Ovo Sound artist Popcaan has regretfully called off his performance at the O2 Arena in London, citing the ‘incompetence and negligence’ of a “former” Unruly team member as the reason for the abrupt cancellation.
In response to this setback, Popcaan announced several exciting additions to the lineup for Unruly Fest 2023, scheduled for December 22 in St. Thomas. The roster now includes fellow St.Thomas deejay Skillibeng, top Jamaican Apple Music artist Najeeriii, seasoned artist I-Wayne, and American rapper Fivio Foreign.
A statement released by the Unruly Management team on Monday stated that an ongoing investigation is aimed at uncovering the sequence of events that led to the cancellation of the London show.
“Popcaan was eagerly looking forward to connecting with you for what was destined to be an unforgettable night of music and unity,” the statement conveyed. “The cancellation has been the result of a now former crucial team member’s failure to fulfill vital milestones during the preparatory stages of the production. Further investigation is underway to ascertain whether there was any motive behind these inexplicable events and to prevent their recurrence in the future.”
Despite this setback, Popcaan assured fans that Unruly Fest will make its way to the United Kingdom at a later date. Additionally, the statement indicated that efforts would be made to reschedule the concert, with a new date to be announced.
“We understand the disappointment and frustration this cancellation will cause, and we extend our heartfelt apologies to all the fans who had eagerly anticipated this event,” the statement continued. “Despite these challenges, Popcaan is committed to making amends. He is determined to reschedule the London concert and deliver an unforgettable experience to all his fans.”
The statement concluded by expressing gratitude for fans’ understanding and patience.
The cancellation of the London legal the Unruly artist’s tour comes as the Dancehall star’s fifth studio album, ‘Great Is He,’ was not submitted among the 65 albums for of for voting in the Best Reggae Album, at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. Neither was the album or singles submitted for any of the 94 categories although it was released during the eligibility period between October 1, 2022, and September 15, 2023.
When WMV contacted Popcaan’s management team about the album’s absence from the list of submissions for the only Reggae category, no clear reason was given except “The label usually handles it.”
Tickets are now available for Popcaan’s Unruly Fest 2023, which was first held in December 2018 at Goodyear Oval in St. Thomas with Drake as special guest. The festival had been on hiatus for three years, partially due to the pandemic.
Popcaan’s “Great Is He” tour will make nine European city stops Berlin, Paris, Oslo, Stockholm, Dublin, Manchester, and Amsterdam. “Great Is He” album, debuted at No. 3 spot on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, his lowest debut on the chart after selling 3200 units in its first week.
A deluxe version was released with 8 additional tracks but the album has so far sold just over 25,000 units since its January 27, 2023 release according to data provided to WMV by Luminate(Formerly MRC Data). 500 units of which are pure album sales and the album re-entered the Reggae Billboard chart the week ending April 14, 2023 at No. 8.
