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So, We Have Another Drake Album With No Popcaan Feature

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Drake-and-Popcaan
Drake and Popcaan

After first announcing it in August 2020 and following two postponed releases, Drake finally delivered on his promises when he dropped the highly-anticipated Certified Lover Boy–his sixth studio album–amidst a long-running feud with Kanye West, who also recently dropped an album of his own, the controversy-plagued DONDA. And while most fans celebrated CLB as an undoubted masterpiece by the Toronto-based rapper, for some Dancehall fans, the album proved to be yet another giant middle finger in the face of their aspirations to see a major Drake and Popcaan collaboration.

Back in 2019 when Drake first announced at Unruly Fest that Popcaan had been signed to OVO Sound, fans were excited at the prospect that the two would be working on new music together, particularly given their success on Drake’s 2016 BET Hip Hop Award-nominated Song of the Year – Controlla. Perhaps as a sign of things to come, however, in that same year (2016), when Drake ultimately released his 6X Platinum album, Views, fans immediately noticed that Popcaan was unexplainably cut from the album’s version of Controlla. Then, just two years later, in 2018, when Drake released the unsurprisingly 5x Platinum and Grammy-nominated album, Scorpion (which had Song of the Year – God’s Plan), there were no signs of the Unruly Boss to be found. And now, with the features-heavy CLB dominating the headlines, Popcaan’s name is yet again evidently missing from the impressive line-up of artists, which includes: JAY-Z, Future, Travis Scott, Lil Wayne, Young Thug, 21 Savage, Ty Dolla $ign, Kid Cudi, Rick Ross, Lil Baby, and Project Pat.

And fans noticed. Following the release of CLB – those who were expecting a Popcaan feature immediately fired up a Tweetstorm, blasting Drake for again not giving Popcaan his due in the limelight. Even before CLB dropped, one fan foreshadowed his response to the album release with the Tweet: “If Popcaan not on Drake’s album, we can just call him a Culture Vampire, right? Or nah? All this OVO Unruly thing woulda jus null and void at this point, because this would be about album #5 that Poppy is not on since he’s been “signed” to OVO”.

Post-album release, angry fans pulled no punches. “I just know… It seems like Shenseea and Romeich and that new manager got more work done in 1 month than Popcaan and Drake did in 3 or 4 years”, one Twitter user wrote.

Another fired off: “Queenie did right. Drake nuh like Popcaan”, referencing Queenie’s now infamous, profanity-laced rant that went viral, in which she blasted Popcaan for refusing to acknowledge her at a recent event.

https://twitter.com/FvckingCoolie/status/1433682739258175514

The Tweets continued to flood in, with some fans attempting to provide an objective perspective. “Drake didn’t put any of his OVO-associated artistes on the album, so why unu a worry bout Popcaan?” one wrote.

Another pointed to Popcaan’s FIXTAPE, where Drake appeared twice (Twist & Turn and All I Need): “Popcaan is the ONLY ARTISTE TO HAVE TWO DRAKE FEATURES ON ONE ALBUM. The man help put Poppy on internationally, and performed basically for free at Unruly Fest.”

While perspectives on Drake’s choice of collaborations on CLB are divided as far as Popcaan is concerned, fans seem to unanimously agree that Popcaan has done and will continue to do well without Drake, should this seeming trend of intentional negligence continue on Drake’s part. CLB is Drake’s third album since his first collaboration with Popcaan in 2016, and despite some fans arguing that demanding a Popcaan feature on Drake’s album is an unhealthy expression of entitlement, particularly by Dancehall fans, the OVO x Unruly partnership is relatively young. Considering the parallels between Drake’s and Popcaan’s career progression, it’s not unusual that Popcaan is yet to be featured on any of Drake’s albums. When Drake first signed to Young Money in 2009, like his collaborations on singles with Popcaan, so too did he collaborate with the hottest artiste at the time, Lil Wayne. Eventually, after establishing an identity of his own, Drake was able to pull his weight enough, effectively silencing any whispers that his career was being carried by Lil Wayne’s hype. And perhaps Popcaan understands this, as his voice is evidently missing from these conversations about the absence from CLB.

So where is Poppy?

He missed court yesterday, as he was evidently busy launching his new fashion venture, the Daily Paper x Unruly fashion capsule, and working on his fifth studio album, which, if released this year, is set to be his third album in two years. And though no further details have been forthcoming about the highly secretive project, it may not be a bad idea for fans dissatisfied with Popcaan’s absence from CLB to hope for more Drake features on this yet-to-be-named-album. After all, it wouldn’t hurt to be hopeful for a third time running, right?

In the meantime, CLB reportedly gave Drake the most successful launch day of any artist so far this year.  He broke the 2021 record for the most-streamed artist in a day on Apple Music, while CLB is also Apple Music and Spotify’s most-streamed album within a day this year.