The number of streams of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ extensive music catalog has skyrocketed since his arrest and the release of the indictment against him.
According to industry data and analytics firm Luminate, the mogul’s music under his many professional monikers – including Diddy, Puff Daddy and P Diddy – saw an average increase in on-demand streams of 18.3 percent during the week of his arrest on Sept. 17, compared to the previous week.
George Howard, a renowned music management professor at Berklee College of Music, said he was not surprised by the increase. For him, streaming is akin to doing a Google search for the artist to satisfy curiosity.
“Music becomes another vehicle of information as people try to comprehend the atrocities,” Howard told the Associated Press. “It’s like asking, ‘What would the music of someone whose brain supposedly works like that sound like?'”
Given Combs’ numerous business ventures (from Revolt TV to Cîroc Vodka, in which he is no longer involved), Howard says many people probably think of him as a businessman rather than a musician.
“The natural curiosity that these kinds of allegations generate is understandable,” Howard said. “It’s like driving past a car crash. People want to look.”
A surge in streaming numbers following controversy is not unusual. After a documentary about R. Kelly accused the R&B singer of sexual misconduct with women and underage girls, his numbers nearly doubled.
Howard said the “anonymization” of streaming was also a factor that may have led to the price increases for Combs and Kelly. “Imagine going into a record store right now and saying, ‘Yeah, I want to buy that Diddy CD,'” he said.
Combs is charged with federal sex trafficking and organized crime. The indictment, which dates back to 2008, accuses him of abusing, threatening and coercing women over the years “to satisfy his sexual desires, protect his reputation and cover up his conduct.”
He has pleaded not guilty.
