new video for "Love Yuh Bad"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCaeioeKduE
was planning on complaining about how overlooked this album has ended up feeling but I guess I did that in September
― rob, Tuesday, 18 November 2014 18:39 (nine years ago) link
just finally checked out where we come from, it is very good
― marcos, Friday, 4 September 2015 14:49 (eight years ago) link
Love all the twinkly melodies offsetting his whole emo robo sex thing, during the moments where that happens he's almost like a dancehall Future.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, July 23, 2014 2:53 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
great comparison
― just sayin, Wednesday, July 23, 2014 3:28 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
interesting
― marcos, Friday, 4 September 2015 14:50 (eight years ago) link
i discovered popcaan's "weed is my best friend" thru this poll + it's otm and i voted for it.― Mordy, Tuesday, January 5, 2016 4:33 PM (38 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post PermalinkPopcaan put out basically a full album's worth of good stuff in 2015 ("weed..." probably the best one), kind of a shame there's no mixtape gathering it all up.― rob, Tuesday, January 5, 2016 5:14 PM (27 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Mordy, Tuesday, January 5, 2016 4:33 PM (38 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Popcaan put out basically a full album's worth of good stuff in 2015 ("weed..." probably the best one), kind of a shame there's no mixtape gathering it all up.
― rob, Tuesday, January 5, 2016 5:14 PM (27 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
in lieu of a mixtape, here's a Spotify playlist
― rob, Tuesday, 5 January 2016 22:58 (eight years ago) link
there were several great songs over the same riddim as "weed is my best friend"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmwsqxfhwpE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7YsHOguXyI
― J0rdan S., Tuesday, 5 January 2016 23:00 (eight years ago) link
yeah it's a really good riddim. Let Dem Een especially
― rob, Tuesday, 5 January 2016 23:09 (eight years ago) link
hey j0rdan have you heard this? I think you'd like it, iirc:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNjcgy7pV2Y
― rob, Tuesday, 5 January 2016 23:12 (eight years ago) link
Popcaan has been on an absolute tear recently.
He features on the new Sizzla song "Way Out" that has echoes of the social consciousness of "The System"
"Homemade" is really good too
"Fiesty Chat"
alsp a Life Support Double Dose riddim was just released
― pplasma, Tuesday, 5 January 2016 23:29 (eight years ago) link
http://www.youtube.com/v/zNjcgy7pV2Y&fs=1&hl=en
― rob, Tuesday, January 5, 2016 6:12 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark
ah this is really tight. thanks. i don't keep up with dancehall as much as i would like but this is right in my wheelhouse.
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 6 January 2016 02:43 (eight years ago) link
new album, Forever, out this summer on mixpak!
here's the laidback first single:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfaTpfVZXdo
― rob, Friday, 11 May 2018 15:02 (five years ago) link
new album on spotify now!
― just sayin, Thursday, 19 July 2018 22:29 (five years ago) link
Rinsing the track with Davido right now, so good.
― breastcrawl, Friday, 20 July 2018 07:17 (five years ago) link
I'm going in. One of the complaints from some corners about his last album was 'not enough bangers'. As someone who came to him through the rave-dancehall stormer 'System', I kind of agree that the rest of the album was good but a bit light-of-touch by comparison. I'm gonna try and enjoy this one on its own terms though
― Gâteau Superstar (dog latin), Friday, 20 July 2018 08:46 (five years ago) link
57 mins, 17 tracks - that's not a short record
― Gâteau Superstar (dog latin), Friday, 20 July 2018 08:47 (five years ago) link
So far this has a smooth almost afro-pop vibe so it's nice to listen to it as a crossover record. Which is the Davido collab?
― Gâteau Superstar (dog latin), Friday, 20 July 2018 09:04 (five years ago) link
oh it's Dun Rich, for some reason Spotty wasn't showing it
I used to think of this guy as a kind of Jamaican analogue to Young Thug but his music's a lot less eccentric than that, or at least he's dialled it down in recent times
― Gâteau Superstar (dog latin), Friday, 20 July 2018 09:06 (five years ago) link
He's never been like YT and I'm struggling to see the overlap - Young Thug is just so much weirder whereas Popcaan is a conscious sweet boy who occasionally makes bangers.
The first two lines on this album are like woah. I came to this album expecting good vibes and got obsessive royal paranoia - great as it is. Rest of the record delivers though.
― Matt DC, Friday, 20 July 2018 09:48 (five years ago) link
Yeah I'm re-thinking the YT comparison. I must have got the wrong impression of him from the off with songs like System; and also the fact they collabed a few years back
― Gâteau Superstar (dog latin), Friday, 20 July 2018 09:56 (five years ago) link
this album is phenomenal
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Friday, 20 July 2018 10:00 (five years ago) link
not sure so far... dare I say 'not enough bangers'? Maybe need to be in the mood, out in the sun drinking something nice rather than stuck in a hot office
― Gâteau Superstar (dog latin), Friday, 20 July 2018 10:12 (five years ago) link
The bass at the end of Through The Storm is like woah.
― Matt DC, Friday, 20 July 2018 10:17 (five years ago) link
oof, makes my ears feel funny
― Gâteau Superstar (dog latin), Friday, 20 July 2018 10:49 (five years ago) link
dog latin, fwiw, I had that Young Thug-Erlebnis with Alkaline. Can’t wait to listen to the rest of this album after work!
― breastcrawl, Friday, 20 July 2018 10:52 (five years ago) link
Yeah I can see that about Alkaline. I never got the whole thing about him being accused of being a Vybz Kartel clone. Doesn't make sense to me.
Just looked to see if there are any early reviews of Forever online. Man, some of these reviews. There's a Times one moaning about 'autotune' and 'Patois' being annoying.
― Gâteau Superstar (dog latin), Friday, 20 July 2018 10:55 (five years ago) link
Like the sound of this one—his delivery and the laidback vibe. Some juvenile lyrics like on “Naked “ I could do without though.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 24 July 2018 12:56 (five years ago) link
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Friday, July 20, 2018 6:00 AM (four days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
otm. the pre-release singles were all solid, but this thing really flows, confidently low-key and controlled throughout. "Firm & Strong" sounds immense coming at the end.
only sour note is this seems to be inspiring some of the worst music crit I've ever read, and I haven't even checked the Times one dog latin mentioned. pitchfork review was a shambles
― rob, Tuesday, 24 July 2018 19:46 (five years ago) link
None of the songs have really grabbed me on this yet but as a whole it's got a light vibe that I kind of need right now so I appreciate it. Feels like more of a grower than the last one maybe
― husked, tonal wails (irrational), Tuesday, 24 July 2018 21:33 (five years ago) link
i am so into this
― just sayin, Thursday, 2 August 2018 22:57 (five years ago) link
This Hannah Giorgis piece in the Atlantic is an exception to the crummy press I complained about earlier; really good piece: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/07/popcaan-keeps-dancehall-moving-forwardwith-its-roots-intact/566318/
“Over time I think me and Davido should do our own album together,” Popcaan said. “For the sake of dancehall and Afrobeats, we should do that.”
really hope ^this wasn't just an idle thought
― rob, Tuesday, 7 August 2018 17:11 (five years ago) link
that would be a great idea
― Scritti Vanilli - The Word Girl You Know It's True (dog latin), Tuesday, 7 August 2018 23:02 (five years ago) link
I mean, while this is a Jamaican record, it sits so well in an afrobeats playlist
― Scritti Vanilli - The Word Girl You Know It's True (dog latin), Tuesday, 7 August 2018 23:03 (five years ago) link
yeah the mutual influence is super strong on this. And looking back, I’m not even sure how to categorize “My Story”
― rob, Tuesday, 7 August 2018 23:21 (five years ago) link
“Firm and Strong” is an incredible song. I’m shy of calling it transcendental, but it really does earn its gospel choir finale.
“Silence” and “Dun Rich” (the track with Davido) are the two other highlights.
And “Foreign Love” is irresistible to me as well - I mean, the hook is in Dutch!
― breastcrawl, Tuesday, 21 August 2018 19:28 (five years ago) link
oh man thank you for mentioning that that's Dutch! I'd been trying to decipher that line, thinking it was some patois I couldn't crack lol. love the rainstorm outro on that one and then "Body So Good" next is really smart sequencing.
It took a few listens (and, especially, just sitting with it on headphones rather than out and about) but I think this whole thing is superb. That said, I'd probably add "Lef My Gun" to your highlights list.
― rob, Tuesday, 21 August 2018 20:04 (five years ago) link
Oh yeah, “Lef My Gun” is very good. What he’s singing in “Foreign Love” is ‘ik vind je leuk’ (‘I like you’ - or ‘I think you’re nice/cute’ if you’d want it to scan) - nothing more, nothing less. Still, by far the best use of Dutch in an English-language pop song in ages. A huge improvement on Madonna’s botched attempt in the intro of “Sorry”.
― breastcrawl, Tuesday, 21 August 2018 20:53 (five years ago) link
As an aside, it'd be interesting to see how many of those 'Dutch in English language songs' there really are. Can't think of any off the top of my head.
― lbi's life of limitless european glamour (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 21 August 2018 21:22 (five years ago) link
Well, that was sort of my point: Not a whole lot of competition.
― breastcrawl, Tuesday, 21 August 2018 21:27 (five years ago) link
What is definitely starting to be a thing though is Dutch-language features by Dutch rappers on tracks of foreign artists:https://youtu.be/Kgz5sRcKU9c7liwa ft. 3robi • Nari (Moroccan)https://youtu.be/C2i5NUuYYIQL’Algérino ft. Boef • Hola (French)There’s a German one as well, forgot who/what it was.
― breastcrawl, Tuesday, 21 August 2018 21:55 (five years ago) link
Ha scrolling through the comments on those is a trip
― rob, Tuesday, 21 August 2018 22:18 (five years ago) link
xp Nari and Boef get around. Would expect Sevn Alias has done a similar gig by now?
Regardless, new Popcaan is a shiny sprawling album. Can't think of anyone really doing what he does at the moment. Which is quite something in and of itself.
― lbi's life of limitless european glamour (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 21 August 2018 22:24 (five years ago) link
― breastcrawl, Wednesday, 22 August 2018 15:07 (five years ago) link
excellent "Body So Good" remix with Mr Eazi:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg94ELxI9CY
― rob, Friday, 24 August 2018 13:24 (five years ago) link
Nice remix. Could Wizkid be next? I’m sure he would love to work with Popcaan too (he’s done a couple of Popcaan freestyles), but I don’t know if and how the Davido rivalry factors into this.
― breastcrawl, Thursday, 30 August 2018 16:38 (five years ago) link
yeah that would be cool, though their styles are a little similar. Or at least when I first heard Wizkid, he reminded me a lot of Popcaan--they've diverged since then (and don't get me wrong, they're two of my favorite current artists). Anyway, they're linked through Dre Skull so it's maybe not impossible?
Outside of afrobeats, Popcaan's been talking about the need for "unity" in dancehall recently, so I've been imagining all kinds of probably unlikely collaborations. It is interesting that Davido's is the only feature here. Of course, Pusha T was the only guest on WWCF, but that felt like a more justifiable move to establish Popcaan's self-sufficiency not too many years out from "Clarks".
― rob, Thursday, 30 August 2018 16:57 (five years ago) link
On Popcaan’s African connections - what I learned from Twitter:-Popcaan was in Nigeria this weekend-He didn’t perform there-He met up with Davido-He recorded with Davido protégé Peruzzi-Peruzzi also recorded with Burna Boy this weekend-Burna was added to Popcaan’s London show next month
― breastcrawl, Monday, 12 November 2018 13:00 (five years ago) link
Video for "Dun Rich" with Davido is out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymmkv5DjvfE
(It was shot in Lagos - see above, I guess)
― breastcrawl, Monday, 24 December 2018 20:38 (five years ago) link
Silence has a video now too; they're putting a lot into promoting this record, I'm impressed (though this video isn't nearly as interesting as Dun Rich):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bqXbE_-MEM
As I've mentioned elsewhere, Silence was the dancehall track I heard the most when I was in Trinidad in December.
I suppose it should be noted that Popcaan has signed to OVO. All I'll say about that is I hope his aversion to features extends into the next album too.
― rob, Wednesday, 16 January 2019 20:12 (five years ago) link
I thought you liked his recent collaborations?
― breastcrawl, Wednesday, 16 January 2019 22:01 (five years ago) link
That was an oblique dig at Drake and the rest of the OVO roster. Sorry I’ve been so cryptic lately
― rob, Wednesday, 16 January 2019 23:35 (five years ago) link
But if drake hooks him up with idk Wizkid and Rihanna then I will take it back
― rob, Wednesday, 16 January 2019 23:37 (five years ago) link
new mixtape out called 'fixtape', hopefully better than the last one
― just sayin, Friday, 7 August 2020 05:33 (three years ago) link
I'm on track 3 and it's already about a million times better.
"New Polo" for example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiVhpU0hlEA
― rob, Friday, 7 August 2020 13:31 (three years ago) link
now Drake is singing in "patois," so it's not perfect
― rob, Friday, 7 August 2020 13:34 (three years ago) link
that said, even this song is pretty good
― rob, Friday, 7 August 2020 13:35 (three years ago) link
For better or worse, it's aptly billed as a mixtape: better as in I always thought it was a mistake that Popcaan didn't put out a mixtape collecting all his brilliant loosies between each album ; worse only in that it's definitely not remotely coherent like Forever and WWCF. But as a batch of mostly fire, mostly new Popcaan songs, this is a delight.
Check out the riddim on "Canary":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdBDKWea6JE
― rob, Friday, 7 August 2020 13:53 (three years ago) link
Shouting into the wind with this one, but it's kinda lol/kinda sad that all the headlines mention the two Drake features, when this tape has given me the surprising opportunity to say Tommy Lee>>>>Drake
anyway, the run from "Canary" to "Any One A Dem" is thrilling. Love how the latter echoes "Afrikaan Beat" in the keyboard hook
― rob, Friday, 7 August 2020 14:01 (three years ago) link
PVMIC: any bangers on this one or is it all hookless soul baring?
― doorstep jetski (dog latin), Friday, 7 August 2020 14:24 (three years ago) link
many bangers! -- skip the first track and anything with Drake and this might be the ideal Poppy album for dog latin
― rob, Friday, 7 August 2020 14:26 (three years ago) link
just saw that there’s an extended 32 track version on soundcloud?
― just sayin, Friday, 7 August 2020 21:29 (three years ago) link
including a remix of NORE’s nothin??
Soundcloud Tracklist:1. Intro2. Killy Dem Crazy (Hate Me Now Remix)3. Dolla Coin (Rockstar Remix)4. Have It (feat. Skillibeng & Quada) (Uptown VIbes Remix)5. Fast Lane (4PM In Calabasas Remix)6. Chill7. Girls In Love (feat. Quada) (Broke In a Minute Remix)8. Hate! (JAY-Z - Hate Remix)9. All I Need (feat. Drake)10. Love It (feat. Jada Kingdom)11. Goodaz12. Mamakita13. Bruck Di Buddy14. Canary15. F*** Up Di Club16. Twist & Turn (feat. Drake & PARTYNEXTDOOR)17. Buzz18. Smoked Out (feat. Bakersteez) (Boom Boom Boom Remix)19. Challis20. Any One a Dem (feat. Frahcess One)21. Murda (feat. Preme & French Montana)22. Unda Dirt (feat. Masicka & Tommy Lee)23. Bad Gang (6 God Remix)24. Fresh Polo (feat. Stylo G & Dane Ray)25. Rapid26. Jealousy27. Hengin Tree28. Watch Ya (feat. Furnace, Stylo G & Unruly Cuz) (N.O.R.E. - Nothin' Remix)29. Friends Like These30. Retribution31. Bank & God32. My Way
― just sayin, Friday, 7 August 2020 21:30 (three years ago) link
Drake's Jamaican accent is incredible. Like... Sting, Ali Campbell, they had nothing on this guy.
― Matt DC, Saturday, 8 August 2020 19:14 (three years ago) link
It is p astonishing he doesn't get any serious flack for it
― rob, Saturday, 8 August 2020 19:42 (three years ago) link
Best New Music on pitchfork today, and the review makes a strong case for the soundcloud version -- did you listen to that just sayin? I haven't had a chance before now but I'm putting it on now
― rob, Tuesday, 18 August 2020 13:33 (three years ago) link
damn this owns: https://soundcloud.com/popcaanmusic/yiy-change-fixtape
― rob, Tuesday, 18 August 2020 13:44 (three years ago) link
icymi:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXmniReKkDkMegan Thee Stallion ft. Popcaan & Mustard • Intercourse
― Running up that hill but fleeting (a deal with Gop) (breastcrawl), Tuesday, 24 November 2020 20:17 (three years ago) link
that's good but I'm not sure it was worth having the phrase "popcorn and mustard intercourse" in my mind
― the serious avant-garde universalist right now (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 24 November 2020 22:33 (three years ago) link
sounds tasty tho
― Running up that hill but fleeting (a deal with Gop) (breastcrawl), Tuesday, 24 November 2020 22:35 (three years ago) link
I put off checking this out because of Drake, but ffs it bangs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjJZNdLSexU
We Caa Done ft. Drake
(maybe don't focus too hard on Drake's "accent" though)
― rob, Thursday, 19 January 2023 20:29 (one year ago) link
Popcaan in fine form but Drake's feat so so weak that it ruins the song. But if that's running up to an album I will definitely listen.
― Nabozo, Friday, 20 January 2023 08:48 (one year ago) link
new album Great Is He is out Jan 27
My expectations for this were subterranean so it's possible that I'm overrating it, but Popcaan sounds great and he hasn't released anything at all good in a very long time. And then Drake is so weird I guess I find it entertaining? It borders on the surreal; I almost laugh when he starts saying "we can-not done" like even his own brain/tongue is like "bro stop this"
― rob, Friday, 20 January 2023 14:41 (one year ago) link
wasn’t blown away by the pre-album singles and the Burna collabo on the new album is very underwhelming as well. mediocre song, although Burna is okay on it.Popcaan’s apparent compulsion to use “pussy tight” in literally all of his songs (“Great Is He” excepted) is very grating. not sure I will want to delve into this album
― the shaker intro bit the shaker outro in the tail, hard (breastcrawl), Friday, 27 January 2023 16:08 (one year ago) link
Sad to say, you probably shouldn't bother. There are a few good tracks, but it's definitely a chore to get through. He's really become hollow as a pop persona—no real character or POV—and the opulently lethargic production + social media spirituality blah blah sounds cynical and wack, even the horny stuff is flat.
Maybe the real tell is how bad "Set It" is: a retro ragga exercise that his production team should be able to knock out of the park that for some reason sounds like *absolute shit* (seriously listen to Lady Saw's Good Wuk afterwards).
Only listened once, but this was the highlight among the new tracks for me, mostly for the production tbh:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hFK2WQbKjM
Freshness
This one is not bad too iirc:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDUG_slD35k
11th Commandment
― rob, Friday, 27 January 2023 21:12 (one year ago) link
tried to listen to the burna collab & halfway thru shut it off and put on “weed is my best friend”
― J0rdan S., Friday, 27 January 2023 21:35 (one year ago) link
wise
― rob, Friday, 27 January 2023 21:39 (one year ago) link