Popcaan the Indefatigable Campaigner for A better  St. Thomas

The Unruly Boss, proving he is more than just an entertainer. The Jamaican dancehall artiste, Popcaan, whose real name is Andre Sutherland, has made significant strides in his journey to transform the community of St. Thomas. Born and raised in St. Thomas, Popcaan always emphaised his love for the parish. The artiste has channeled his success in the music industry towards community development, acknowledging his roots and continuously giving back.

Popcaan’s first initiative to bring success to his parish was the staging of his Unruly Fest: Popcaan & Friends Concert. The festival was held in Jamaica on Dec. 22, 2018 and he brought a number of friends to perform with him, including Drake, Tory Lanez, Bounty Killer, Agent Sasco, Tanya Stephens and more. Fans and artistes praised the concert’s line-up, professional staffing and enjoyed all the performances by the artistes. ~ Style and Vibes. In 2019 the entertainer launched The “Popcaan Care Foundation”.

The foundation is a back-to-school drive, whereby hundreds of kids got access to care packages. The events are a day full of fun and entertainment for both children and adults. They had carousels, face painting, clowns, raffles, live DJ’s and train rides and live performances from Popcaan and friends.

The entertainer is making waves again with his cleanup drive of a blocked drainage system. The cleanup will benefit several communities in St Thomas. The cleanup campaign began on Monday January 15 and is still ongoing.

According to CVM TV, the residents in Bambo River St. Thomas complained about safety concerns coming from an unbearable stench of a clogged drain which they argue has created a breeding ground for mosquitos and diseases. The drainage was clogged from incorrect garbage disposal.

According to the residents whenever it rains, several homes and roadways are flooded creating a havoc for pedestrians and home owners. Popcaan told reporters that he speaks for the people and he used his voice positively and not for crime and violence.

In the video posted by Popcaan, he called out Communications Manager Stephen Shaw for not knowing about the problem. In the video you can see the drainage system being blocked by dirt and debris.

According to Irie FM, Stephen Shaw in a television interview last week, indicated that PopCaan’s action in cleaning the drains “could lead to consequences that persons would not necessarily desire.” In outlining the construct of the drain, he said, “Part of the drain is paved and another part leading into the sea is unpaved”, citing that we “could find a situation where, in seeking to clear the drain, the operator could go below the invert which is base of the drain and that could cause further problems in terms of ponding, the breathing of mosquitoes and the likes.”

Nevertheless, Irie FM raised questions as to why did the National Works Agency (NWA) wait until PopCaan executed the drain cleaning exercise before expressing their concerns about the complexities of drain cleaning process? Why wasn’t this told to PopCaan and his team before? Why didn’t the NWA intervene when the residents of Bamboo River raised safety concerns? While there are a string of unanswered questions, PopCaan in reacting to the NWA’s concerns, shared a video of the work in progress and asked Mr Shaw to “forward and help instead of chatting.”

On Thursday the Popcaan told his fans that “St Thomas always need someone Indefatigable. Don’t play a blind eye to it”. The cleanup work continues.