Warner Music artist Popcaan, is facing multiple charges following his explicit outburst directed at police officers who stepped on stage enforced the closure of his Unruly Fest in Yallahs, St Thomas, on December 23 due to exceeding the allotted time.
The OVO Sound artist, born Andre Sutherland, is charged with using indecent language, disorderly conduct, employing abusive and calumnious language, issuing threats to police officers, and violating Jamaica’s Noise Abatement Act.
After a three-year hiatus, Unruly Fest, renowned for its sold-out shows, welcomed back attendees last year and around 4:55 am, a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force signaled to rising star Jahshii to conclude his set, declaring, “We give you until 5 o’clock, it’s time to go.”
In a defiant response, Popcaan, entered the stage with a microphone, retorted, “That’s why St. Thomas cyah better cause unuh fight everything Weh me do, move up.”
The Jamaica Constabulary Force released a statement on twitter outlining the charges stating that Popcaan went to the station and it was then that he was charged two weeks after the incident:
“Dancehall Artiste Andrae Sutherland otherwise called ‘Popcaan’ was slapped with five charges on Thursday, January 4. Mr. Sutherland attended the Area 5 Police Headquarters where he was served with five summons, relative to his behaviour at the staging of Unruly Fest in Yallahs, St Thomas, between Friday, December 22 and Saturday, December 23, 2023. ”
The charges relating to the incident are as follows: Breach of the Noise Abatement Act, Threat, Using Abusive and Calumnious Language, Using Indecent Language; and Disorderly Conduct.
Popcaan was released without detention and the deejay is set to appear in the St Thomas Parish Court in Morant Bay on Wednesday January 10, to answer to these charges.
Dancehall Artiste Andrae Sutherland otherwise called ‘Popcaan’ was slapped with five charges on Thursday, January 4. pic.twitter.com/YMlXtxBdPG
— Jamaica Constabulary Force (@JamaicaConstab) January 4, 2024
Interestingly, Popcaan’s latest album, “Great Is He,” pays homage to Jamaica’s first National Hero, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, with a cover inspired by him. Coincidentally, Popcaan’s upcoming court case will unfold in the very same location where another Jamaican National Hero, Paul Bogle, faced capture, trial, and conviction under Martial Law, as decreed by the colonial government. Bogle met his fate on October 24, 1865, when he was hanged at the Morant Bay courthouse.
The modern Jamaican police force was started in response to the Morant Bay Rebellion.
Despite previous considerations of relocating the Unruly Fest festival, Popcaan’s decision to bring it back generated excitement on social media. The lineup included performances by Sean Paul, Quavo, Tarrus Riley, Protoje, Jesse Royal, Chronic Law, and more.
Having sold over one million albums and EPs and accumulated over 1.5 billion streams on Spotify, Popcaan was the second-highest streamed dancehall artist globally in 2023.
