Popcaan Claps Back After ‘Kingston Fest’ Promoter Said He Was Paid $US 150,000, Provided With Private Jet

Dancehall superstar Popcaan has reacted to comments made by Dwayne Hines—a promoter of the Kingston Music Festival in Toronto—who recently tried to clear to air over the chaotic and seemingly disorganized staging of the show over the weekend. 

The Dun Rich deejay had publicly spoken out during his set at the well-attended show, labeling the “promotion” as “f-ckery” and later called for refunds to ticketholders, after fans experienced a series of issues during the event. 

However, in speaking to Brandon Gones on Tuesday, Hines made it a point to disclose Popcaan’s performance fee in three different currencies and sarcastically asked whether the Jamaican superstar was going to return the money he was paid.

According to him, the St. Thomas native, whose real name is Andrae Sutherland, was also given a luxurious private jet, so his harsh criticism of the promotion team is unjust.

“Now, when you pay an artist US$150,000, which is J$22,500,000, CAD$210,000–provided him with a private jet to get here…to count him as the main artist and he’s riling the crowd up to ask for a refund, and to blame the producers which wasn’t our fault, are you gonna give back your performance money that you got paid?” he asked rhetorically.

In an Instagram Story post this morning, Popcaan did not comment on the performance fee, but he blasted Hines over the claim that he was provided with the private jet.

“Whoever you be, guh suck out yuh muma, pu—y!!!” Popcaan wrote on a clip of the interview.

“You provide jet fi who!! Pu—y a me get me own jet and pay for it out of my pocket. Guh suck out yuh mada and stop try pretty up things. Likkle Fog!!! @KingstonFest”

During the interview, Hines claimed that his team had paved the way for Popcaan to acquire his Canadian visa to perform on multiple stages in the country over the last few years.  

“We weren’t gonna address this, but one of the situations—and in addressing this as not only somebody who has worked with Popcaan—but as somebody who gave Popcaan his first visa to enter to Canada many years ago while he performed at Sound Academy, second time while he performed at Rebel, third time when he performed at Time when he performed with Spice, Shenseea at the International Centre….so we have given Popcaan his Canadian opportunity many, many times,” Hines had said in his preamble.

Hines reiterated that there will be zero refunds over the failed show, as the profit earned from ticket sales has already been used to remunerate staff. 

He charged Popcaan to put himself in their shoes.

“Remember, we have to pay our 550 staff. Are we gonna take back their pay because you riled up the crowd to give us a refund? We can’t do that. They have to feed their families the same way you took that money to feed your family in Jamaica or your friends in Jamaica,” he reasoned.

The other main acts included Shenseea and Skillibeng.

Based on patron reaction via social media, there was an incessant sound issue which resulted in many not being able to hear what happened on stage. Shenseea, as well as Popcaan had taken to their respective social media pages to address this.

There were also reports of a deficiency in water, fainting spells across the venue and fences being broken down.

According to Hines, his team does not assume responsibility for the insufficient sound, nor the unruly behavior of some fans, which prevented them from having an ideal experience. He also said the promoters were left with no choice but to host the massive concert outdoor, after being denied access by the Scotiabank Arena and the Budweiser Stage.  

“I think the crowd became excited that the festival was finally happening. You know crowd mentality; they see something and it just trickles down to a series of events and our safety measures kicked in,” he said.

“Do we put an event like this in a Budweiser stage, in the Scotiabank? but it’s hard to convince these venues that our culture deserves these venues. And it’s weird when I say this, but it’s true because we tried,” Hines said.

“We could bring anything else and they love it, but our culture. When we look at it and we say here’s this festival, can it be done here? The dates aren’t available, this isn’t available. So, then we look at the venues that we’ve already done festivals like this…” the promoter added.

Gones also quizzed about the late start of the show, to which Hines noted that the team deliberately did not stipulate a schedule for the performers so that a big crowd would present for the opening acts. 

“Our festival was the only festival that had 13 Canadian acts opening…We don’t distinguish between our international acts and our opening acts. Our acts went on at 3:00 pm and our main headliner started at 6, as planned. But we don’t list, because if we differentiate the timing between the headliners to start and the opening acts; people don’t want to see the opening acts,” he said.