Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ music streams surge after rapper’s arrest

Music by Sean “Diddy” Combs gained more attention after the musician’s arrest. According to Luminate, a company that gathers data and analysis related to music, the tracks Diddy saw an 18.3% increase in streams the week of September 17, when he was arrested, compared to the previous week.

George Howardprofessor of music management at Berklee College of Music, told Associated Press (via The Guardian) that the increase in the number of streams of songs from Diddy It’s no surprise: “The music becomes just another piece of information as people try to make sense of the atrocities.”

“It’s like, ‘What would music sound like to someone whose brain works this way?'” he said. “The natural curiosity that these kinds of accusations evoke makes sense. It’s like driving slowly near a car accident. People want to see it.”

Howard also reported that many know Diddy as a businessman before they thought of him as a musician.

The professor highlighted that the “anonymization” of streaming helps increase the number of plays on the artist’s tracks. “Imagine going to a record store today and asking for a CD by Diddy“, he pointed out.