Popcaan is looking to move on from his Freedom Street fiasco with promoter Skatta Burrell.
The Unruly Boss and the dancehall producer clash at Vybz Kartel’s Freedom Street show on New Year’s Eve night at the National Stadium. Popcaan’s anger was immediately noticed as soon as he entered the stage with Chronic Law. “Skatta s–k yuh mada yute!” he said on stage. It seems Skatta Burrell didn’t take the disrespect likely and a melee broke out backstage between the two sides.
At one point Vybz Kartel tried to diffuse the situation saying they are trying to “mashup” his show. Skatta Burrell released a video on Instagram the following morning explaining what went down and why he was particularly upset about the disrespect towards his mother, who he says is in the hospital.
Popcaan has since released a statement through his Unruly label giving his side of the unfolding events. “Popcaan and the Unruly team approached this event with the utmost professionalism and respect, but certain operational challenges and miscommunications at the venue created unnecessary obstacles,” the press release reads. “Popcaan initially requested to use his band for the performance, which Kartel graciously approved However, as the event approached, efforts to rehearse with the band were dismissed by Skatta Burrell. It was later communicated to our team that the use of the band was discouraged as it might ‘reflect poorly’ on the event.”
Popcaan said despite the challenges he was faced with, he was committed to putting on a show for the fans and supporting his former mentor, Vybz Kartel. The artist blamed mismanagement for a lengthy delay at the gate, which saw him delayed for three hours. “I was standing with Rolexx when he radioed Skatta to say he was at the gate with me,” Popcaan said. “Skatta responded, ‘Mi cyaah bodda wid Popcaan and him 100 man,’ not even knowing how many people were actually with me. The reality is it was just my team and Chronic Law’s team.”
Popcaan and his team blamed past “professional disagreements” with Skatta Burrell may have contributed to the added tension at Freedom Street. The artist points to his consistent decline to perform at Reggae Sumfest, which Skatta is a member of the production team.
Nevertheless, Popcaan says his focus is not on Skatta Burrell going into the new year. “It’s a new year,” Popcaan said. “My team and I don’t have Skatta on our minds or thoughts. We’re focused on continuing to deliver for the fans and elevating dancehall culture.”
