After many years of debates, Popcaan and Vybz Kartel’s kinship still remains a hot topic among some fans online.
Though the two Dancehall stars seem to be in a good place right now, they’ve had a tumultuous past, due in part to the actions of the Worl’ Boss and his GAZA Empire affiliates.
This was noted in a recent comment made by Instagram user 1quando, who wrote: “Nuh matter wah!! Humble yuhself and Mek god handle certain things. Never bite the hand Weh feed you or did a feed yuh.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, even when Vybz Kartel a try water down Popcaan. Popcaan never once came out publicly and disrespected Vybz Kartel once! It was always gratitude towards world boss,” the comment continued.
The statement resonated deeply with the Unruly Boss, who re-shared the comment to his Instagram Story yesterday, showing his full endorsement.
“Humbleness,” Popcaan wrote on a screenshot of the comment, along with the 🫡 and 💯 emojis.
Popcaan, whose rise to fame was initiated by his induction into the Vybz Kartel-led GAZA Empire, had faced criticism for allegedly abandoning the Teacha after his incarceration. In a letter to the Jamaica STAR in 2013, Kartel had said he felt “betrayed by Popcaan and Tommy Lee whilst going through the darkest hour of my existence.”
Blak Ryno, one of Poppy’s former GAZA associates, had also accused him of informing on the Worl’ Boss. “Unruly sell out the GAZA, him a informer, him do too much talking,” Ryno said last year, alleging that Popcaan was somehow the reason Vybz Kartel was sought by the police prior to his arrest in 2011.
The Bike Back deejay also claimed he wasn’t the only one from the now-defunct GAZA camp who thought Popcaan was a sell-out. “Make me tell uno, when you hear Jah Vinci and Shawn Storm and Ryno dem and di whole GAZA ah sing bout informer, ah one person we a talk … one person weh always a carry news. Ah bare informer name Unruly!” he said.
Kartel and Tommy Lee had also collaborated on a shady diss track, Informer (2012) calling out an “Informer” who “sell out Mr. Palmer.”
The accusations against Popcaan continued when Kartel’s own sons, Likkle Vybz and Likkle Addi–budding deejays at the time–spat the lyrics, “Mi nuh trust Popcaan,” in their 2015 single Radio.
But, as 1quando declared, the Firm and Strong deejay has never folded under the pressure. Instead, Popcaan has been spotted online supporting his former mentor. In mid-2020, the Elevate artist was in the comments section showing out for Kartel who had gotten a RIAA gold certification for his single Fever. Poppy shared a slew of clenched fist icons, and Kartel acknowledged Popcaan’s comment with an exaggerated, “Yoooooowww.”
On Popcaan’s FIXTAPE mixtape, released in August 2020, Kartel made dancehall fans’ faces light up as he introduced his former student to the world for a second time via a dubplate and several ad-libs on the project.
A year later, when a prosecution witness in the Clansman-One Don gang trial testified in Court that the Worl’ Boss had ordered a hit on an entertainer, Popcaan rubbished the allegation that he was the intended target, by re-sharing Kartel’s denial of the claim.
On musical matters, Kartel has three new songs out this week, starting with Polo Anthem, True Religion, and most recently White House.
Meanwhile, Popcaan has been teasing “something special” in store for his upcoming fifth studio album, Great Is He.
“To my true unruly family! it’s been a while since I drop some new music, but I’ve been working on something special for you all, and we are about to go way up,” he wrote in a Tweet on Wednesday.
“I appreciate you for supporting Popcaan music all these years. Love you all876GUD! #GreatIsHe #GIHE”
To my true unruly family! it’s been a while since i drop some new music, but I’ve been working on something special for you all, and we are about to go way up. I appreciate you for supporting popcaan music all these years. Love you all🙏🏿876GUD! #GreatIsHe #GIHE
— Popcaan (@PopcaanMusic) August 17, 2022