Andrae Hugh Sutherland (born 19 July 1988), known professionally as Popcaan, is a Jamaican singer. In 2008, Popcaan joined

Vybz Kartel Adidja Azim Palmer (born 7 January 1976), better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall recording artist, composer, record producer, and entrepreneur. Among his various nicknames, he is referred to as "Worl' Boss". As summarize ...

's Gaza Music Empire. In 2010, he released his breakthrough international hit "Clarks" with Kartel, an ode to the popular shoe brand. In 2013, Popcaan signed with

Mixpak Records Mixpak Records is a Brooklyn-based independent record label, founded in 2009 by record producer Dre Skull. The label operates across a range of genres, from dancehall to underground club music, experimental electronic, rap and leftfield pop. ...

and released his debut studio album, ''

Where We Come From ''Where We Come From'' is the debut studio album by Jamaican dancehall artist Popcaan, released on 10 June 2014 by Mixpak Records. A prolific dancehall artist from Jamaica, Popcaan collaborated with several producers on the album: Dre Skull (who ...

''. In 2016, Popcaan signed with Canadian rapper

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

's record label

OVO Sound OVO Sound (also known simply as OVO) is a Toronto-based Canadian record label, founded in 2012 by hip hop artist Drake, producer 40, and Oliver El-Khatib. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Warner Music Group's Warner ...

and

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

. Popcaan's international singles include "Only Man She Want", "Everything Nice", "Ova Dweet", "El Chapo", and "Family". Popcaan made his acting debut in the film '' The Intent 2: The Come Up'' (2018). Popcaan has collaborated with a number of international artists, most notably Drake, Jamie xx,

Pusha T Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper, songwriter and record executive. He rose to prominence as one-half of the hip hop duo Clipse, which was mainly active from 1994 to 20 ...

, Giggs,

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

, Wale, Gorillaz, and

Davido David Adedeji Adeleke (born November 21, 1992), popularly known by his stage name Davido, is an American-Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. His music blends traditional African elements with global mainstream pop. Davido is widel ...

. His second album for Mixpak, entitled ''Forever'', was released on 20 July 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 the Right Honourable Paul Bogle, designated in 1969 as one of Jama ...

, 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 tragically lost his life to the street life of 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 19 ...

. 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 strong start with "Gal Wine" on the Gal Farm

riddim Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm". In the context of reggae and dancehall, it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song and is synonymous with the rhythm section. Jamaican music genres that use the ...

, "Clarks" featuring Kartel, Popcaan, and Gaza Slim and more 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'', 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 advertise ...

'' 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 officially remixed by rapper

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...

. Popcaan was also featured in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' speaking on the growing impact of "Only Man She Want". 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 publicly expressed his admiration. In 2013, Popcaan released the video for "Unruly Rave", which was shot in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, and directed by

October's Very Own OVO Sound (also known simply as OVO) is a Toronto-based Canadian record label, founded in 2012 by hip hop artist Drake (musician), Drake, producer 40 (record producer), 40, and Oliver El-Khatib. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distribute ...

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, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

on ''

Yeezus ''Yeezus'' is the sixth studio album by American rapper and producer 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, ...

'' in 2013.

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

In 2014, Popcaan signed to

for a multi-record deal. His debut studio album, ''

'', 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
, '' Jamaica Observer'', 29 June 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014 It entered the ''Billboard'' Top Reggae Albums chart at number 2, and the video gained over 5 million views on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

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

The Fader ''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes. It is o ...

'' in its 92nd issue. He featured on

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

'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 ...

in the Best Reggae Act category, his fourth consecutive nomination.Jackson, Kevin (2014)
5 For MOBO Reggae
, '' Jamaica Observer'', 24 September 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014 He won the MOBO Award in 2015 and 2016. In May 2015, Popcaan was featured on Jamie xx's " I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)" with American rapper

Young Thug Jeffery Lamar Williams (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is considered to be an influential figure of his generation, with his music impacting the modern sound of hip ...

. In January 2016, Popcaan was featured on English

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...

duo

AlunaGeorge AlunaGeorge are an English electronic music duo from London, consisting of singer-songwriter Aluna Francis and producer George Reid. Career 2009: Formation The duo first met in June 2009, when Reid remixed Francis' band My Toys Like Me's trac ...

's single "

I'm in Control "I'm in Control" is a song by English electronic music duo AlunaGeorge, featuring Jamaican dancehall singer Popcaan. It was released on 21 January 2016 as the lead single from AlunaGeorge's second studio album, '' I Remember'' (2016). The song ...

". On 29 March 2016, a song entitled "

Controlla "Controlla" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake, recorded for his fourth studio album '' Views''. The song was released as the fourth single from the album in the US on June 7, 2016. The dancehall song was written by Drake, Matthew Samuels, Dwayne ...

" by

was leaked, with Popcaan being featured on it. A version without Popcaan was later featured on Drake's fourth studio album ''

Views A view is a sight or prospect or the ability to see or be seen from a particular place. View, views or Views may also refer to: Common meanings * View (Buddhism), a charged interpretation of experience which intensely shapes and affects thou ...

''. On 28 April 2016, Popcaan released the single "Ova Dweet", which gained popularity both in Jamaica and abroad. On 2 May 2016, Popcaan was reportedly held by police after a performance in

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

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 Red Bull Culture Clash is an indoor sound clash event hosted by Red Bull. Four crews compete in four or five rounds of genre-bending musical competition, with the winner decided by volume of crowd response. Founded in 2010, with a hiatus in 2015, ...

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. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 200 ...

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

Saturnz Barz "Saturnz Barz" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz, featuring Jamaican dancehall artist Popcaan. The song was released on 23 March 2017. It was released as the lead single from their fifth studio album '' Humanz''. The song marks the group ...

" off of the album ''

Humanz ''Humanz'' is the fifth studio album by British virtual band Gorillaz. It was released on 28 April 2017 in the United Kingdom by Parlophone and in the United States by Warner Bros. Records. The album was announced on the band's official Instagr ...

''. 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 The Boy Meets World Tour was the fifth headlining tour by Canadian recording artist Drake, to support his album '' Views'' (2016), and his playlist ''More Life'' (2017). The European leg began on January 28, 2017, at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam a ...

. 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 * ''Forever'' (1992 film), an American ...

'' 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'', 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 (stylized as PARTYNEXTDOOR), is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer. PartyNextDoor was the first artist signed to Drake's OVO Sound record label ...

. 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 was formerly signed to The Blueprint Group (BPG) and RCA Records. He is ...

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

Beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...

, and

French Montana Karim Kharbouch (Arabic: 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 emigrated to the United States with his family when he was 13. ...

Discography

Studio albums

Mixtapes

Extended plays

As lead artist

As featured artist

Other charted songs

Music videos

Filmography

* '' The Intent 2: The Come Up'' (2018)

References

External links

Official website

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Popcaan 1988 births Living people Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Jamaican dancehall musicians Jamaican pop singers Jamaican reggae singers