An unexpected publicity stunt. The arrest of American rapper P. Diddy, real name Sean Combs, on Monday night in Manhattan had the effect of boosting streaming of his music. The 54-year-old American, who has been the target of sexual assault complaints for several months, has been charged with sex trafficking.
According to industry data and analytics firm Luminate, the hip-hop mogul’s music saw an 18.3% increase in on-demand streams the week of his arrest compared to the week before.
“An additional source of information”
An increase that is not abnormal for George Howard, professor specializing in business and management at Berklee College of Music. Streaming is similar to a search engine search for the artist to satisfy his curiosity.
“Music becomes an additional source of information to help people understand atrocities,” he told The Associated Press. “It’s like, what does music sound like to a person whose brain works like that?”
P. Diddy, also known as Puff Daddy or simply Diddy, has established himself as a major figure in hip-hop, both as a rapper and as a producer. He notably founded the Bad Boy Records label in 1993 and produced artists such as Notorious B.I.G. and Mary J. Blige. He received the Grammy for Best Rap Album in 1997 for his album Way Out.
Immensely rich, also thanks to his activities in the alcohol industry, the rapper offered a bail of 50 million dollars, the value of one of his residences in Miami, to get out of prison. A request rejected by the judge last Wednesday. His detention was justified by the repetition of “crimes that take place behind closed doors.”
The indictment states that “for decades,” Combs “abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to satisfy his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his actions.”
