Popcaan Unruly Resident
The sound of a lighter striking echoes in the background. Music. Sounds electronic. Another strike from the lighter, then more music. The whole intro is hazy. A mood is set.I’m feelin’ hiiiigh, champaign fliiiight the voice of Andre Sutherland filters through my device and into my skull through my headphones. Everything is Nice he sings. It’s the first single off his most recent album, Where We Come From.
As my journey into Where We Come From the album began, the first thing I realized, was that Popcaan and his production team understood their intention in making this album. It was ominous, solemn, happy and hopeful, and this was one track in- ‘Hold On’. It didn’t sound very local at all, the sounds were much more global. World Music. The reviews were bright, it was a sound project, strong visual presentation and it was overall lighter on the ears. The cover of the album done by Ricardo ‘Ink’ Edwards (a Jamaican Graphic Artist) —-‘ explores the theme of realism and simplicity. It features a realistic, drawn portrait of Popcaan against a minimalist background, which fits very well with the album. Real and simple. The album has an airy feeling as Popcaan’s singy and infectious lyrics weave through issues of social inequity right back to basics of human nature. With his usual unfiltered enamored spin on social commentary and ‘Raving’ Sensibilities. This bold new venture is an echo of the focus and consideration Popcaan is putting into his career. Albums are not exactly the most popular feature of dancehall culture and a step in this direction is also a declaration of the long-term vision of the artiste. Popcaan speaks to and for the young, and regardless of the fact that he is no longer of that social state he still identifies himself as a ghetto youth. With this act he is lionizing an entire social class by being a representative and an example. I suspect that is why the ghettoes around Jamaica all religiously play Popcaan’s music, it is relevant to both their current reality and the one they hope to exist in. We tracked down the artiste for an interview. On arrival at the studio we had the time to scope out the place, to find the spots that held the right vibe. This interview had to be perfect, the universe had a message for the world, and it would take the unlikely form the so called Unruly Boss. Fifteen minutes within the hour of 3:00pm, two vehicles pull up. The artiste arrives and emerges from the first vehicle, a dragon and a spliff in hand, fashionably comfortable, simple. He initially appeared stand-offish, which I think was fair since we were given prior advice to let him cool off a bit. A couple of minutes later he made his way to a spot and signaled for us to follow. We’re standing upstairs the complex, Popcaan unorthodoxly pitched atop the railing. We prepped our equipment, to shoot and to interview. So wah di latess? he grew impatient. After a few rooftop shots, we brought him inside the apartment on the complex to begin the conversation.
What does Popcaan do on a regular day?
Same ting weh mi a do right now. Mi and mi frien’ dem a gwaan chill, listen some music, two girl goodly roll up likkle more make di place look balance yuh si weh mi a say? Yeh. More time wi play football inna di yawd deh suh, or cross di road pon di asphalt. Done know otherwise from that we just buil’ style and lyrics, cause yuh know say when we talk bout slang, we have them how long. Yuhzimmi! … (He laughs at his own cleverness, settling into the black leather couch where he sat)….
What is your biggest issue with the music industry?
Well I don’t really have an issue with the music industry still enuh yuhzimmi? But whatever issue there is Popcaan can solve dem, suh dem issue deh, nuh too concern mi.
With the turn that your career has taken people on the streets have been equating that to you sort of branching out from the port more empire and doing your own thing. Do you think this is the case?
Yeah man. Remember say Vybz Kartel release a press release and say, him lock weh and we have to do we ting and make sure say it stay up yuhzimmi. Yuh done know me is a yute weh dem pon mi own from mi young enuh. Because even inna mi song weh mi say mi deh pon mi own from mi a thirteen, a real talk yuhzimmi. Suh if Vybz Kartel gone a jail as the leader fi di camp, obviously mi have to do my ting. Port more empire… there is no longer a Portmore Empire at this point. Suh right now a just unruly yuh hear? Trait
Dancehall is often considered, the unruly child of Jamaican music, much in the same way you are considered the unruly child of Jamaican lifestyle. But there must be more to this unruly behavior and a lot of the times people fail to question the reasons behind such behavior especially in the youth of Jamaica. Jamaica is a tough environment, do you think that is a factor in the unruly mindset and how so?
Well… Unruly is Unruly Entertainment enuh, si weh mi a say. That is a company weh mi have, and Unruly Entertainment is all about bringing youths to music, doing business. Like even mi brand weh mi have right now, mi brand weh mi and Drake have same way. All a dem ting deh a Unruly Entertainment ting. We have a ting name Unruly clash yah so, weh we a search fi some young talent weh we a go sign to unruly entertainment same way. Suh when we say Unruly, is not like say we a try fi be rebellious or… is all about war and dem ting deh yuhzimmi? When we say we unruly is just that people cyaah rule wi. Yuh see weh mi a say? Yeah we have we own mind, we a nuh nuh yes man! …. (He pauses appearing to stare into a time past)…. From mi young still, people always tell mi say mi unruly, and mi think dat name suit me, suh mi just use it. Trait!
In your song the system, you speak clearly of the faults within it, from your own perspective in a very direct and rebellious way. Do you feel this is any different from what people are calling reggae revolution with artistes like Chronixx, Dre Island and Protoje and do you think dancehall has a role to play in whatever it is that is taking place in reggae music?
YES man! A nuh same ting with reggae music too? And we always be apart of righteousness yuhzimmi. We always a stand fi what’s right, and right now a dat Chronixx and dre island and dem yute deh a do. Suh yuh done know, any form a energy we can share with dem we just share it same way. Cause obviously everybody a fight fi di same ting, and overtime, everybody eye have to open enuh cause time longer than rope. Even things weh nuh happen in a year time or two year time, it a go happen inna three year time yuh is weh mi a say? So, if certain tings we nuh talk bout dem is like dem go unpunished and di yutes a suffer inna di streets same way. We know dem ting deh and when me talk a whole heap a people listen. It only right fi mi make certain tings known yuhzeet cause… Bredda when mi drive from Three Mile to Half Way Tree, yute deh a every stoplight a wipe glass, yuh see weh mi a say? When yuh drive from Waterloo Road up at Grant’s Pen, to New Kingston, yute deh a every stop light, yuhzimmi? Suh dat alone show yuh she it ruff out pon di road and yuh done know we haffi motivate di yute dem and make dem know she fi just Hold on like weh mi song she. Trait!
Your lyrics in general seem very well thought out, you know exactly what you want to say and you have created a character through your music that is becoming more prolific by the day. People want to know what is the motiv behind this character, what is his agenda and why is he so unruly, what is he rebelling against?
… (He laughs at this question clearly amused by the people’s intrigue in the device he has created, his character)…
Well first thing enuh. Fi be a big star inna di music yuh haffi be yuhself. If you a pretend… one day di truth a go forward, and when di truth forward you a go shame. Suh hear weh yuh do, yuh be yuhself from morning. And dat a weh me do, inna mi song dem, tings weh mi say inna mi song, a dem yuh hear mi talk, trait, everything, Nuh shakiness and dem sumn deh. Suh when time yuh have like… alright mi a show you a ting. If you and your crew go out pon di road zeen, and somebody try fi… well inna Jamaica we woulda she program, but, somebody a try tell yuh weh fi do. Weh you woulda do inna dat case?
Nah really take nuh program still…. (I replied leveling with him about my own unruly nature)….
Alright, exactly. Suh that is where unruly come round at DAT POINT! Cause… if me want go left and man a go tell me go right. Automatically unruly a go fall in right deh so, cause A LEF’ MI A GO! Yuh see weh me a say? Yeah so, if yuh want know why me suh unruly, you have to ask God, my mother or father. ….(Popcaan pauses musing to himself before continuing)… Mi bawn unruly (he erupts in laughter).
If you were to send any message to the leaders of the world particularly the leaders of Jamaica, what would that be?
Well, I don’t want send nuh message to dem enuh. But… mi just wish dem embrace di music more still, especially dancehall music. Our leaders in Jamaica, yeah mi want dem put more interest in dancehall music, cause a it generate a whole heap a money inna di country bredda. Suh wid certain people a embrace we and a endorse we, di ting will be more global. Yuh see weh mi a say? Because Obama and dem man deh embrace hip hop enuh. Suh yuh done know. Yeah man a just dat. Music mi a fight fa enuh, nothing else.
A lot of people think about flying cars and jet packs when they think about the future, for Garvey the future was the black star liner. What do you see as the future and where in it do you see yourself?
Well, my future is having billions. When mi have billions, dem time deh me inna di future cause den mi can get anything mi want, all dem same flying car deh weh you a talk bout. Suh when me reach my billions, that is the future for me, yeah that is Popcaan future. My future is very bright as you can see, suh next time when yuh interview mi, we’ll talk bout di future. ….. (he says this as he eases himself out of the leather couch)….
Photos by JIk Reuben
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