BY BRIAN BONITTO—
Associate Editor —
Popcaan
POPCAAN took aim at the United States’ Recording Academy — organizers of the Grammy Awards — for not including his latest set, Fixtape, in the list of albums vying for this year’s Best Reggae Album category.
In his expletive-laced tirade, the dancehall deejay labelled the American institution as corrupt and lashed out at its snub of dancehall music.
“Big up the nominees for this year Grammy SALUTE!!!! @recordingacademy differently tho, unu corruption levels high nuh b**bocl**t!! We unstoppable tho dancehall music. We nah stop until unu accept we. #UNRULYFOREVERSOLID mi unruly family them me love unu. #POLITRICKS,” he told his 2.4 million Instagram followers yesterday.
He has since deleted the post.
Reggae singer Christopher Martin also chimed in saying the deejay should have been nominated.
“Nah talk like mi know how it go eno, but to me still Poppy fi get nominated fi da Grammy sumn deh,” he posted on his Instagram story yesterday.
On Tuesday, the Recording Academy announced the acts vying for this year’s Best Reggae Album Grammy. The nominees are: Upside Down 2020 by Buju Banton; One World by The Wailers; It All Comes Back to Love by Maxi Priest; Got to Be Tough by Toots and the Maytals; and, Higher Place by Skip Marley.
The 63rd Grammy Awards ceremony is scheduled for January 21, 2021.
Popcaan’s Fixtape was released on August 7 and is produced by OVO Sound/Warner Records. It has 19 tracks, including collaborations with Drake, Stylo G and Dane Ray, Masicka, and Tommy Lee Sparta. It debuted on the sales-driven US Current Reggae Albums chart at number one.
Fixtape currently sits at six on the stream-driven Billboard Reggae Albums chart.
Despite his disappointment at the American Recording Academy, Popcaan fared better in the United Kingdom’s Music Of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards. The MOBOs are the UK’s equivalent to the US’s Grammys.
The two-time winner was on Tuesday nominated in two categories — Best Reggae Act and Best International Act.
In the Best Reggae Act category, the other nominees are Buju Banton, Koffee, Protoje, and Lila Iké.
The Best International Act category will see him compete against Burna Boy, Drake, Megan Thee Stallion, Pop Smoke, Roddy Rich, Rema, Shenseea, Summer Walker, HER, and Lil Baby.
Popcaan won the award for Best Reggae Act in 2015 and 2016.
Popcaan, whose given name Andre Sutherland, came to national attention in 2010 when he teamed with his mentor Vybz Kartel on the number one song Clarks.
His subsequent hits include Ravin, Unruly Rave, Only Man She Want (which entered the Billboard R&B Hip Hop songs chart), Party Shot and Dream.
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