Vybz Kartel Rubbishes Accusations Of An Assassination Attempt On Popcaan
Dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel has rubbished insinuations made on a popular Jamaican YouTube vlog that he had masterminded a plot with an infamous Spanish Town gang to harm his former protégé Popcaan, in 2016.
The post which has been circulating on the internet since June 26, was presented by vlogger Sir P of Politricks Watch, who is reputed to be an ex-police officer. In the post, Sir P accuses the Kartel of becoming envious of Popcaan, who had appeared to be on a trajectory towards greatness, that would eclipse the incarcerated deejay’s accomplishments, and make the St. Thomas native the new standard-bearer for Dancehall.
Sir P claims Kartel’s jealousy escalated after Popcaan was gifted a Range Rover from Drake, and, unable to stand the Unruly Boss’ ascension any longer, the Worl’ Boss engaged the gang members to execute the Vanquish artiste following a stage show in Helshire, St. Catherine.
According to him, the assassination attempt was thwarted by the police, who intercepted Popcaan’s fleet of vehicles along the Hellshire Main Road, just in time, as the gunmen were to pounce. It is claimed that police escorted him out of a long line of traffic which had blocked the roadway, where the Numbers Don’t Lie singer, unaware of the bounty on his head, was able to get to safety.
Sir P also said he was disclosing the information because Kartel, whom he referred to as ‘World Snitch’ throughout the video, had disrespected him, and he was not pleased.
But on Sunday, Kartel appeared to ridicule Sir P. In a brief post on his Instagram Story, he brushed the allegations aside as ludicrous and tagged Popcaan.
“I wanna kill someone, but s__t, roadblock!! Mi na badda,” he wrote, and added two laughing emoticons.
Popcaan reposted Kartel’s Story to his Instagram, two hours later, indicating that he also felt there was no merit to accusations.
On the YouTube channel where the accusatory video was posted, there were more than 200,000 views and 4,400 comments, with many followers claiming they believed every word of what Sir P said, and that his story was too straightforward to be untrue.
Popcaan fans who saw the video raced over to his YouTubeVevo to post their comments after the artiste dropped the song Friends Like These , about traitors, a day after the Politricks Watch video was posted. Many accused the Worl’ Boss of being a ‘Modern Day Judas’.
Some of the lines of the song which stirred up speculations that Popcaan had seen the Politricks Watch video, and was, in fact, referring to Kartel included:
Mi life dem ah try fi set up
Know di pagan dem nuh like see mi up
Tell dem fi try fi run up
Hand gun and di rifle dem nuff
That’s why mi stay inna my zone
Dem will sell yuh out fi ah iPhone
Grandma seh di world ah my own
Never grudge di King fi him high throne
When dem ah find mi, mi just guard
Ghetto yute dem nuh like see wi buss charge
Wolf inna sheep clothes wi nuh trust dawg
None ah nah wish good fi wi, then ah must par
There were skeptics who doubted Sir P’s story, claiming he was constantly calling the names of famous dancehall artistes, mainly Vybz Kartel, as click-bait to garner views. Some argued that the only reason the police intercepted Popcaan that night, was to provide him with escort services due to massive crowds, as they often do for celebrities.
“What Sir P said doesn’t make sense … Where would Popcaan be if there was hit on him? Why wouldn’t the police arrest gunmen instead of just taking away Popcaan?” one skeptic stated.
“Sir P is an antagonist towards dancehall artiste, especially Vybz Kartel. Most of his points are valid, but I think he oversteps ethical boundaries with certain accusations,” he added.
He was supported by another fan, who noted that Sir P was trying to employ divide and rule tactics against the artistes.
“Sir P say car a drive behind Popcaan after the show, right? But if you know the Unruly Camp, you would a know say a nuff a them, so there is no way a car could deh behind Popcaan without the camp noticing? Him (Sir P) just a try turn people against people as far as me see,” he argued.
As the debate raged, another fan also gave his two cents worth, claiming Sir P concocted the story and inserted the names of a few gangsters in his speech, in order to make his post sound realistic, out of hatred for Kartel.
“Sir P just hate Kartel… If Kartel did want him (Popcaan) dead, how all now him don’t dead? A just that night alone him coulda dead? Sir P is a ex-police or him still ina the force! So him ago know few badman names. So the names him call and place dem come from it ago real, Sir P is a policeman…Just listen how him talk and call names,” he argued.