It’s been roughly five months since the untimely demise of Pop Smoke and fans have been itching for the release of his posthumous debut album Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon. After heavy disdain for the Virgil Abloh designed cover for the album, 50 Cent has taken the responsibility of having the fans choose a new cover that would represent Pop Smoke the way it should. In a recent Instagram post, conceptual artist Ryder Ripps accused Virgil of stealing the “entire chrome rose concept” from him.
“This man took the entire chrome rose concept from me, ruined it with careless graphic design and then wrote some bullshit about it — So sad that someone would care this little about art, design and the memory of a human who was so loved to wrap his name up in lies and theft.”
Aside from the drama surrounding the album’s cover, Steven Victor of the Victor Victor label executed a very creative idea that allowed fans to see the track list for the album — an app that allows you to point your phone camera to the sky and see the songs surrounded by stars. Not only was this great marketing, this was a phenomenal way to excite fans even more to listen to the late rapper’s project.
Equipped with 19 tracks in total, Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon features 18 unreleased cuts with “Dior” serving as the final bonus addition to the list. Although Pop Smoke’s time in the industry was short, the rapper was able to work a number of notable artists. Standout features on the album come from Future, DaBaby, Lil Baby, Quavo, Swae Lee, Roddy Ricch, 50 Cent, Tyga and Karol G.
This is a very special day for Pop Smoke fans across the globe and we’re 100% sure that the late rapper would have been just as excited as we are to indulge in his art with him. Check it out below and make sure you let us know what your favorite records.