OVO Sound/Warner Music artist Popcaan got into a tussle with the police last evening after he was on the location where a convoy of street bikers were being dismantled by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).
In the video being circulated on social media, Popcaan, real name Andre Sutherland (dressed in yellow), can be seen approaching a police officer who was attempting to dismount a rider from his bike.
The officer then held onto his gun while Popcaan gestured him off, and all the bikers rode away, leaving the Unruly deejay amidst the mayhem and a crowd of boisterous supporters.
The deejay who is on Interpol’s Green list has had several run ins with the law in recent years including violations of the noise abatement act at his Unruly Fest event in St. Thomas last December. The Dancehall artist was fined J$40,000 in February or faced 30 days in jail in January and at the time he refused to apologize to the police although he was given an opportunity.
He had previously pleaded guilty in January to other charges related to the event, resulting in a J$6,000 fine. That incident also involved a confrontation with police for exceeding the event’s permitted duration. While Popcaan hasn’t publicly commented, his lawyer emphasized his client’s accountability and contributions to St. Thomas.
Popcaan has also faced previous legal issues, including traffic violations and a lawsuit against the Attorney General over a JCF press release, which is undergoing mediation.
In late 2018, Popcaan inked a deal with Drake’s OVO Sound, and a year later, he dropped his third album, “Vanquish,” under the label’s banner. Like its predecessors, the album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart.
Additionally, Popcaan has put out two EPs: the first, “Link Up,” a collaboration with labelmate Preme, was released in November 2020, followed by “Gyalentine’s EP” in February 2021, featuring four tracks. His last album “Great Is He” entered at No. 3 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, selling 3200 album equivalent units in its first week, 300 of which are pure album copies according to data provided to WMV by Luminate.
