Popcaan Starts New Year In Reflective Mood: “Being At The Top Is Kinda Lonely”
A new year is typically an indication of a fresh start for many, while others reflect on their victories—as well as losses. Things seem to be no different for the Unruly Boss Popcaan, who shared a New Year’s message with Instagram fans on Monday (January 2).
“Defeat the struggles cause we never give up, being at the top is kinda lonely, you know ah mean…,” he began poetically.
“You know we have to make it by any means. We been through the worse times, I see us winning, it is like deja vu. God forgive me wash weh all my sins, grimy life is all we know. #GIHE.”
The lyrical caption was the cherry on top for a slide of photos he shared of members of his team, rumored girlfriend Toni-Ann Singh, and an endearing moment with Reggae legend Beres Hammond at the Intimate concert in the wee hours of Monday morning.
The deejay, who reportedly signed a management deal with UK-based Since 93 in March, had quite the eventful year, ending it on sour terms with the principal of Solid Agency, Sharon Burke, and Shaggy. His set during the Burna Boy concert was plagued by technical difficulties, and at one point, he walked off stage and complained to the sound engineers. Following the show, the organizers of the Burna Boy event, which include Twisted Entertainment, Duke Concept, and Burke’s Solid Agency, apologized for the sound issues which had marred what was otherwise a great production.
This explanation and apology did not fly with the St. Thomas native, who accused Burke of sabotage. During Popcaan’s IG rant, Dancehall megastar Shaggy was also thrown into the furnace and labeled a “b*tch” for an unknown reason.
Popcaan had other performances in 2022 which were considered to be very successful, including a critically acclaimed set at the Wireless Festival in the UK and a packed stadium in The Gambia for his first appearance in that country—but drama ensured again, in August, when he had a spat with the promoter of the Kingston Music Festival over the chaotic staging of that show in Canada. Popcaan, who called out the “promotion” as “f-ckery” during his set, was paid “US$150,000, which is J$22,500,000,” according to the promoter.
Then in July, Popcaan filed a lawsuit against the Government of Jamaica over a Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) press release, which sought to set the record straight about the St. Thomas native’s immigration woes in the UK. The release attributed the woes to an Interpol green notice alerting authorities to Popcaan’s alleged arrest for cocaine possession in 2011, and a conviction for marijuana possession in 2009, both in Barbados. However, Popcaan’s lawyers contended that the deejay had no criminal record in Barbados because the 2009 conviction was expunged from records and because the alleged 2011 arrest was false and “fictitious.”
The suit will be heard in the Supreme Court of Jamaica, and according to the deejay’s lawyer Bert Samuels, the island’s taxpayers might end up paying the largest-ever award for damages among cases of its kind.
There was also the public fallout with former friends Unruly Cuz and Petro, and his top protege Quada’s exit from the Unruly clan.
Besides the chaos and drama, Popcaan showcased his softer side throughout the year, introducing his Swedish son Portmore, whom he affectionately called Portie.
The Fall In Love singer also brought back his lover-boy side through the multiple episodes of PDA between him and former Miss World, Toni-Ann Singh. The pair’s collaboration Next To Me added more fuel to speculation that they might be romantically involved.
The single is expected to appear on his upcoming album, Great Is He.
In December, the Skeleton Cartier deejay celebrated multiple accolades, including his first UK Silver certification as a lead artist for TWIST & TURN with Drake and PartyNextDoor. Earlier that month, he earned his first Gold certification in the country for I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times), a song by English music producer Jamie xx that also featured American rapper Young Thug which has surpassed over 400,000 units in the UK. The song also went Platinum in Canada in September.
Popcaan also currently has Silver UK certifications for Kisses for Breakfast with Melissa Steel, Come Over with Jorja Smith, Should’ve Been Me with Naughty Boy and Kayla, and I’m In Control with Alunageorge, all of which have sold over 200,000 units in the UK.
He was ranked No. 8 on DancehallMag‘s list of the most streamed Jamaican artists on YouTube in 2022.
The 34-year-old deejay racked up 267 million views on the platform during the year, with his most streamed songs being Elevate with Imeru Tafari (24.5 million views), Silence (19.5 million views), Firm and Strong (11.8 million views), Family (11.4 million views) and My Type (9.88 million views).
Popcaan’s top five cities on YouTube are Kingston, Jamaica; New York, USA; London, UK; Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago; and Georgetown, Guyana.