[FEATURE] THE 16 BEST MOMENTS ON POPCAAN’S YIY CHANGE FIXTAPE

When Popcaan dropped his ‘Fixtape’ project, I was screaming WOI OI at the top of my lungs, but I noticed that not enough people were listening to the Chromatic mix of the project. Featuring tons of songs that didn’t make the mixtape, it features Popcaan using classic jacked beats from Meek Mill, Nas, DaBaby and more.

While the full project that’s on streaming services is definitely worth checking out, you’re absolutely wild if you sleep on this version. So I’ve listed these 16 highlights to make sure you take a listen…

Vybz Kartel’s Introduction

Besides Popcaan, the first voice heard in the mix is Dancehall legend Vybz Kartel, using his best news reader voice to give us a PSA to let us know “it’s not a bludclart mixtape, I’m out!” Well that’s us told… 

Piano version of Only Man She Wants

Kartel’s voice fades out with a laugh, which blends into Popcaan’s. The next thing that happens gives me chills every time, as the piano begins to play one of his classic songs. The song delivers a euphoric feeling from the very first keys, as this highly recognisable hook is adapted into a piano refrain. Cute AF. 

The epic Hate Me Now instrumental intro. 

As the Drake chat fades out, the foreboding intro to Nas’ classic ‘Hate Me Now’ kicks in. When the beats drops, your heart literally drops and you feel compelled to scream “WOI OI’ at the top of your lungs. 

When he says his “skull hotter than chicken gravy” 

The start of the second verse of him rapping over ‘Hate Me Now’ sees him come in full force, setting fire to the beat with an intensity that fills me with energy every play.

The switch up from DaBaby’s ‘Rockstar’ instrumental to ‘Uptown Vibes’

As he makes reference to “Nanny’s head wrap”, the vocals become sparse. Within seconds the recognisable horns of Meek Mill’s 2018 banger kick in and once more he raises the energy to uncontrollable levels. Hearing a Jamaican artist using rap instrumentals is nothing new, but he does it with a flair we haven’t seen in years. It makes me desperate for an annual project like this from Poppy.

Quarantine Radio Skit

We know Tory’s cancelled, but Poppy’s appearance on his IG live “show” made the cut on the tape, with a pause in the music to hear the Jamaican star say he’s staying Corona-free by cooking, which Tory’s crew all comedically repeat, shouting “him just a cookkkkkk!” Hilarious every single time.

When he says “Gyal come fuck with the money, I’m rich” on ‘Girls Are In Love With Mi Dick’

Said with such conviction that you can’t help but repeat it and wish you could actually relate – *sigh* – The way he rides the beat in this high-energy section, you’re on his wave as soon as you hear it. This may be the catchiest song on the project, regardless of gender you can’t help but sing along each time. Such an outrageous hook, and such a fucking vibe.

Poppy’s verse on ‘All I Need’

Once the slightly whiney vocals of Drake come to a close, Poppy’s sweet voice kicks in with one of his best verses in a minute. Blending his romantic vocals with the sparse and otherworldly beat, he coos, “gyal I wanna be here and not lonely,” switching it up for a more typically dismissive vibe in the following bar, “Badman ting, Canadian flex. Gyal mi don’t care about your ex, only ‘bout weed and sex.” Same boo.

Quada’s adlib 

When Popcaan co-D Quada says in a laidback drawl, “Yo fry-eye, I don’t know why these girls so dry eye”, laid over the outro to ‘All I Need’, you’re totally captivated by his presence on the track. It displays his smooth way with words and with a simple adlib, the track is complete.

At 33:57 when he sings “Baby, mi want yuh, come wine up pon mi”

This is a moment of pure musical joy and I can’t write a list like this without including it.

On ‘Twist + Turn’ when he lifts the whole song with “dance and tease, yuh cool like di island breeze” 

I love PARTYNEXTDOOR a lot, but I would happily take a solo Popcaan version of ‘Twist + Turn’ tbh.

Eeeee Skit

The skits on this whole project are incredible! He really allows us a glimpse into his world as he displays his fun personality. Case in point; this prank call in the studio to someone that immediately guesses it’s him, saying “a who dis, Skull?” Being clocked doesn’t stop it being funny though, as he continues to squeak like a mouse at every question the caller poses to him, until they eventually say “OK Eeee” to Popcaan.

When we get a brand new weed anthem.

Proteje’s shoutout leads us into this incredible segment of the mix, which starts with him serving up a traditional reggae song, with a hook stating: “All I need is tight pum pum and high-grade weed” Yeah same, or something along those lines…

The Miss Rona Skit

Like the Eeee one, this is a huge highlight, as we get a cameo from the wonderful Ms Rona, who often appears on Popcaan’s social media. 90% of the times we see her, she’s on his case for smoking so you can’t help but giggle when he says in the song, “Ms Rona know how much the Killy like weed” before the songs stops and we hear him say “Ms Rona, mi light up the big ganja spiff and yuh just puff out the rest” as she interjects, “yuh must stop smoke, it’s not good for yuh lungs” LMFAO. 

Classic Reggae Sounds 

The Carnival sounds continue on ‘Any One A Dem, featuring Frahcess One, which serves up another slice of more traditional sounding reggae than Poppy’s usual Bashment sound. This is one of the few of my personal favourites that made it onto the version of this project that appears on streaming platforms. It’s an incredibly uplifting song, with the most perfect booming bassline.

Giggs dropping in for a shout out featuring one of the worst Jamaican accents since Busta Rhymes. 

Not much more to say but shout out to Giggs every time. You’re still the GOAT even if this accent isn’t it.