Plenty of curators can add a song to a playlist. Jacob Moore built something harder to copy: a discovery brand that gives emerging artists context. Since launching Pigeons & Planes in 2008, Moore has helped the platform move from rapid-fire blogging into Spotify curation, video, social content, live events, and collaborative recording projects.
For independent rappers, his career offers a useful lesson: discovery may start with one record, but trust grows when listeners understand the artist behind it.
From bedroom blog to discovery platform
Moore started Pigeons & Planes after studying finance and marketing but struggling to see a path into the music business. The early site mixed the energy of rap blogs such as Nah Right and 2DOPEBOYZ with the alternative coverage associated with Pitchfork and Stereogum. That combination created a genre-fluid identity instead of locking P&P into one scene.
The platform later partnered with Complex and expanded into playlists, videos, merchandise, events, and social media. In January 2026, Moore announced that the Pigeons & Planes website was returning, explaining that short-form discovery still needs deeper writing and artist storytelling behind it.
A playlist works better when people trust the curator
The main Pigeons & Planes Spotify playlist had more than 62,000 saves in August 2026. It is described as constantly updated and hand-picked by the staff, with rap sitting beside R&B, indie, electronic, pop, and experimental music.
That range is part of the strategy. P&P does not simply mirror a single algorithmic lane; it connects listeners with a recognizable editorial point of view. Moore has also identified 2Pac and Kurt Cobain as artists he admired while developing his relationship with music—two figures whose stories, identities, and cultural meaning extend far beyond individual singles.
Early support without rewriting an artist’s history
Pigeons & Planes supported artists including Smino, Chance the Rapper, Young Thug, Clairo, Lorde, and 6LACK during earlier stages of their careers. In a 2020 interview about those discoveries, Moore carefully rejected the idea that a publication should take credit for an artist’s eventual success. Coverage can create an introduction; the artist, team, music, timing, and audience determine what happens afterward.
The brand has since moved beyond coverage through its See You Next Year compilation series. The third project’s 2026 rollout followed earlier editions involving artists such as redveil, Teezo Touchdown, Kenny Mason, Paris Texas, skaiwater, and AG Club. This is curation becoming artist development: recording camps, original collaborations, visual content, and shared creative environments.
What Moore appears to look for
Documented: Moore has said that music needs something distinctive, even when it is not aggressively experimental. He also emphasizes passion, compelling stories, and the ability to build deeper audience connections beyond a viral clip or playlist spike.
Practical analysis: A technically solid song that resembles ten current records is less memorable than a record with a clear voice, scene, tension, or visual world. Before pitching, artists should be able to answer three questions:
- What makes this record identifiable within 20 seconds?
- What story gives a writer or curator something meaningful to discuss?
- Does the artist profile prove that this is a developing career rather than a random upload?
How to approach curators without burning the connection
Moore has previously discussed listening to direct submissions regularly, but artists should verify current instructions through P&P’s official channels before sending music. Avoid mass-tagging staff, begging for feedback, paying unverified accounts, or sending a biography with no immediate streaming link.
Instead, lead with one appropriate song, a short description of why it fits, and one credible momentum signal. Then support the release with a coordinated campaign. SupremePR can help artists connect Spotify, TikTok, and SoundCloud promotion, while its Spotify playlist promotion by influencers provides an option for expanding discovery beyond cold outreach.
Moore’s playbook is not “get one placement and wait.” It is to build a recognizable world, adapt without chasing every trend, and give new listeners enough context to stay after the first stream.