Andrae Hugh Sutherland (born 19 July 1988), known professionally as Popcaan, is a Jamaican

deejay A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music festivals), mobile DJ ...

. In 2008, Popcaan joined

Vybz Kartel Adidja Azim Palmer (born 7 January 1976), better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall Toasting (Jamaican music), deejay. Among his various nicknames, he is referred to as Worl' Boss, Teacha and King of Dancehall. As summarized by ''Roll ...

's Gaza Music Empire. In 2010, he released his breakthrough international hit "Clarks" with Kartel, an ode to the shoe brand. In 2013, Popcaan signed with Mixpak Records and released his debut studio album, '' Where We Come From''. In 2016, Popcaan signed with Canadian rapper

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...

's record label

OVO Sound OVO Sound (short for October's Very Own) is a Canadian independent record label, founded in 2012 by rapper Drake, producer 40, and manager Oliver El-Khatib. The label operated as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group until 2022, after which it ...

and

Warner Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...

. His second album for Mixpak, entitled ''Forever'', was released in 2018. Popcaan's international singles include "Only Man She Want", "Everything Nice", "Ova Dweet", "El Chapo", and "Family". He has collaborated with a number of international artists, most notably Drake,

Jamie xx James Thomas Smith (born 28 October 1988), known professionally as Jamie xx, is an English musician, DJ, record producer, and remixer. He is known for both his solo work and as a member of the indie pop band the xx. He has been described as a " ...

Pusha T Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as one half of the Virginia-based hip hop duo Clipse, which he formed with his older brother No Malice, Malice. M ...

, Giggs,

Matoma Tom Stræte Lagergren (born 29 May 1991), professionally known as Matoma, is a Norwegian Disc jockey, DJ and record producer. Early life Lagergren was born in Åsnes Municipality, Norway. He started playing the piano as a child. During that p ...

Wale Wale or WALE may refer to: Places * Wale, Devon, a hamlet in England * Wale, Tomaszów Mazowiecki County, a village in Poland People * Wale (surname) *Wale (rapper), stage name of American rapper Olubowale Victor Akintimehin Radio and televisi ...

Gorillaz Gorillaz are an English virtual band created by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett in London, England in 1998. The band primarily consists of four fictional members: (vocals, keyboards), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar), Noodle (gui ...

, and

Davido David Adedeji Adeleke (born November 21, 1992), known professionally as Davido, is a Nigerian American, Nigerian-American singer, songwriter and record producer. Davido was born in Atlanta, U.S, and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. He made his mus ...

. Popcaan made his acting debut in the film '' The Intent 2: The Come Up'' (2018).

Early life

Sutherland was born in

Saint Thomas Parish, Jamaica Saint Thomas(), once known as ''Saint Thomas in the East'', is a suburban parish situated at the south eastern end of Jamaica, within the county of Surrey. It is the birthplace of Paul Bogle, designated in 1969 as one of Jamaica's seven Natio ...

, and grew up in Portmore. He was raised in a housing scheme, or housing project, known as Gangsta City. He describes his childhood as "rough", having to stop attending school due to the street drama surrounding his town. His stage name "Popcaan" was bestowed on him by his close friend Scumpy, who died to street violence in Portmore.

Career

2007–2010: Early career

In 2007, Popcaan approached

at a local jam called "My Scheme" where Kartel recruited him to his Portmore Empire music group, becoming both a producer and mentor. Besides showing Popcaan the ropes of the music game, Kartel took him on major shows like Sting and

Reggae Sumfest Reggae Sumfest is the largest music festival in Jamaica and the Caribbean, taking place each year in mid-July in Montego Bay.Johnson, Richard (2014)All Set for Sumfest, '' Jamaica Observer'', 8 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014 Sumfest started in 1 ...

. Popcaan began making music for Adidjaheim Productions with then-in-house producer NotNice, the first person to voice him professionally. He got off to a start with "Gal Wine" on the Gal Farm

riddim In Jamaican dancehall music, a riddim is the instrumental accompaniment to a song and is synonymous with the rhythm section. Jamaican music genres that use the term consist of the ''riddim'' plus the ''voicing'' (vocal part) sung by the deeja ...

, following up with early hits including "It Nuh Work So", "Jah Jah Protect Me", "Gangsta City", "Dream", "Gangsta City Part Second", and "Hot Grabba".

2010–2013: Growing popularity

Popcaan's breakthrough came in 2010 with "Clarks", a collaboration with

. The success of the song caused a nationwide spike in sales of the British shoe. In 2011, Popcaan received the Excellence in Music and Entertainment (EME) Award for Best New Artist — Male and Collaboration of the Year for "Clarks", which also won Song of the Year — Dancehall.Kartel takes home four awards
", ''

Jamaica Observer The ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by ...

'', 13 March 2011, retrieved 10 June 2011 At the end of January 2012, Popcaan released a new mixtape, ''Yiy Change'', the follow-up to his 2010 mixtape ''Hot Skull, Fry Yiy, Boil Brainz''. In March, "Only Man She Want" gave Popcaan his first ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' entry at No. 89 on the

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart. The song was later remixed by rapper

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...

. Popcaan was also featured in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' speaking on the growing impact of "Only Man She Want". Summerjam 20130706 Popcaan DSC 1697 by Emha

At the Youth View Awards, Popcaan won three awards: Favourite Summer Song and Local Chart-Topping Song of the Year for "Ravin", and Young, Hot and Hype Male of the Year. Popcaan has toured the world since, in Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean and South American region. While in Canada, Popcaan connected with Canadian rapper

, who has expressed his admiration. In 2013, Popcaan released the video for "Unruly Rave", which was shot in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, and directed by October's Very Own label head Niko. In 2012, Popcaan was featured on

's song "Blocka". His voice was then sampled by

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

on ''

Yeezus ''Yeezus'' is the sixth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It was released on June 18, 2013, through Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records. West gathered a number of artists and close collaborators for the production, includi ...

'' in 2013.

2014–present: ''Where We Come From'', ''Forever'' and subsequent fame

In 2014, Popcaan signed to Mixpak Records for a multi-record deal. His debut studio album, '' Where We Come From'', was released on Mixpak on 10 June 2014. The project was executive produced by Dre Skull. The first single from the album, "Everything Nice", was produced by Dubbel Dutch and released on 1 October 2013.Jackson, Kevin (2014)
A New Day for Popcaan
, ''

'', 29 June 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014 It entered the ''

'' Top Reggae Albums chart at number 2, and the video gained over 5 million views on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

. In June 2014, Popcaan first appeared on the cover of ''

The Fader ''The Fader'' is a magazine established in 1999 as an outlet for Cornerstone Agency, a marketing and public relations firm established by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. History and work It is owned by T ...

'' in its 92nd issue. He featured on

Melissa Steel Melissa Steel (born 6 July 1993), is an English singer. She is best known for her debut single "Kisses for Breakfast (song), Kisses for Breakfast" with Popcaan and also on Blonde (duo), Blonde's "I Loved You". Career Background Melissa Steel ...

's single "Kisses for Breakfast", which was a top ten hit in the UK in August 2014. In September 2014, he was nominated for a

MOBO Award The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and Bant ...

in the Best Reggae Act category, his fourth consecutive nomination.Jackson, Kevin (2014)
5 For MOBO Reggae
, ''

'', 24 September 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014 He won the MOBO Award in 2015 and 2016. In May 2015, Popcaan was featured on

's " I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)" with American rapper

Young Thug Jeffery Lamar Williams II (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he is considered an influential figure in modern hip hop music, hip hop and trap music ...

. In January 2016, Popcaan was featured on English

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

duo

AlunaGeorge AlunaGeorge are an English electronic music duo from London, consisting of singer-songwriter Aluna Francis and producer George Reid. Since 2020, the duo has been on indefinite hiatus, allowing both members to pursue solo projects. Career 2009 ...

's single " I'm in Control". On 29 March 2016, a song entitled " Controlla" by

was leaked, with Popcaan being featured on it. A version without Popcaan was later featured on Drake's fourth studio album '' Views''. On 28 April 2016, Popcaan released the single "Ova Dweet". On 2 May 2016, Popcaan was reportedly held by police after a performance in

Antigua Antigua ( ; ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the local population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the most populous island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua ...

involving an altercation with an officer on stage. In June 2016, Popcaan made his first UK appearance alongside Mixpak for the annual Red Bull Culture Clash and won the clash over

Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and actor. Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he signed with the local independent label Rostrum Records to re ...

, Taylor Gang, Eskimo Dance, and UKG Allstars. In March 2017, Popcaan performed guest vocals for the

track " Saturnz Barz" off of the album ''

Humanz ''Humanz'' is the fifth studio album by British virtual band Gorillaz, released on 28 April 2017 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and Warner Bros. Records in the United States. It was the band's first studio album released in seven years, fo ...

''. The track reached number five on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rock Songs chart. He also spent time in Europe as the opening act on Drake's Boy Meets World Tour. Popcaan announced his second album ''

Forever Forever or 4ever may refer to: Film and television Films * ''Forever'' (1921 film), an American silent film by George Fitzmaurice * ''Forever'' (1978 film), an American made-for-television romantic drama, based on the novel by Judy Blume * '' ...

'' on 11 May 2018. It was preceded by the singles "Body So Good", "Wine for Me", and "Firm and Strong". The album was released on 20 July and premiered on a live stream hosted by Boiler Room. Popcaan headlined

the following day. ''Forever'' entered the ''Billboard'' Reggae Albums chart at number 2. On 23 December 2018, Drake announced that Popcaan would be signed to

and

. Popcaan's third album ''Vanquish'', released on 19 December 2019, was the first project produced with OVO Sound. Popcaan's fourth album, ''

Fixtape ''Fixtape'' is the fourth studio album by Jamaican musician Popcaan. It was released on 7 August 2020 via OVO Sound and Warner Records. Production was handled by several record producers, including Boi-1da, London on da Track, Nineteen85, Noel ...

'', was released on 7 August 2020. It includes the Drake collaborations "All I Need" and "Twist & Turn" featuring

PartyNextDoor Jahron Anthony Brathwaite (born July 3, 1993), known professionally as PartyNextDoor (often stylized in all caps), is a Canadian singer, songwriter, rapper and record producer. He was the first artist to sign with Drake's record label OVO Sound ...

. On 16 October 2020, Popcaan joined forces with OVO affiliate

Preme Raynford Avery Humphrey (born January 8, 1986), better known by his stage name Preme ( ; formerly P Reign), is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He initially guest appeared on the 2011 singles " Alone Again" by Alyssa R ...

for their EP ''Link Up'', which featured Wiz Khalfia,

, Beam, and

French Montana Karim Kharbouch (Moroccan Arabic, Arabic: IPA pronunciation, æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he immigrated to New York ...

. On 27 January 2023, Popcaan released his fifth album, Great Is He on OVO Sound. The album debuted on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart at number 3.

Discography

* ''Bay Badness'' (2012) * '' Where We Come From'' (2014) * ''

'' (2018) * ''

'' (2020) * '' Great Is He'' (2023)

Filmography

References

External links

Official website

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Popcaan 1988 births Living people Singers from Kingston, Jamaica Jamaican dancehall musicians Jamaican pop singers Jamaican reggae singers People from Portmore, Jamaica Musicians from Saint Catherine Parish