Popcaan Dares ‘Irrelevant’ Mavado To Make An Album, ‘Wha’ Yuh Doing Bro?’
Dancehall artiste Popcaan has called Mavado ‘irrelevant’ and has dared the veteran deejay to drop an album.
The singer joined Ebro In The Morning on the New York-based Hot 97 radio show today to discuss his newly released FIXTAPE, meeting Drake, and the impact the coronavirus has had on Jamaica, among other things. However, when asked about his beef with fellow Dancehall artiste Mavado and whether they would ever squash it, he had a pretty frank assessment of the Weh Dem A Do singer.
“Mavado is a ensies.. him irrelevant, him need fi make ah album. That’s my words to Mavado, I dare you to make an album, bro,” Popcaan said frankly, challenging the legendary Gully Gad. “Ensies” means “fool” or “fake” in Jamaican dialect.
Mavado’s last album was Mr. Brooks…A Better Tomorrow, which was released in 2009.
Popcaan agreed with host Ebro Darden that Mavado has been using mischief and controversy to stay relevant of late.
Tensions flared in July when Drake subliminally referenced his now broken friendship with Mavado in his Only You Freestyle. Mavado responded with a fully loaded diss track, called Enemy Line, which called out Drake for appropriation of Dancehall culture and threw shade on the OVO Boss’ friendship with Popcaan.
“A man like Mavado should be in the studio right now, like putting out some projects like motivating these youths. Wha’ yuh doing bro? You just chillin and trying to make mischief to stay around,” he continued, insinuating that Mavado hasn’t been making any new music. Perhaps not as frequently as he should, so it’s not worth talking about or his material hasn’t been engaging enough to ‘motivate these youths.’
“I use music to stay around, not mischief or controversy,” Popcaan added, knowing quite well his highly successful, 32-track YIY CHANGE FIXTAPE is an indication of that. The project, produced by Creep Chromatic, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Reggae Album sales chart.
Despite forwarding from opposing camps (Gully/Gaza), Popcaan and Mavado have worked together. They both had verses on Snoop Dogg’s Lighter’s Up in 2013, and Mavado even joined Popcaan on the Everything Nice remix in 2014.
Things went downhill in 2016 when the pair openly exchanged diss tracks, which included Born Ready, Dem Dead A Ready, RPG, Funeral, Dutty Dread, Dem Run Een, and We Still A Win.
When asked by Ebro if he and his old friend, Mavado could ever get back to a better space, he said, “Of course it can, but I mean it has to start from somewhere … I don’t know about everybody enuh but wid me, I’m always willing to make the best move for the music and for the culture … I will put my ego aside and everything and do it for the culture.”
“Well not everybody tinks like dat so ah mean I just play my part at the end of the day and always try to tell dem dat the unity within the music will bring more light to it. So if they don’t want to take my advice fine, I will just do what I do.”
Wrapping up his interview, Popcaan told Ebro and the gang, “I see you in America next year.” He can travel now but has been staying put due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions.