The Woo

"The Woo" is a song by American rapper Pop Smoke, released as the second single from his posthumous debut album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon.[2] The song features American rappers 50 Cent and Roddy Ricch, the former of whom also executive-produced the album. "The Woo" became Pop Smoke's first top ten hit in the UK, peaking at number nine. It was released in July 20, 2020 on what would have been Pop Smoke's 21st birthday.

For the mixtapes by Pop Smoke, see Meet the Woo and Meet the Woo 2.
"The Woo"
Single by Pop Smoke featuring 50 Cent and Roddy Ricch
from the album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon
ReleasedJuly 20, 2020
Genre
[1]
Length3:22
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • 808Melo
  • JW Lucas (co.)
  • Rxcksta (co.)
  • Ray Lennon (co.)
  • Taz.P Beatz (co.)
  • J. Jackson (add.)
  • DJ Drewski (add.)
  • K-Mack (add.)
  • Billy J (add.)
Pop Smoke singles chronology
"Make It Rain"
(2020)		 "The Woo"
(2020)		 "Mood Swings"
(2020)
50 Cent singles chronology
"Big Rich Town"
(2019)		 "The Woo"
(2020)
Roddy Ricch singles chronology
"High Fashion"
(2020)		 "The Woo"
(2020)		 "Gifted"
(2020)
Music video
"The Woo" on YouTube

Background

808Melo explained that they had made "The Woo" the month Pop Smoke had passed away. Pop Smoke asked 808Melo to play some of his beats, and he did. 808Melo then played a beat which Pop Smoke liked. The rapper said: "Oh, yeah, this is something different. This is what I want." 808Melo admitted that Pop Smoke hadn't made a verse for the song, he just made a hook. He when Pop Smoke was working on it, he kind of had 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 didn't even remember Pop Smoke doing it. Victor said it was the "most obscure joint." Victor commented that 50 Cent took over the song. 50 Cent explained that the songs 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.[3] 50 Cent took to Instagram, reaching out 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".[4][5]

Composition

"The Woo" is a "Latin-flavored" track,[6] containing "flickers" of Spanish acoustic guitar[7] and a "killer" trap beat.[1] In his verse, Pop Smoke interpolates 50 Cent's 2005 hit single, "Candy Shop".[6] Briana Younger of NPR said Pop "sounds scarily like 50 Cent" on the song.[8]

Critical reception

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".[1] Uproxx's Wongo Okon labelled it a "well-meshed collaboration of the past and the present".[9]

Music video

Background

50 Cent teased clips of the songs music video on his Instagram account On July 17, 2020. His post captioned "You know da Vibes, Monday is Pops birthday so Video Monday."[10][11] 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.[11][12] The music video was then uploaded to 50 Cent's YouTube channel a day later.[13] The visual was released that day to honor what would have Pop Smoke's twenty-first birthday.[11] The music video was directed by Eif Rivera, who had directed a number of videos for 50 Cent in the past.[11][14] Rivera took inspiration creating the visual by the parking lot scene from the music video from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Akon's hit single "Kush" (2010).[15]

Synopsis and reception

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.[11][14][16][17] The visuals also features 50 Cent and Roddy Ricch singing the song while being surrounded by expensive cars and women wearing bikinis.[14][16][18] The video also shows women kissing and hugging each other.[16]

The music video was met with positive reviews from critics. The staff of Rap-Up described the music video as a "steamy clip".[16] Marisa Mendez of HipHopDX states that the visual "provides an authentic feel despite the absence of its key player."[18] 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."[17] The visual was nominated for Song of Summer at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards.

Awards and nominations
Year Organization Award Result Ref.
2020 MTV Video Music Awards Song of Summer Nominated [19]

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[43] Platinum 1,000,000

sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

References
  1. Jenkins, Craig (July 7, 2020). "Pop Smoke's Story Might Always End With a Glaring Question Mark". Vulture. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  2. "Top 40 Rhythmic Crossover". All Access. Archived from the original on July 9, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  3. Skelton, Eric; Setaro, Shawn; McKinney, Jessica. "Cover Story: The Making of Pop Smoke's 'Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon'". Complex. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  4. Lamarre, Carl (March 3, 2020). "50 Cent Wants to Finish Pop Smoke's Album With Help From Drake & Chris Brown". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  5. "Tell @roddyricch i'm looking for him, i need him on Pop album..." March 2, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020 – via 50 Cent on Instagram.
  6. "Pop Smoke, 50 Cent, and Roddy Ricch Team Up on 'The Woo'". Rap-Up. July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  7. Amorosi, A.D. (July 3, 2020). "Pop Smoke's 'Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon': Album Review". Variety. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  8. Younger, Briana (July 5, 2020). "Pop Smoke's First And Final Album Falls Between Two Worlds". NPR. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  9. Okon, Wongo (July 2, 2020). "Pop Smoke Arrives With 'The Woo' Alongside 50 Cent And Roddy Ricch On His Posthumous Debut Album". Uproxx. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  10. Jones, Jiggy (July 17, 2020). "50 Cent Teases Pop Smoke's 'The Woo' Video With Roddy Rich". The Source. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  11. Mamo, Heran (July 20, 2020). "Roddy Ricch & 50 Cent Honor Pop Smoke on His 21st Birthday in 'The Woo' Video". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  12. "Pop Smoke - The Woo ft. 50 Cent, Roddy Ricch". YouTube. July 19, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  13. "Pop Smoke Feat. 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch - 'The Woo' (Official Uncensored Music Video)". YouTube. July 20, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  14. Rossignol, Derrick (July 20, 2020). "Pop Smoke's 'The Woo' Video And The Deluxe Edition Of His Posthumous Album Are Out Now". Uproxx. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  15. "Pop Smoke - The Woo (Footnotes) ft. 50 Cent, Roddy Ricch". YouTube. August 18, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  16. "Pop Smoke, 50 Cent, And Roddy Rich Drop 'The Woo' Video". Rap-Up. July 20, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  17. Zidel, Alex (July 20, 2020). "Pop Smoke's 'The Woo' Video With 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch Arrives". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  18. Mendez, Marisa (July 20, 2020). "50 Cent And Roddy Rich Make Pop Smoke's 'The Woo' Video Feel Authentic". HipHopDX. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  19. https://www.mtv.com/vma/vote/
  20. "Australian-charts.com – Pop Smoke feat. 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch – The Woo". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  21. "Austriancharts.at – Pop Smoke feat. 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch – The Woo" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  22. "Ultratop.be – Pop Smoke feat. 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch – The Woo" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  23. "Ultratop.be – Pop Smoke feat. 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch – The Woo" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  24. "Pop Smoke Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  25. "Danishcharts.com – Pop Smoke feat. 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch – The Woo". Tracklisten. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  26. "Offiziellecharts.de – Pop Smoke feat. 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch – The Woo". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  27. "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  28. "Dutchcharts.nl – Pop Smoke feat. 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch – The Woo" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  29. "Charts.nz – Pop Smoke feat. 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch – The Woo". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  30. "Norwegiancharts.com – Pop Smoke feat. 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch – The Woo". VG-lista. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  31. "Portuguesecharts.com – Pop Smoke feat. 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch – The Woo". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  32. "Swedishcharts.com – Pop Smoke feat. 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch – The Woo". Singles Top 100. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  33. "Swisscharts.com – Pop Smoke feat. 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch – The Woo". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  34. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  35. "Pop Smoke Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  36. "Pop Smoke Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  37. "Pop Smoke Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  38. "Top 100 Songs, July 3, 2020 - July 9, 2020". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  39. "Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  40. "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  41. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  42. "Rhythmic Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  43. "American single certifications – Pop Smoke feat. 50 Cent & Toddy Rich – The Woo". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 7, 2021. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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