Popcaan Says Kendrick Lamar’s Music Not Welcome In His Presence: “Change That Station!”
A video of a visibly annoyed Popcaan ordering his associates to refrain from playing Kendrick Lamar‘s music in his presence has been making the rounds on social media. In the video, Popcaan declares his loyalty to Canadian rapper Drake, who has been involved in a lyrical feud with Lamar that has escalated in recent months.
It captures Popcaan looking surprised and questioning: “A nuh Kendrick Lamar song dat mi hear a play een yah?”
He then emphatically adds: “Weh? If a dat a play, skip dat bloodclaat! Nuh waan hear dat”.
When one of his colleagues in the background mentioned that the radio was playing the song, Popcaan immediately demanded, “Change di station!”
He further expressed his disdain for hearing Lamar’s music, stating that even though he was no longer a part of Drake’s OVO outfit, Lamar’s music was not worthy of being played in his presence.
“Mi nuh know why di bomboclaat dem a play Kendrick Lamar in yah bout. Mi nuh waan hear no Kendrick Lamar nigga. All when time mi independent, a OVO mi ting deh same way. Yeh, a loyalty me deal wid,” while showing off his OVO tattoo, symbolizing his allegiance to Drake’s label.
Popcaan and Drake have been musical associates and friends since August 2012, when they first connected in Canada. Back then, Drake’s team had reached out to Popcaan ahead of his performance at Caribana, eventually inviting him to attend the rapper’s annual OVO Fest in Toronto.
That event featured major artists such as Nikki Minaj, Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg, 2Chainz, The Weeknd, and Meek Millz.
Before that, Drake had expressed admiration for Popcaan, often tweeting the deejay’s lyrics and slangs. After meeting Drake backstage at OVO Fest and later at an after-party, they had an immediate connection, leading to discussions about future collaborations and Drake visiting Jamaica.
In 2019, Drake officially signed Popcaan to his OVO label. But prior to this, Popcaan had already been featured on various Drake projects, including the outro of 2015’s Know Yourself and the leaked version of 2016’s Controlla, among others.
In 2020, the two released their first official collabs, TWIST & TURN and ALL I NEED), which appeared on Popcaan’s FIXTAPE album. In 2023, they teamed up on We Caa Done, which appeared on Popcaan’s Great Is He album.
The recent tension between Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in early May 2024. According to Time magazine, the two rappers have exchanged a series of escalating diss tracks, each making unverified allegations about the other’s personal life, including claims involving family and questionable behavior.
Drake responded in a song on May 5, expressing his disgust at Lamar’s accusations, including allegations of a secret child and inappropriate relationships, which Drake vehemently denies.
The history of the feud dates back to when Lamar was a rising star. Drake had supported Lamar early on, inviting him onto his Take Care album and including him in his 2012 Club Paradise Tour.
However, in 2013, after the success of his debut album Good Kid, m.A.A.d City, Lamar made it clear he was aiming for the top. In a guest verse on Big Sean’s Control, he called out several rappers, including Drake, declaring his intention to outshine them. Drake, at the time, had downplayed the diss, describing it as “an ambitious thought.”
According to a BBC article, the ongoing feud, which initially involved Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole, was sparked by a seemingly harmless lyric praising their careers. While J. Cole eventually stepped back, Drake and Kendrick continued to exchange increasingly personal and aggressive diss tracks.
Kendrick Lamar has had limited interactions with Jamaican artists, the most notable being his collaboration with Agent Sasco on “The Blacker The Berry, a track from the rapper’s 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly. However, despite Sasco’s imperious verse, which contributed heavily to the song’s success, and Lamar’s performance of the track at the 2016 Grammy Awards, Sasco’s contribution remains uncredited in official releases.
He also worked with Toast singer Koffee, co-producing the song Defend off her debut album, Gifted.