Popcaan

Andrae Hugh Sutherland, known the world over as Popcaan, started his life of musical excellence, years ago in St. Thomas, Jamaica, where the beloved entertainer was born on July 19th, 1988. Raised in a strict household under the keen eyes of his Grandparents, he had a strong moral compass instilled in him that to this day, is still used to guide his life. Popcaan spent those early years sharpening his musical skills and focusing completely on the only career he ever wanted, a mind-set, which served him well when he moved to Portmore. It was there in 2007, the artiste he admired the most, Portmore’s own Vybz Kartel, saw him perform at a talent show and invited him to be a part of Kartel’s famous group, Portmore Empire. Kartel then readily stepped into the role of being Popcaan’s producer and mentor, introducing him at major shows such as Sting and Reggae Sumfest. Memorable singles “Street Vybz”, “Vision”, “No Ordinary Girl”, along with “Gal Wine” from the Gal Farm Riddim, as well as countless additional tracks, enchanted the airwaves soon after. These tracks tuned young fans into his emerging sound as they easily identified with his unique style and energy. Then came the unstoppable juggernaut, “Clark’s” ft Vybz Kartel and Popcaan. This global hit cemented the young artiste’s career in dancehall, giving Sutherland Excellence in Music and Entertainment (EME) Awards for ‘Best New Artist’, and ‘Collaboration of the Year’, while the song itself was named ‘Song of the Year – Dancehall’. It was therefore no surprise when in 2014, through his multi-album deal with Mixpak Records, his debut album was released and entered the Billboard Top Reggae Albums Chart at Number 2.
Since then the accolades and awards have simply rolled in. Popcaan has appeared on the cover of The Fader, obtained four consecutive nominations for MOBO Awards, two of which he won in 2015 and 2016, among other tremendous honours. During this time he has also built an impressive portfolio, working with and being featured on major projects with renowned artistes and producers such as, Drake, Young Thug, Jamie XX, Kanye West, Chaka Khan, Snoop Dogg, Pusha T, Travis Scott, Luna George, Giggs, JHus, and Jay Z to name a few. Not to mention his recent monster hit “Saturnz Barz”, with the English virtual band, Gorillaz, which resulted in him being the only Jamaican artiste to be listed on Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Songs of the Year for 2017. Moreover Popcaan has toured the world, sending audiences into an uproar in the Caribbean, Europe, The United Arab Emirates, and South America. One tour though stood out against the rest. On the heels of his feature on a leaked version of Drake’s global hit “Controlla”, Popcaan was asked by the Hip-Hop mogul to be the opening act for his Boy Meets World tour in 2017. Today the sky itself can no longer limit this gifted star. He has all ears and eyes trained on him, as the world of music breathlessly anticipates what this one of a kind talent will share with us next.