Latest Release
- NOV 29, 2024
- 1 Song
- FIXTAPE · 2020
- In Colour · 2015
- We Caa Done - Single · 2023
- Stronger We Get · 2010
- 438 · 2021
- Risky - Single · 2019
- My Type - Single · 2018
- FIXTAPE · 2020
- Forever · 2018
- GYALIS (feat. Chris Brown) [Remix] - Single · 2021
Essential Albums
- Shortly after Popcaan’s debut album, <I>Where We Come From</I>, was released in 2014, Drake tapped him to sing on “Controlla,” the Beenie Man-sampling smash from <I>Views</I> that marked a new era for dancehall-pop crossovers. On <I>Forever</I>, the Jamaican artist presents a spiritually minded follow-up that draws on the moody warmth of contemporary hip-hop and R&B. Full of twinkling, buoyant synths (“Deserve It All”) and cheerful lyricism (“Happy Now,” “Strong Woman"), the album is a triumphant view-from-the-top meditation on fame, power, and perseverance—concepts he captures most colorfully on “Superstar.” “Where I grew up... it was rough on that side, you know?” he told Beats 1 host Ebro Darden. “But I always knew that I was a star. That’s why I sing that song, because it’s from the hungry days to proper living.”
Albums
- 2024
- 2024
- 2024
- 2024
- 2024
- 2024
Artist Playlists
- The new face of reggae is already making waves and carving a promising path.
Compilations
- Rudimental & Skepsis
- Miss Lafamilia & Popcaan
More To Hear
- Ebro and the dancehall producer discuss Vanquish in Jamaica.
- The dancehall star talks working with Davido and the Gorillaz.
- Music by 03 Greedo, Freddie Gibbs, 2 Chainz, and Popcaan.
- The deejay delivers “Wine For Me” from his album, Forever.
- Becca plays from the Popcaan Essentials playlist on Apple Music.
More To See
About Popcaan
Few artists have done more to cement dancehall reggae’s place in pop culture in the 21st century than Popcaan. His melodic sensibility and experimental instincts have ensured that the island style has remained as versatile as it is enduring. Born Andrae Hugh Sutherland in Saint Thomas, Jamaica, in 1988, Popcaan came up as a member of Vybz Kartel’s crew, stepping out with a standout feature on the 2010 smash “Clarks,” followed by a guest spot on Pusha T’s 2012 song “Blocka” and a sampled cameo on Kanye’s Yeezus in 2013. Then, in 2014, his mentor’s prison sentence paved the way for the protégé to become the master. Popcaan’s signing to Brooklyn’s Mixpak label—founder Dre Skull executive-produced his 2014 debut album, Where We Come From—indicated the global scope of his ambitions; so did the album’s sound, which put his formidable voice over honeyed synths with a distinctly pop air. Here and on the 2018 follow-up Forever, Popcaan proved himself not a fighter but a lover, preferring songs about romance over Kingston’s typical street squabbles and internecine beef. In 2018, years of collabs and cosigns with Drake came to fruition in the form of a deal with OVO Sound, who put out 2019’s Vanquish and 2020’s FIXTAPE. If Drake’s imprimatur has put extra shine on Popcaan’s throne, it’s his penchant for collaboration—racking up features with acts like Jamie xx, AlunaGeorge, Gorillaz, and even Maroon 5—that has made him a household name. His openness to such seemingly unlikely hookups is one reason that he keeps multiple recording studios in Saint Thomas, along with a mobile setup that can travel wherever he goes—spontaneity is key. “I like to have a studio wherever I am,” he told Apple Music. “I’m always open to do music.”
- HOMETOWN
- Saint Thomas Parish, Jamaica
- BORN
- July 19, 1988
- GENRE
- Modern Dancehall