rap about their successes.
"For the Night" is a song by American rapper Pop Smoke featuring fellow American rappers Lil Baby and DaBaby, from the former's posthumous debut studio album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (2020) as well as the EP of the same name (2020). It was written by the artists, producers CashMoneyAP and Palaze, and additional producer Mike Dean, with more additional production credits going to Wylo and Jess Jackson. The song was released as the fourth single from the album on October 3, 2020, by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records, while an extended play (EP) was released for the song a few days later.
"Gangstas" is a song by American rapper Pop Smoke from his posthumous debut studio album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (2020). The song was written by Pop Smoke alongside producers CashMoneyAP and Swirv. An R&B song, its lyrics reflect on Pop Smoke claiming to be the King of New York and expressing his dislike for 6ix9ine. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, with many comparing Pop Smoke's vocals to those of 50 Cent and saying it has G-Unit vibes. Commercially, the song reached number 37 on the US Billboard Hot 100, while peaking within the top 30 in Canada and Switzerland.
"West Coast Shit" is a song by American rapper Pop Smoke, featuring fellow American rappers Tyga and Quavo, from the former of the three's posthumous debut studio album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (2020). The song was written by the artists alongside producers Mustard, and Bongo ByTheWay. Mustard passed the song onto Pop Smoke for him to put on the album.
"Enjoy Yourself" is a song by the American rapper Pop Smoke, featuring the Colombian singer Karol G, from the former's posthumous first studio album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (2020) as well as the EP of the same name (2020). The song was written by the performers with Rico Love, French Montana, Pierre Meador, Palaze and Luci G. It was released as a promotional single on July 2, 2020. A remix featuring the Nigerian singer Burna Boy in place of Karol G was included on the deluxe version of the album on July 20, 2020.
"What You Know Bout Love" is a song by American rapper and singer Pop Smoke from his posthumous debut studio album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (2020) as well as the EP Mood Swings (2020). The song was written by Pop Smoke, alongside producer IAmTash, with additional writing credits going to Elgin Lumpkin (Ginuwine) and Troy Oliver for the interpolation and sampling of Ginuwine's "Differences". The song was released as the fifth single from the album on October 9, 2020, by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records. An R&B track, it lyrically showcases Pop Smoke singing about his passion for his lover. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, with a number of them praising the lyrics and the rapper's range.
"Diana" is an R&B song by American rapper Pop Smoke featuring rapper King Combs from the former's posthumous debut studio album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (2020). The remix featured on the deluxe edition of the album as well as the EP Mood Swings (2020). It features uncredited background vocals from Calboy. It was written by Pop Smoke, known as Bashar Jackson, alongside Calboy, King Combs, Anthony Blagman, Pierre Richard Rene Jr, Stephen Garrett, and Tim Mosley. The song was produced by SpunkaBigga.
"Mood Swings" is a song by American rapper Pop Smoke featuring fellow American rapper Lil Tjay, from the former's posthumous debut studio album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (2020). The song was written by the artists alongside producers Beat Menace and Dizzy Banko with additional production from Kiwi. The song was released as the third single from the album on August 21, 2020, by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records. A remix that features Summer Walker was released as a single and an extended play (EP) was released for the song.
American drill rapper Pop Smoke has released two studio albums, two mixtapes, three extended plays, nineteen music videos, twenty-eight singles, and three promotional singles. Pop Smoke began his music career in 2018 when visiting a Brooklyn recording studio with fellow rapper Jay Gwuapo. After Gwuapo got inebriated on drugs and fell asleep, Pop Smoke went into a booth to try rapping for the first time. He used a beat he got from English producer 808Melo and used American rapper Sheff G's song "Panic Part 3". He recorded his debut single titled "MPR ". Pop Smoke rose to fame with the release of his breakout single "Welcome to the Party" in April 2019. Two remixes of the song were later recorded, with one featuring Nicki Minaj and the other featuring Skepta.
Andre Michael Loblack, known professionally as 808Melo or 808MeloBeats, is a British record producer and songwriter from Ilford, East London. 808Melo is credited as a pioneer of UK drill and Brooklyn drill and is known for his bass heavy percussion. In 2019, he produced Pop Smoke's debut mixtape, Meet the Woo. He also produced most of the songs on Pop Smoke's sophomore mixtape, Meet the Woo 2, and he helped produce Pop Smoke's posthumous album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 artist charts in July 2020. 808Melo has also produced songs for Travis Scott, Fivio Foreign, and Lil Tjay.