Ebuzz News
Archived: Dancehall Heavyweight, Popcaan Speaks Out. Challenges Cohorts to Make More International Music.
The international music industry is, for most Caribbean artistes, the pinnacle of it all. They yearn for Grammy Award status and the international recognition that comes with it, however only few have attained such glory. Buju Banton, Beenie Man and Shaggy are among the Caribbean’s fruit who’ve achieved worldwide recognition for their contributions in music, however, for countless others, the dream is firmly implanted.
On Wednesday, Jamaican dancehall superstar, Popcaan started the conversation on how this dream could possibly be attained by more young, dancehall and reggae artistes. He had performed with Drake at London’s O2 Arena and basked in the thrill felt as over 20,000 foreigners moved to his music. “I see our music going so far in my vision and I’m honestly going to make that vision a reality with the few artistes that are actually trying to fight for our music the right way and working towards making more international music,” he said in a social media post after the performance.
The ‘Party Shot’ singer whose real name is Andrae Hugh Sutherland, said, “we have so much talented artistes on our island but our problem is sometimes we have more ego than hits and it will never work.” He lamented that as much as ‘gun tunes’ are a part of the dancehall culture, such lyrics could never really make it to the Billboard charts.
Popcaan further encouraged all young, new artistes to stand firm on the journey admitting that it isn’t easy. As he ended his caption, he said, “and to the crab inna barrel artist, radio ppl and selectors, get out that fu*king barrel like a bullet… god bless my island and my industry.”
The 30 year old who hails from St. Thomas, joined incarcerated dancehall star, Vybz Kartel’s Gaza Empire In 2008. Since that time he has amassed a strong following and performed around the world, even collaborating with Rap and Hip Hop superstar, Drake on a single called “My Chargie” in 2017. His Instagram following to date, stands at 1.4 million.
Ebuzz News
Patrice Roberts Pulls 10K Plus Crowd At Flava Village in Port-of-Spain.
The national Carnival Commission says more than 10,000 patrons came out to Flava Village at the Queen’s Park Savannah on Thursday night to see female Soca artiste, Patrice Roberts.
An event dubbed, ‘Always Us,’ held as a free showcase for Carnival lovers, delivered a number of truly entertaining soca stars, among them, Shal Marshall, Shurwayne Winchester, Nadia Batson, Farmer Nappy and Mical Teja. The NCC, in a media statement said, “an estimated 8,000 people filled the popular Carnival venue, with an additional 2,000patrons enjoying the show from viewing screens along The Drag, creating an electric Carnival atmosphere despite heavy rainfall earlier in the day.”
With her usual high energy performances, Patrice held the attention of fans throughout the night.The concert was described by the artiste as a heartfelt “thank you” to her fans and
supporters. NCC’s Chief Executive Officer, Keiba Jacob-Mottley, said the organisation welcomed the opportunity to partner with Roberts. “We commend Patrice for her decision to give back in this meaningful way and applaud her commitment to ensuring that high-quality local entertainment remains accessible to everyone during the Carnival season, Mottley said, adding, “Our collaboration reinforces the NCC’s focus on creating memorable Carnival experiences that celebrate our artistes while removing financial barriers for the public,” she added.
The NCC CEO noted that the Flava Food Village, one of two signature Carnival villages at the
Savannah, alongside the John Cupid Carnival Village, is offered as a vibrant, inclusive space
where patrons can enjoy food, culture, and nightly performances free of charge. She added
that other NCC events, such as “Welcome to the Gayelle” represent the continuing work at
delivering a successful Carnival 2026.
David Baptiste, President of the Carnival Entrepreneurs Association, described the night as a milestone for vendors at the Savannah. “Last night was truly beautiful and something I have never seen before – an event of this magnitude in terms of crowd size, and people supporting the vendors. Many vendors sold out last night. We need more of this, and I am looking forward to the next event. Events like these boost business for our vendors at the Savannah and make them truly feel like they are a part of the Carnival festival,” Baptiste said.
Ebuzz News
Squeezy Rankin’s Pivot. Artiste Goes Hard into Calypso to Change Mindsets.
From dancehall music with rough lyrical content to social commentary that aims at changing mindsets, East Trinidad native, Squeezy Rankin says he has found his true calling in Calypso music. The entertainer is on the road to the preliminary round of the Calypso Monarch Competition later this month, with a single called ‘Rat Race’ – this, one year after ‘Justice’ influenced younger audiences to take a stronger look at the Calypso genre, something that he hopes he can continue to do as his journey in music continues.
In a recent radio interview, the reigning Young King, whose real name is Anthony La Fleur, said prior to 2025, he had not done music professionally in 13 years. Jumping back into the spotlight, he said, was a bit intimidating, but the exposure last year has prepared him for 2026 and the artiste is expected to confidently claim his space in the Calypso Monarch competition this year.
As real as it gets, Squeezy Rankin- a man on the ground, has always fought for his place in the music industry locally. Now, as Calypso music embraces him even more, he says he believes he’s found his place. “I plan on releasing two songs during the year because I want to change the narrative that Calypso music is old people music,” he said, adding that his hope is that urban radio stations see the value in sharing topics of social commentary, such as ‘Justice’ and ‘Rat Race’- songs deep in meaning and valuable beyond measure, in the greater scheme of things.
Determined to change mindsets one song at a time, Squeezy Rankin says his strong suit is certainly social commentary and he will not, at any time, delve into political commentary. “I was advised by someone who is deep in politics to stay out of it and I literally listened. You know sometimes we hear people, but we aren’t listening. I thought about what he said, and it made sense. I literally listened, even though they say I don’t listen,” he said with a laugh.
‘Rat Race’ was written by Squeezy and Angelo Pantin with production by Q-Ban Production.
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