While his last single focused on love, relationship and R&B vibes, on “Issokay”, the artist goes back to rapping, mixing English with local pidgin.

As Hip-Hop tradition demands, he shows off his level and skill, evoking his recent moves and the future he sees for himself. However, this is not done in an arrogant way: in the chorus, he claims to have love only for the game. The instrumental was produced by BADSZN, and the track was mixed and mastered by MikeMillzOnEm.

“It’s just me accepting real love and distancing myself from fake love. If the love isn’t real then keep it, it’s okay!”, he comments.

The accompanying video was shot in Accra by Wavy Vibrations, in different neighbourhoods of the Ghanaian capital. We follow Sizz on a night excursion, flexing in front of some well-known settings of the city (Palms Square, Villagio Vista). The visuals exemplify the track’s mood, perfect to ride at night.

Sizz is currently working on a third project named Outlier, which will follow the critically acclaimed GreySkies Are Smokescreens (2020).

Watch the video below and listen to the single here: Issokay

Press Release from artiste

Some millennials who don’t really know what he has done for the industry, have raised questions about songs he has produced.

She’s had a really good music year and since the release of her album, The Angel You Don’t Know, she’s done nothing but tick off back to back achievements. With the success of the song on charts..here’s even more reason for you to stream the project.

Some months ago, Amaarae was on Twitter releasing some interesting stories and if you missed them, here you go again!

3 AM

There’s a Medikal verse on this afrobeats song on the TAYDK project. According to Amaarae, Medikal recorded a verse, then later had to record another verse because she wanted him to sing but in the end…his verse didn’t make it on the final cut.

Joey B also almost had a verse on 3 AM but again, according to Amaarae, he claims he never saw her Whatsapp message. By the time he wanted to drop his verse…it was too late.

Listen here: 3 AM

Fantasy 

We almost didn’t get this beautiful song because Amaarae turned down the beat for the song about 4 times.

“The producer literally had to force it on me to the point where he got a songwriter to write and reference the song just so I could see the potential”

Listen here: Fantasy 

D*A*N*G*E*R*O*U*S

The intro to the whole project was recorded with a laptop mic, in the bathroom…naked. According to Amaarae, she recorded naked because she wanted to really communicate the sentiment of freedom and she used the laptop mic because she wanted the vocals to “sound as gritty as possible.”

Listen here: DANGEROUS

Trust Fund Baby

There’s another version of Trust Fund Baby with a Big Homie Flee intro and a second verse.

Listen here: Trust Fund Baby

Dazed And Abused in Beverly Hills

Apparently, the minute-long song has an even longer version (Thank God) that is 3 minutes long!

Listen here: Dazed and Abused in Beverly Hills

Leave Me Alone

‘Leave Me Alone’ was a freestyle Amaarae had kept for a year. We only got it on the project because her team needed to replace a song they took off the project in the deliberation stage.

Listen here: Leave Me Alone

Feel A Way

‘Feel A Way’ was recorded in just 30 minutes. Amaarae recorded the song with Moliy after they were done recording ‘Sad Girlz Luv Money’. Moliy asked if Amaarae had any more beats and she just happened to have the one for ‘Feel A Way’ on her phone so…they recorded!

Listen here: Feel A Way

Céline

Amaarae apparently turned down the production for Celine twice before she recorded. According to her, she has no recollection of this and in her words, “I was drunk AF when I recorded Céline”.

Listen here: Celine

Sad Gurlz Luv Money

The interesting bit about this song is, Amaarae found the beat for the song on an IG post (from @Yinkabernie) and offered to pay him to take the beat and for him to take down his post. We all know how that went because now, not only do we have Sad Gurlz Luv Money, we have a remix with Kali Uchis!

Listen here: Sad Gurlz Luv Money 

Sad U Broke My Heart 

Apparently, the pitched-down vocal sample you hear as part of the production on the song is an unreleased Camidoh song. If this surprises you, you should know that Camidoh was once known as Fingers and was on Amaarae’s earlier release, ‘Sundays’ off her Passionfruit Summers project.

Listen here: Sad U Broke My Heart

Hellz Angel 

So when the song starts, the beat you hear before Amaarae’s vocals come in is a sample from a Japanese creator, Miho Moribayashi. Amaarae and her team had to look for her to clear the sample for about 6 months, surfing Japanese websites, sending emails that got no response until finally, Miho made a random post on IG and Amaarae swiftly DMed and got a response.

We almost didn’t get this song guys.

Listen here: Hellz Angel

Jumping Ship

Jumping Ship which features Kojey Radical and Santi was actually a 2-year-old Kojey Radical record that never got finished. After Amaarae put her vocals on the song, Kojey’s label wanted it back but he told them to let Amaarae keep it.

Santi who was featured on the song also recorded two different verses.

Listen here: Jumping Ship

Listen to the whole project here: TAYDK

This month’s pick of the month is Baaba J’s “Lumumba St”, a 5-track project that holds your attention from the intro right down to the last song. The songs span different genres and are a perfect introduction to Baaba J, what she represents, and her sound range.

Unlike most intros that rarely get played again, Baaba J’s titled “Intro” is a soulful love song about yearning for love. Her voice catches you by surprise and the emotion is felt in her voice. The transition from this to the next love song “Forever” is seamless.

You almost don’t know you’ve moved on to the next song except for the change in the pace of the song. On “Black or White“, Baaba switches from singing her heart out to taking on a more quiet tone to fit the riddim of the song preaching unity, peace and togetherness regardless of your background or identification. “Play Along” is like the artiste’s personal CV and bio…on this, Baaba obviously had fun recording. You can tell with the way she skips along on the beat, bragging and showing she can do it all: rap and sing.

The last song “Tomboy” is fun and like an extension of her ‘bio’ on “Play Along” On this song, she sings about being a Tomboy and how it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

The most interesting thing about Lumumba St lies in the careful arrangement of the songs. It’s like a pleasant rhythmic uphill climb preaching all forms of love from romantic love, loving yourself and believing in your capabilities as well as loving others for who they are.

Listen here: Lumumba St

Watch the video for Tomboy here: Baaba J – Tomboy

Find Baaba J on Twitter @Baaba_jj and Instagram @Baaba_j

Worlasi’s 3rd studio album; WORLA – THE MAN & THE GOD, is a collaborative album with his day one band – SENKU; who WORLASI gives production & composition credits to. The 10 track album was recorded live. An album inspired by the great Ghanaian band OSIBISA — a vibe of native elements, comedic compositions & great musicianship through and through.

The listening session saw him perform 5 of the songs off the upcoming 10-track album scheduled for release on the 1st of December.

Worla’s sound continues to growth in depth. From the traditional elements, distinct lyrics, unique style of tap & song that keeps his verses sought after by many of his fellow artists. His native tongue; Ewe is still very dominant in the songs we heard with a few verses of pidgin laced in.

If this Listening is anything to go by, we’re all in for an incredible experience at his upcoming FESTIVAL scheduled for the 7th of December also at Alliance Francaise.

The album is Available for pre-order on aftown.com

‘’Onipa Akoma’’ is the major debut album for rapper Akan, whose name began to toll among rap fans in 2015, off his EP ‘’AKAN’’. His incredible lyricism, thoughtful messages and command over the Twi language endeared him to many. His announcement of ‘’Onipa Akoma’’ filled both core and casual fans with a sense of anticipation. The anticipation turned into enthusiasm, and total acceptance of Akan as the final name that complete the list of best rappers in the country.

From the album cover to the contents of the album, the mindset of Akan is brazenly on display. ‘’Onipa Akoma’’ (which translate as Man’s Heart) is inspired by the life and legacy of his grandfather. The body of work found on the album is an exploration of desires of the heart and and soul as illustrated by the album’s cover art-Akan holding both a gown and bible in both hands with a church at the background. Each item symbolizes a facet of human life: the gown represent life, love, marriage; the bible connotes sanctimonious life; and the church represent one’s sub-conscience.

The 15 track album is a sojourn into the heart and mind of Akan. It opens with ‘Odaamanii Abesaadei’, where Akan highlights the various requests or wishes of man, mainly about his desires: of love, riches, lust, spirituality, longevity and legacy. Here, he outlines both the naked excesses riches and success invite into one’s life such as promiscuous beahviours. You can infer from this point that, Akan is displaying a sense of selfishness-it is his money and could spend it how he wants. He also points out the other side of wealth and how he’d use it to impact lives of others positively. By this musings, Akan is aware of his responsibility as a man who’s privileged. The desire for contentment in life is what he seeks, knowing his wealth could bring him that hence the question he possess on the track: “You’re well fed yet your soul is hungry. Have you bothered to think about it?”

The second track expands on the theme of riches spoken about on first track. ‘Me Sika Aduro’ (My Blood Money) sees him detailing how much riches or comfort he desires in this life. Here, Akan details the reasons for his clamour- mpney is power. Interestingly, this thought feeds into the Akan proverb about money being life (Sika Y3 Mogya). In the opening lines of ‘Me Sika Aduro’, he illustrates the power of money in the creation process: ‘God realized man was feeble after creating him. He mixed a bit of money with mud to offer man his strength’. The lust for money has been an attribute of man and is not difficult to notice why. In a society where money is power, Akan is airing out one of the essential life needs of man.

‘I need the kind of money that could change lives/I need that money I could loan out to the government/The kind that can’t be counted’

On both ‘Akoma No Abuagumu’, ‘Metu Meto’ and ‘Aprodoo’, the themes of love or fulfillment; seeking greener pastures and taking risks are addressed respectively. Whereas loneliness and a longing for fulfillment (love) dominates ‘Akoma No Abuagumu’. Akan on ‘Metu Meto’ realizes that, one can’t accomplish his dreams and heart desires by getting stuck at one place. It is always better to go out there and seek other opportunities. ‘Aprodoo’ feeds into the message of Metu Meto. This time, he explains to his mother and other relatives the need to risk it sometimes, if you wish to make it in life.

TwistedWavex produced many of the songs

On ‘Akoma Ne Adwen’, Akan details the conflict existing between the thoughts and the lusting of man. Speaking from the perspective of both the heart and mind, he draws the parallels (influences) on the actions of humans. This particular track sums up the philosophical meaning of the album title. The beat accompanying the song is steeped in Burger highlife.

Akan is a gifted storyteller who eschews braggadocios lyrics and punchlines for thought-provoking couplets that often leaves the listener spellbound.

The Kwaku Ananse produced ‘3huro A Eb3dwo is quintessentially Palmwine highlife music. With its nostalgic instrumentation, Akan sings about the virtue called patience. He beautifully crafts a story about a farmer who sells his farmland during a long season of drought with the intention of travelling to the big city for greener pastures. A night before his trip, it rains. Unknown to him the farm contained gold deposits. His attempt to reclaim his land proved futile thereby losing a very precious asset. This story showcases not only how incredible Akan is as a rapper, but an excellent storyteller (writer).

Akan at his album listening/signing event. Below, Akan speaking with producer Jayso

‘Awufo Som’ (Requiem Mass) further accentuates the songwriting prowess of Akan, who, assuming the role of a linguist (a narrator) describes in vivid terms the funeral ceremony of the Akan people. Choosing the medium of speech rather than rap, he offers the listener the opportunity to follow and understand the subject he’s addressing. This approach is reminiscent of some performances by highlife legends of old like Nana Ampadu, Obuoba J.A. Adofo and Akwasi Ampofo Adjei.

Positives:

Listening to the album, one comes to the realization that the story being told reflects the haunting thoughts of a man who aspires for success (riches) and longevity (legacy). This he notes on ‘Mi Sika Mogya’: ‘It would be sad to miss out on the little fun of life due to poverty and have regrets after death’.

The album also points out the conflicting duality of Akan – his heart desires (vanity) and his spiritual/moral contemplation. Similar to Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ where Kendrick battles the temptations of Lucy (Lucifer represented by US) and his own efforts at staying sane and responsible, Akan tries to navigate these two worlds without falling victim to any. The first half of the album is a reflection on the many vanities he daydreams about. The second part of the album is more introspective and questions what is important in life.

The sequencing of the album (both story and sound) captures the stories shared and the many musical waves that Ghana has experimented with. One hear modern day trap sound, Burger highlife, early 2000s hiplife sound and Palmwine highlife influences. The influences of his idols-Obrafour, Kwadei and Lord Kenya- are present on some of the songs. The production works of Twisted Waves (he produced majority of the songs), Jayso, Yung Fly, Mike Millz’OnEm, Flavamatik really did a good job.

Negatives:

There’s no radio formatted song on the album although ‘Helebaba’ and ‘Me Sika Aduro’ and ‘Daben’ have the potential of becoming cross-over songs. This reflect the left-field personality of Akan- someone who doesn’t pander to mainstream pressures and create works that appeal to him rather than satisfy the mainstream market.

The dense nature of the album coupled with the language used-the impeccable Asante Twi means many may not grasp what he is talking about on the album. It may take many listens to really unravel the contents on the album. But, that’s been the trademark of Akan. On his 2015 EP ‘AKAN’, it was his ability to speak impeccably Twi that got people to gravitate towards his music.

For any artist seeking to release an album, they need to ask themselves if it measures up to “Onipa Akoma”. Just like “Pae Mu Ka” did in the early 2000s, Akan has mapped out a template for others to follow. That is, inspire a new wave of artists to believe in themselves and create a body of work that they want. Akan is a gifted storyteller who eschews braggadocios lyrics and punchlines for thought-provoking couplets that often leaves the listener spellbound.

Akan on ‘Onipa Akoma’ has intelligently given us a project so dense and layered that it’d take weeks, months or years to unravel its essence. I won’t be mad if he never releases an album again. What he needs to do now is to let the corners of the country-and those outside- hear this beautiful piece of art.

‘Onipa Akoma’ is the best album by a Ghanaian raper in the last decade.

If we all believe Akan as the realest rapper out there, then it’s on us to support him-pray for him.

Purchase/Stream Onipa Akoma here Photos used courtesy Akan’s Instagram Page.

His recent ‘We are going’ cover has fast caught on in the digital space as well as national platforms like this year’s Vodafone Ghana Music Awards. There’s no doubt there’s an ear for Sena’s unique talent.

Sena is known for dropping new songs on Wednesday being his born day, but this time around it’s a bit more special. His new song ‘No More’ released the day before his birthday (29th June) comes with a classic RnB type video directed by Mikey Johnson.

The track produced by Kayso, is a love song that expresses the pain of letting go of a some one you love so much. With video premieres on 4syte, GH One & Metro TV the new song is the beginning of a string of singles coming out this year. Check out the video below:

Click ‘No More‘ to purchase Sena’s new single.