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
this album is phenomenal
― 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
My bad, I failed to take in the significance of OVO.
― breastcrawl, Thursday, 17 January 2019 07:43 (five years ago) link
(For an actual bad Popcaan collab, look no further than the track he recorded with Peruzzi during that session in Lagos mentioned above)
― breastcrawl, Thursday, 17 January 2019 08:22 (five years ago) link
Idk, the Controlla remix was pretty good and the stripped down production style on Forever should go well w the ovo sound. Not too worried about any collaborations, really.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Thursday, 17 January 2019 11:27 (five years ago) link
Not too worried about any collaborations, really.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Thursday, January 17, 2019 6:27 AM (three hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
"During Drake‘s surprise appearance on stage during the Unruly Fest held in Jamaica, the Canadian star announced dancehall artist Popcaan has singed with OVO Sound. Jumping on stage alongside Popcaan himself, Drake delivered the message in patois."
― rob, Thursday, 17 January 2019 15:21 (five years ago) link
'Informer, you no say "Popcaan, signed to OVO, I'll go blame"A licky boom-boom down
― frame casual (dog latin), Thursday, 17 January 2019 15:29 (five years ago) link
lol, just saw this. I'm fine with Drake being corny. It's an important part of who he is.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Friday, 25 January 2019 12:54 (five years ago) link
New song: “Best/Blessed”, with a nice lyric video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfzHJEAWAZ0
Laidback where Dexta’s “Dash It Out” is intense (or dense, as rob would have it?)
― breastcrawl, Monday, 11 February 2019 23:03 (five years ago) link
That is nice, unfortunately it goes into the headphones-only file with My Type. His other new one, Heart String, is really good apart from a weird chorus (something something turkey-lurkey? maybe I'm missing a JA cultural ref here) that more or less tanks the track for me.
Re: Dexta, yeah his emotional level is turned up to 10 compared to someone like Popcaan, but he also packs in a lot more words per bar, giving his songs a kind of baroque quality (none of this is criticism, it's just to explain why his tunes sometimes take a couple listens to make sense to me)
― rob, Sunday, 17 February 2019 16:35 (five years ago) link
Now “Firm And Strong” has a video too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rEBT_Ge3sc
Isn’t it kind of weird all these videos are dropping only now, in rapid succession? The album came out in July!
― breastcrawl, Thursday, 28 February 2019 07:15 (five years ago) link
(still an amazing song obv, and the video does it justice, I feel)
― breastcrawl, Thursday, 28 February 2019 07:23 (five years ago) link
just guessing, but I assume Mixpak didn't have the cash to make (m)any videos, but as the album has done well, they've been able to fund them?
that's definitely my favorite video so far, and yeah it's kind of a shame that it couldn't have been the launchpoint for the album
― rob, Saturday, 2 March 2019 21:30 (five years ago) link
New mixtape
― breastcrawl, Friday, 20 December 2019 07:27 (four years ago) link
I haven't finished it yet, but sad to say it's kind of bad?
― rob, Friday, 20 December 2019 14:35 (four years ago) link
Ok maybe this isn't a total waste, but it would have been better as an even shorter EP. The second track is genuinely bad and nearly 5 mins long ugh; there's a crummy weed ballad.
Even trimmed it would be pretty minor. A lot of the songs feel like undercooked cast-offs from Forever. There's a few that aim for that Firm & Strong combination of menace + uplift and miss badly.
Fave track ended up being the final one (Elevate), but I should listen again before I give in fully to OVO-related hand-wringing--I made the mistake of reading some (very negative) twitter reactions before listening and may have been primed to dismiss this.
― rob, Friday, 20 December 2019 15:05 (four years ago) link
"i love you love you marijuana"
things you were shockingly old when you learned
― mark s, Friday, 3 April 2020 13:30 (four years ago) link
preferred it when they were platonic tbh:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gcLqlaHzVs
― rob, Friday, 3 April 2020 13:43 (four 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
wise
― rob, Friday, 27 January 2023 21:39 (one year ago) link