NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs’ vast music catalog has seen a jump in streams since his arrest last week and the unsealing of an indictment against him.
Diddy streams increase over 18%
Under his many musical monikers — including Diddy, Puff Daddy and P. Diddy — the industry data and analytics company Luminate said the mogul’s music saw an average 18.3% increase in on-demand streams during the week of his arrest compared to the prior week.
George Howard, a distinguished professor of music business management at Berklee College of Music, said he’s not surprised by the increase. To him, streaming is akin to a Google search of the artist as a means of satisfying curiosity.
“Music just becomes another piece of information as people try to comprehend the atrocities,” Howard told The Associated Press. “It’s like, ‘What would someone whose brain works like that, allegedly, what would their music sound like?’”
With Combs’ several business ventures — from Revolt TV to Ciroc vodka, both of which he’s no longer affiliated with — Howard said many people likely think of Combs as a businessman before they think of him as a musician.
“The natural curiosity that these types of charges evoke makes sense,” Howard said. “It’s like driving by a car crash. People want to look.”
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Sean “Diddy” Combs performs on November 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/Getty Images for Sean Diddy Combs) -
FILE – Sean “Diddy” Combs arrives at the LA Premiere of “The Four: Battle For Stardom” at the CBS Radford Studio Center on May 30, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File) -
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 20: Sean “Diddy” Combs attends Sean “Diddy” Combs Fulfills $1 Million Pledge To Howard University At Howard Homecoming – Yardfest at Howard University on October 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images for Sean “Diddy” Combs) -
FILE – Music mogul and entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs arrives at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, May 15, 2022. Two more women have come forward to accuse Combs of sexual abuse, one week after the music mogul settled a separate lawsuit with the singer Cassie that contained allegations of rape and physical abuse. Both of the new suits were filed Thursday, Nov. 24, 2023. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File) -
Sean “Diddy” Combs, winner of the global icon award, poses in the press room at the MTV Video Music Awards on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) -
FILE -Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs participates in “The Four” panel during the FOX Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif., Jan. 4, 2018. A former model accused Combs of sexually assaulting her at his New York City recording studio in 2003 in a lawsuit filed Tuesday, May 21, 2024, the latest in a series of allegations against the embattled hip-hop mogul. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File) -
(Credit: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs/Instagram via Associated Press) -
FILE – Sean “Diddy” Combs appears at the premiere of “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story” on June 21, 2017, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File) -
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – NOVEMBER 10: P Diddy is seen out and about on November 10, 2023 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by MEGA/GC Images) -
LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 07: Giggs and Diddy perform at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire in a special one night only event at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on November 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/Getty Images for Sean Diddy Combs) -
FILE – Sean “Diddy” Combs arrives at the BET Awards, June 26, 2022, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Combs wants to strengthen the Black dollar: The music mogul is spearheading a new online marketplace called Empower Global that will specifically feature Black-owned businesses. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
R. Kelly streams jumped after controversy
An increase in streaming numbers following controversy is not uncommon. After a documentary about R. Kelly accused the R&B singer of sexual misconduct involving women and underage girls, his numbers nearly doubled.
Howard said the “anonymization” of streaming is also a factor that could have led to the increases for Combs and Kelly alike.
“Imagine walking into a record store now like, ‘Yeah, I want to buy this Diddy CD,’” he said.
Diddy faces multiple charges
Combs is charged with federal sex trafficking and racketeering and the indictment, which details allegations dating back to 2008, accuses him of abusing, threatening and coercing women for years “to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct.” He’s pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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