From the streets to the slums, from Accra to Kumasi and beyond, the popular West African country is brimming with talents that have built Ghana’s reputation as one of the biggest and best industries in the continent. Then within the rich pool of young and gifted individuals are a select few forcing the world to stop and take notice of the ingenuity and brilliance in their craft. Today we discuss 7 of such outstanding individuals
Kwesi Arthur (26)
Rap music is big in Ghana and the West African nation is home to some of the finest MCs on the continent which means competition is tough…but not too tough for a certain rapper going by the name Kwesi Arthur.
The Tema-born act had his big break in 2017 with hit song “Grind Day” and he has simply not looked back since. The climb up includes 1 studio album, 3 EPs, numerous hit singles and hot feature verses, 1 BET award nomination for Beat International Act (2018) and an appearance on the BET Hip-Hop Cypher (2020).
His sound often oscillates between enticing Afrobeats and boucy trap music, both of which he always delivers on. Quotable bars and punchlines are abundant in his verses, you only need one listen to understand why he is so highly rated.
Right now he has the whole of Ghana on it’s knees for “Son Of Jacob”, his sophomore album that has been teased for a while now. He has kept a lot of details about the project to himself but two things about the project are a certainty; it will drop sometime in 2021 and it will be fire.
Darkovibes (25)
Singer. Songwriter. Fashion Icon.
If you were asked to describe Darkovibes in 3 words, those would be the best ones to use. Yet, there’s one more needed if you’re going to capture the man: eclectic.
Kpanlogo, his first solo album, cemented his place at the forefront of Ghana’s charge to international relevance but he has been hard at work creating a unique style of his own for some years now. Be it as a solo artiste or as part of La Meme Gang – a collective of creatives he belongs to – he has attained success by creating music that contains a healthy mix of anything and everything that sounds good. Hip-hop, trap, alternative, Afrobeats; if it sounds good Darkovibes will hop on it to fantastic effect.
Beyond the music, he has established himself as a fashionista. He infuses unique fashion styles of colored hairstyles, side bags and fashion elements from the 80’s to create jaw dropping aesthetics. In 2017, he was recognized by Vogue magazine for his role in creating distinctive fashion styles; such is his influence in the field and in Ghana as a whole.
Kuami Eugene (24)
He might only be 24 years old but he has the award cabinet of an artiste in his early 40s. With many plaques celebrating his standing as the emerging face of Highlife music in Ghana, Kuami Eugene is here to stay.
He got his first taste of fame in 2016 when he finished 3rd in the reality TV show “MTN Hitmaker”, an effort that earned him a recording contract. For someone who once dropped out of school to focus on his love for music, that must have been a vindicating moment in his life.
Under the imprint of Lynx Entertainment, he has gone on to release several hit singles that have boosted his profile home and abroad. His sophomore project – “Son Of Africa” – dropped in October of 2020 to further boost his reputation created by the massive success of his debut album titled “Rockstar”. The extent of his talent reaches beyond the microphone – he is an adept producer and received the award of “Producer of the Year” at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (2019).
Gyakie (22)
Some people pick up music later in life, some people were born into music. Gyakie falls into the latter category; she is the daughter of Ghanaian highlife legend Nana Acheampong, one-half of the famous Lumba Brothers. Her upbringing heavily influenced her decision to make music for a living – she can be seen with her father sporting studio headphones on the cover of her breakout project.
While she has been putting in good work since 2019, the student of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology enjoyed her breakout year in 2020 with the release of Seed, a 5-track EP, under the imprint of Flip The Music. To put it simply, Seed is a brilliant body of work, one that can only come from an artiste deeply ingrained in the global culture of music. She exhibits influences of old and new in her songs and blends them together in a very enjoyable manner.
She’s still only 22 and it’s not far-fetched to assume she will be representing Ghana on a global stage very soon if she keeps developing at this pace.
Worlasi
Born, raised in and inspired by the Volta Region of Ghana, Worlasi has risen through the ranks and set himself in the talent factory that is the Ghanaian music industry. A rapper, singer, producer and songwriter, he is a Jack of all musical trades and a master at damn near every one of the aforementioned. His versatility can also be seen in his lyrics; he is often found switching from singing to rapping in English, Ewe, Fante, Ga and Pidgin. On songs such as “Ay3 Adz3”, “Too Naughty”, “Nuse”, “One Life”, “Nukata” and “You Saw Me”, the versatility and excellence of Worlasi comes to bear.
When he’s not making hits in the studio, he’s working on figure painting, another field where he exhibits his incredible talent and skill.
King Promise (25)
Heard of the phrase “happy accident”? I could give you a dictionary definition, or I could point you to the story of how King Promise’s music career started: an out of the blues recording session made while visiting a friend. Yes, he quite literally stumbled into making music.
He eventually settled into Afrobeats and Highlife music and followed his breakout song “Thank God” with certified hits including, but not limited to, “Oh Yeah”, “CCTV”, “Selfish”, “Tokyo” to earn a reputable status in Ghana and on the continent. Working under the label run by legendary Ghanaian producer Killbeatz has certainly helped hone his skills but the inherent talent of King Promise as a singer and songwriter is the major reason why he is where he is today.
Amaarae (26)
Yes, she’s Ghanaian. That’s one fact that seems to escape the mind of many. Possibly because she became a huge sensation in Nigeria – thanks to her stunning feature performances on songs with the like of BOJ, Odunsi and Show Dem Camp – before those back in her home country woke up to her. Whatever the reason, what’s most important is that she is one of the young artistes representing Ghana on the world stage right now.
What makes her so special is the “genre-bending” nature of her sound and style. She has refused to be confined to just one and often fuses many elements of pop, hip-hop, RnB and Afrobeats in her beats before layering it with her ever so sweet and sensuous vocal range.
Her journey started in 2017 with the release of Passionfruit Summers EP, a project she intentionally prepared herself for by taking up an internship at a music studio and undertaking voice training lessons. The project propelled her upwards and several singles and guest appearances soon followed. The latest chapter in her journey is titled “The Angel You Don’t Know” but what we do know for sure is that listening to that album is a beautiful experience everyone deserves.