Diddy‘s arrest and subsequent indictment have not deterred his fans from listening to his music … in fact, he’s seen a spike in streams in the wake of the controversy.
Luminate, a data and analytics company, claims the rap mogul’s expansive music catalog has seen an over 18% increase in streams in the week since he was put in handcuffs at the Park Hyatt in midtown Manhattan.
TMZ broke the story … the Bad Boy Records founder was arrested last Monday, 6 months after his Los Angeles and Miami homes were raided in connection with a sex trafficking investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
He was indicted in an NYC courtroom the next day … where he was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Diddy, who has pled not guilty to the charges, has been held without bail … despite an appeal attempt by his attorney.
Due to the grave nature of the charges, you’d think people would be wary to show support for the rapper. However, this isn’t the first time a scandal has helped a musical artist see an uptick in streams.
For instance, R. Kelly — who is currently incarcerated in North Carolina after being convicted on multiple charges, including child sexual abuse — saw his music streams practically double after the docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly” dropped back in 2019.
Others have indirectly benefited from high-profile drama, too. Britney Spears‘ song “Criminal” saw itself charting again after her ex, Justin Timberlake, was arrested for a DWI this summer.
While we disagree with the notion that there’s no such thing as bad press … it’s safe to say controversy sells.
