Popcaan joined the Mixpak family at the end of 2011, with his first Dre Skull produced single, ‘Get Gyal Easy’ dropping on January 3rd this year (and the remixes dropping on Feb 28th). Once Vybz Kartel’s protege, he is now Jamaica’s fastest rising star, landing in the international arena on the already classic ‘Clarks’. Following that, and a string of hits from the party anthem ‘Raving’ to the biggest cut on the Lost Angel riddim, ‘Only Man She Want’ and of course ‘Clean’, Popcaan is now riding high. We caught up with him quickly on the phone from his studio in Jamaica to ask him about how he got involved in the Gaza camp and how many pairs of Clarks he really owns.

Where did you grow up?

Well I was born in St Thomas and went to high school in St Thomas, and then I started to live in Portmore, and that’s when I started doing music.

Were your family musical?

Well not really, my family was more like church people. We used to go to church at a tender age, and I learnt to play keyboard there. I was really the one who was into music in my family.

So how did you make the move from performing in church to becoming a dancehall deejay?

I deejayed in church, I did some dancehall songs. People always liked to hear a new tune in church or on the street.

Had you always wanted to be a dancehall deejay when you were younger?

Yeah. Well it was something in entertainment, like an actor or something. I wanted to be a soldier at one time too.

What kind of music did you grow up istening to?

Mostly dancehall music, Bob Marley, Sizzla Kalonji, Vybz Kartel. I went through high school mostly listening to Vybz Kartel really, and internationally I listened to Jay Z.

What was the first track you recorded?

The first track I recorded was a song named ‘Gal Wine’ on Not Nice records. And then a song called ‘Gal Farm.’ Vybz Kartel heard that song and then he voiced a song on the same riddim.

So before you were picked up by Kartel you hadn’t recorded anything?

Yeah I had recorded stuff but just on a computer at home; my friends just recorded a mix ting nah mean, we were doing our thing in dem time deh.

And were you calling yourself Popcaan from the beginning?

I actually got that name from my friend that passed on, he’s called Scumpy, he gave me that name and then they asked me one day what my deejay name was and that’s been my name until now. It works for me.

You’ve got a bunch of other nicknames too, like ‘Hot Skull’…

Hot skull is slang we use in the ghetto, it’s a next word for thug. Where I grew up, it’s a thug life so ya dun know in Jamaica we’re born and bred in the gangster city. There were a whole heap of thugs when we were growing up, so it’s just a name we call each other.

And one of your other names is the ‘raving king’…do you have a favourite place to rave in Kingston?

My favourite place to rave is the studio. My own party. I have a drink, I have a smoke and I have my lyrics. That’s the best party. It’s my favourite party spot.

The night you were scouted by Vybz Kartel, what were you performing?

It’s a street song, it’s not a song I can discuss in an interview, it’s not for the radio or a media friendly song.

OK so he heard you performing this song, then approached you and showed an interest in your music, what was your reaction?

That was a very memorable moment for Popcaan because Vybz Kartel has been Popcaan’s idol from schooldays. Me never forget when me meet Vybz Kartel and mi never forget the music with Vybz Kartel. Dem ting deh mi cherish.

So then you made the tune ‘Clarks’ together not long after that, when you were making it did you know it was going to blow up dancehall that year?

Yeah I did have a strong feeling for ‘Clarks’. We could feel that ‘Clarks’ was a hit from the studio. Even when it first came out people didn’t really like the song, they thought it was a gimmick and all that but it just took a little time. And time always tells. And then it became the biggest song in the country and the world.

How many pairs of Clarks do you have?

Right now I have about 40 pairs of Clarks, not including the ones that I gave away, cos I give away a lot of Clarks.

To who, your fans?

Fans, friends, family.

You’re also always seen wearing snap backs, are you into sports or…?

Nah mi nah really support the team still, mi just wear them for fashion. I just always have to wear a different look.

How many snaps have you got?

Hundreds of snaps, if I tried counting it would be hard. I’ve got about 12 just in my car. I love snapbacks for real. Like Clarks.

After ‘Clarks’ came out, what was it like in general being part of the Gaza camp?

It was always easy for me – Vybz Kartel is a good man to work for, cos no matter how hard him work, him make it look easy. We capitalise pon that, the Teacha teach us a lot, mi observe and so me just a learn fast from him.

What else did he help you out with – did he write any tracks for you?

No not really. He did write ‘Hot Grabba’ and ‘Clarks’ and the recent tune ‘Never Fear Dem’, but otherwise I write everything myself.

How do you go about writing your songs?

Well it’s just a real life ting you know, everyday living. Mi write about party too, good tings, bad tings. Sometimes you feel a way about life and you just put it in a song. The more mi write the easier it is to write a next one. So mi just always keep working. The more mi work the easier it get.

Do you have a bank of lyrics you draw from or do you have to hear the riddim first?

Mi always have to hear the riddim, mi never write down lyrics for riddims. Then mi put the lyrics on the melody. Mi write the lyrics with the riddim and try and make the ting balance.

Then when you get in the studio, how long does it normally take you to lay down a track?

Well when mi write it from me house, it takes me about 5 or 10 minutes to lay down a track. Or maybe 20 minutes. That’s it. But you know sometimes it can take an hour, two hours, it depends on the vibes. Sometimes it takes less than that too.

So how long did it take you to finish recording ‘Only Man She Want’?

That was about 15 minutes, ‘Party Shot’ was like 5 minutes. The hardest part of recording ‘Party Shot’ was when Quick Cook was saying his part. That’s the bit that took the longest. Everybody in the studio can tell you, when mi go in the studio, mi never take long.

So you could voice, say, 10 songs in a day?

Yeah, when Dre Skull passed we voiced 3 songs in a day, I didn’t even write those songs down. ‘Get Gyal Easy’ wasn’t a track that I wrote [down], and the other tracks I did for Dre Skull, I didn’t write those [down] either. I just go to the studio, Dre Skull played the riddim, and I just sing.

How did you end up working with Dre Skull in the first place – did you meet him when he was over doing Kingston Story with Vybz?

Yes I did meet Dre Skull before but it wasn’t a work thing. It was when he was doing the Vybz Kartel album, me pop up inna the studio and Vybz Kartel was like ‘yo this is Dre Skull’ and then recently he hooked up with [my publicisit] and she let me know that he wanted to record a few tracks.

Who else have you been recording with up to this point?

At the moment TJ records, a lot, big up TJ. And YVP, Young Voice Production and UIM records. That’s my circle. I recorded Dre Skull at UIM studio, and ‘Party Shot’, ‘Raving’ and ‘Only Man She Want’ at YVP studio.

So how do you feel that releasing through an american independent label will help you as an artist?

Well it’s a different side of the music. Different people can hear it and reach the song differently. If I just released that song in Jamaica then it wouldn’t reach that far. Some producers’ work reaches a different place; there are some producers that don’t know how to promote. It’s a whole lot different. He’s given me a lot, so big up Dre Skull.

Do you think that’s a big problem in Jamaican music – that promotion is really lacking?

Yeah cos sometime the producers dem make songs and they’re bad on every tune but the lack of promotion makes it only go half the way it could go, it goes 50% when it should be going 100. So sometimes when the song doesn’t hit, it’s just a lack of promotion definitely.

So speaking of promotion, how is ‘Get Gyal Easy’ doing over there in Jamaica – have you heard it on the radio there?

Oh! Every day. And it came out in the Observer as being one of the hot things of the new year along with some other artists’ tracks. It’s already a popular song.

How true is the song to life? Do you get gyal easy?

Yes I do. Mi get girls very easily [laughs].

What’s the weirdest thing a female fan has ever done to you?

Burning me with a cigarette to get my attention. She was smoking a cigarette and calling me and I wasn’t paying attention so she burnt me with the cigarette – and when she burnt me I looked at her and she was like ‘I love you’. That’s a different kind of love!

Woah. It definitely is. Last year was a very big year for you so a lot of stuff has happened, but let’s forget about the cigarette incident, what was the best thing that happened?

I think it was ‘Raving’, that was the best thing that happened last year. It put me on a whole different level. It gave me reach and it gave me reason to work harder. It gave me good things to look forward to in 2012.

What about Sting – was that up there?

Sting was a very nice vibes. it was my first major performance in Jamaica, it was a good experience.

You were wearing that white coat with your name on it – where did you get that?

It was designed by a designer from round here.

Do you think that’s the best live performance you’ve done?

No. It wasn’t the best I’ve ever done…I wasn’t 100%.

When you perform live, do you ever freestyle?

Yeah sometimes, but not always.

If you were asked to ride a classic riddim for a freestyle, which would you choose?

I would choose Answer. I love Answer.

That’s quite a slow one….

Yeah it is a slow one. Like ‘Get Gyal Easy’…

You were also recently in a video for the Jamaica Star which featured you cooking chicken, are you into cooking?

Yeah, I can cook very well.

What’s your favourite thing to make?

Curried stew is my favourite, with rice and peas. And curried pollock too.

Where do you think is the best place to eat in Kingston?

My house!

Ok we’ll await the invite. Final question – what advice would you give to any young deejays like yourself?

First things first, don’t listen to badmind talk. Believe in yourself and keep focussed on what you’re doing.

Watch out for his new tracks with Mixpak coming soon, as well as ‘Coolie Gal’, tracks with YVP and TJ Records. Buy our exclusive Popcaan tees here.

Interview by Suze Webb