So it makes sense that the first song on this version of the tape, “Killy Dem Crazy,” is Popcaan trying his hand at Nas and Diddy’s Trackmasters-produced classic “ Hate Me Now”-the perfect “fuck whoever don’t like it” gesture. Though even novice Popcaan listeners already know these affiliations, starting the project in this way is like flexing for the mirror, a moment of self-affirmation before proving it to the world. Those key hits grow into a symphonic instrumental adaptation of Popcaan’s 2011 hit “ Only Man She Want,” and soon after, the first two non-Poppy voices you hear are a drop from incarcerated icon Vybz Kartel and audio of Drake’s praise at the first Unruly Fest in December 2018. Instead of starting with the self-produced “Chill,” the SoundCloud version begins with melodramatic piano strokes, almost reminiscent of the theme song to The Young and the Restless.
In its mix form, Fixtape is framed as an epic tale in which Popcaan shares moments along his route to dancehall’s most prominent torchbearers. It is the best way to fully engage with and assess Popcaan’s stellar range, which encapsulates the dancehall of the past, present, and future. But to experience Fixtape in all of its glory, listen to the 90-minute, 30-plus track version that exists as a singular mix (handled by popular sound system Chromatic) on Popcaan’s SoundCloud. There are peaks and valleys that see Poppy go from slow-wining to head-banging to a handful of uplifting ballads that detail his ascension to dancehall royalty. There are appearances from the rising Jamaican singer Jada Kingdom, Popcaan’s former Gaza teammate Tommy Lee Sparta, French Montana, and Drake, whose OVO imprint released Fixtape. It’s dancehall that is aware of global trends, while still serving up tracks to the loyal core of listeners that have been around since he was a young protégé under the tutelage of Vybz Kartel’s Gaza. The version of Popcaan’s newest project Fixtape that’s on major streaming platforms is a star-studded, 19-track project that, in many ways, mirrors the music that the artist born Andrae Sutherland has released over the last six years.
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