Source: Bad Boy Records / Bad Boy
Diddy is seeing one benefit after being arrested by federal authorities – his music streaming numbers have risen significantly afterward.
In the wake of Diddy being taken into custody last week by federal authorities after the unsealing of an indictment against him, the controversy has produced a silver lining thanks to his extensive music catalog. According to data provided by the data and analytics company Luminate, Diddy’s music on streaming platforms saw an increase of 18.3% during the week of his arrest compared to the prior week.
The information pertains to the embattled music mogul’s catalog – which includes the various monikers he’s used in the past including Diddy, Puff Daddy, and P. Diddy. According to George Howard, a professor of music business management at Berklee College of Music, the increase isn’t surprising as some will use music streams as a way to investigate someone further. “Music just becomes another piece of information as people try to comprehend the atrocities,” Howard said in an interview.
“It’s like, ‘What would someone whose brain works like that, allegedly, what would their music sound like?’” He also noted that the anonymity that streaming offers is a key factor, as opposed to publicly seeking out the offender’s music. “Imagine walking into a record store now like, ‘Yeah, I want to buy this Diddy CD,’” Howard said, noting that the same phenomena occurred with disgraced singer R. Kelly who was prosecuted and convicted of sex trafficking.
“The natural curiosity that these types of charges evoke makes sense,” Howard added. “It’s like driving by a car crash. People want to look.” Diddy is currently being held without bail in a New York City detention center after being arrested Sept. 9 and charged with federal racketeering and sex trafficking with charges dating back to 2008. The unsealed indictment alleges Diddy, aka Sean Combs, engaged in coercing, threatening, and abusing women and men “to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct.”
