Although he was no longer around to campaign on his own behalf, late Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke was able to secure a posthumous 2021 Grammy Award nomination for his summer single “Dior.” Pop Smoke was killed in February of this year during a home invasion as he rode the success of his summer 2019 hit “Welcome To The Party” and prepared for the release of his debut album. That album, Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon, was released posthumously and contained “Dior” as a bonus track, although the song had previously served as the single for Pop Smoke’s mixtape Meet the Woo 2 after originally appearing on the tape’s predecessor six months before.

The song oddly became an unofficial protest anthem, despite not addressing police brutality or racism, as protestors played the song during demonstrations in Seattle and New York City. It also appears on the soundtrack of the recently released NBA 2K21. The beat was used during the 2020 BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher.

In the wake of his death, Pop Smoke became an icon around which the burgeoning New York drill scene began to rally, as the gruff-voiced 20-year-old’s last few recorded verses turned into a hot commodity for clout-seeking majors. Young Thug and Pusha T exchanged heated words over a song both appeared on after Pusha used his verse to continue dissing Drake, while Pop’s final verses appeared on projects from the likes of Nav, French Montana, and more.