UMUSIC

Vasco -Zongo Zerr[DOWNLOAD]

This Christmas proves to be one of the best to the music folks as lots and lots of artistes release new hit songs for the celebration. One of the newest and hottest artistes you should watch out for this Christmas and beyond is Vasco. His lyrical dexterity and heavyweight punchlines leaves the listener with no choice than to put the track on replay. Though his single, Zongo Zerr which happens to be a cover of the hit track "Bounce to the Beat" makes one think Vasco has been in the music scene for some years. This is virtually one of the best tracks you can ever expect from a new artiste however Vasco has promised to give his fans better treats in 2016 and beyond. Vasco who happens to be a product of Mawuli Senior High School and a current Student of University of Ghana was involved with music at a tender age of 14. Being an active fan of the talented multiple award winner Edem, Vasco was always present at his shows.  What makes vasco even more of a potential threat to the current trend of Ghanaian musicians is his already booming social media presence. You know what, just click the download button and conclude for yourself if this song cannot battle Sarkodie's hand to mouth or Bisa Kdei's Brother. Massive credits must be given to Sicnarf of Be Warned Entertainment Studios whose effort made this track a success.[DOWNLOAD]

Undatraxx now uMusic!!

Your favourite music has grown into something bigger, we are called uMusic now under the url umusiconline.com 

Why change from undatraxx to umusic?
Well, we thought undatrax was not more professional so we had to do something substantial to save the music industry in Africa from losing money.

What is umusic? uMusic is a music download platform bringing media distribution to emerging markets in Ghana. uMusic allows the consumer to purchase, listen, share music with technologies meant to suit the African setting. uMusic is a company focused on meeting the needs of music lovers allowing them to buy, listen, share, and manage music all within a user friendly mobile platform.

uMusic technology encourages the purchasing and discovery of new music while offering seamless integration and storage of the users' music library on their mobile device. With multiple payment systems available, uMusic makes music accessible to all. uMusic encourages the social aspect of music by making it easy to create and share playlists to friends within the application.

How do I get my song on uMusic? You can Follow the link to submit new songs https://t.co/jcKtGB1iwv contact our hotline now: 0241558464 or email us on info@umusiconline.com for further enquiries

Thank You very much for being there for us! 

undatraxx team | iredy team | umusic team!  

Rapnetics -Can't Stop Us (Prod.by Ice Beatz,Mixed by Webie)[DOWNLOAD]

A Gospel/Hip-Hop/Inspirational tune Prod.by Ice Beatz,Mixed by Webie

[DOWNLOAD HERE] OR LISTEN BELOW

WATCH: Junia-Midzooo Freestyle Video

Album: Mary -Sarkodie [FULL DOWNLOAD]

Without exception, there comes a time, a certain genius erupts during a period the entire body of individuals born and living at about the same time exists. For the fans of a certain Sarkodie, genius is a term often used too loosely. To them he is the only Star in the galaxy gifted with true musical prowess. ‘’Sarkodie has certainly cemented such a ‘godlike’ status quo by meeting almost every standard (musically), and as that not being enough he has gone on to raise the par.’’ With his latest album, ‘’Mary’’ (an instant classic, whether you are 40 or 16) he is artlessly changing the game. For the first time ever a rapper (Sarkodie), records a whole album ‘live’, fusing live instrumentals with rap lyrics accompanied by Akwaboah’s soothing song writing skills. His versatility rate is beyond an athlete participating in more than five different games at the Olympics. From recording Hiphop songs to Azonto to Afrobeats to ‘partial’ dancehall tunes (Love Rocks & Pon Di Ting) and now ‘Live’ music, in short Sark have proven to be a man with an octopus grip. At just 28, Sarkodie is considered a ‘veteran’ capped with legendary cachet surpassing his fellow MIC bearers and is in a league of his own. DOWNLOAD THE FULL ALBUM BELOW!

DOWNLOAD THE FULL ALBUM HERE!

HYT -Street Walk Freestyle(Prod by Ball J) [DOWNLOAD]

The much anticipated freestyle from one of our fravorite cliques, HYT is here. Titled "Street Walk" all the members gave some "sick" lines. and it drops exclusively on umusic!

Our favourite lines "Hommie drop the dollar this shid is pound for pound" 
                                "Iv got a million dollar dream and am neva waking up"  

LISTEN BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Strongman – All My Money ft Edem & Lil Shaker[DOWNLOAD]

LISTEN BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Full Album: Sarkodie's 'Mary' Album

Without exception, there comes a time, a certain genius erupts during a period the entire body of individuals born and living at about the same time exists. For the fans of a certain Sarkodie, genius is a term often used too loosely. To them he is the only Star in the galaxy gifted with true musical prowess. ‘’Sarkodie has certainly cemented such a ‘godlike’ status quo by meeting almost every standard (musically), and as that not being enough he has gone on to raise the par.’’ With his latest album, ‘’Mary’’ (an instant classic, whether you are 40 or 16) he is artlessly changing the game. For the first time ever a rapper (Sarkodie), records a whole album ‘live’, fusing live instrumentals with rap lyrics accompanied by Akwaboah’s soothing song writing skills. His versatility rate is beyond an athlete participating in more than five different games at the Olympics. From recording Hiphop songs to Azonto to Afrobeats to ‘partial’ dancehall tunes (Love Rocks & Pon Di Ting) and now ‘Live’ music, in short Sark have proven to be a man with an octopus grip. At just 28, Sarkodie is considered a ‘veteran’ capped with legendary cachet surpassing his fellow MIC bearers and is in a league of his own.

MzVee – Hold Me Now [Download]

LISTEN OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Strongman – IDFWU (Big Sean Cover) [Download]

Signed to Phiziles Entertainment, Strongman is up on his game and the young rapper shows his value as always. As we wait in anticipation of his latest single which features Lil Shaker and Edem, he drops “IDFWU” which a cover of Big Sean’s tune. You will love his rap flow on this one. Download it here and share as well.

 LISTEN BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Jeed Rogers & Rosel – Me Love [Download]

Jeed Rogers is out with this new one and he teams up with Rosel to drops this jam here.
Animator, musician and video director Majeed Buari (Jeed Rogers) is out with a new banger and he calls this me Love which features Rosel from His masterminds camp, it has a beautiful dance hall feel to it. Listen, share and enjoy … Bless!!!

 

LISTEN BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Lady Jay – Venus (Feat Sarkodie) (Prod By Kuvie)[DOWNLOAD]

Afro songstress,  Lady Jay with is out with what in the near future will be the talk of GH, #Trapzonto #Afrotrap. Inspired by the new trends of Hiphop music, she outdoors a new single titled “Venus” experimenting on this new music genre. he song which has evolved through various stages had support from some great musicians including, Dex Kwesi, E.L, Jayso and Panji for its recording, song writing, composition, recording, mixing and mastering processes.

LISTEN OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Carry The Word(TELEMO GOSPEL VERSION) _ @goddeygh ft. @mr_flintstones

Its finally here, the Gospel version of the hiplife hit telemo titled CARRY THE WORD from our sensational Urban Gospel  musician Goddey featuring Flintstones. enjoy!

LISTEN BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD]

LEXIKON -TEAR DROP [DOWNLOAD]

LISTEN BELOW OR DOWNLOAD HERE

SPOKEN WORD: Nyameky3 Abofrapa - LOVE BREWED IN AFRICAN POT[DOWNLOAD]

LOVE BREWED IN AN AFRICAN POT AKWASI PEPRA: Here comes my love Obaapa Afia Abɛbrɛsɛ The magnificent and pretty daughter of Agya Kweku Asamoah Abɛbrɛsɛ the proverbial and finest palm wine tapper in Tano Odumasi. Behold her beauty! Your beauty defies description. Your smile stimulates groundnut seeds starved of rain in an infertile soil to sprout with vigor.

Well, lets leave spoken word to what it does best

Listen below or [DOWNLOAD HERE]

WATCH: Donzy & Kofi Kinaata – The Crusade (Official Video)

Donzy and Kofi Kinaata join forces to drop this new collaborative record titled ”The Crusade” on a Seshi-produced beat.
Both artists packed a lot of humour in this song and I bet this is the crusade you cant miss!
Listen to Pastor Donzy preach whiles Pastor Kofi Kinaata translates in the Fante language!
Donzy & Kofi Kinaata – The Crusade [AUDIO Download]

The Crusade(Prod.By Seshi)[DOWNLOAD]

LISTEN  BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

ESAIAS SET TO RELEASE OYE ADIE YIE.

The Urban gospel show on Dominion TV host merges spirituality with music and uses hip pop as genre in his quest to reach out to his audience with the good news of Jesus Christ. Esaias released his debute album in 2012. The 11 timeless track album,"ABODE FOFRO" which had hit songs like "Superman'' and "Abode foforo'' thriled music lovers all over the world.The GGMA,CCMA nominee is a most wanted anointed rapper who has done over ten collaborations including hit songs with Akesse Brempong,KingzKid,Regardless,Faffa and Dj Jay smoke(just to mention a few) Recently, Esaias released 2 cloy singles titled ASEDA ft Jay shady and Nuttin (a twi rendition of Nuthin by Lecrae). Touching on "OYE ADIE YIE",Esaias Explains "Oye adie yie is an Akan (twi) word that means one who fixes something.It is mostly used among the Ashanti communities to refere to a seamstress /tailor that sowe on mobility. They are mainly specialized in alterations. The "oye adie yie" can walk from town to town in search for clothes (attimes badly torn) to patch. The irony is, almost every Oye adie yie I have seen is old,experienced and patient. Unlike the designer brand taylor,the Oye adie yie will not hesitate to alterate any dress regardless of how big or small the holes might be. All these and more characteristics to me,can be likened to the warmth and receptive persona of Jesus Christ who chooses the foolish(messy) and weak people like me to glorify Himself (1Corinthians1:27) The song was inspired by my personal struggles in life and i believe in saying what you know than what you have no or very little idea of. In the year 2003, i was house arrested by an undignosable odour for two years and personally over heard a group of some women in my neighborhood discuss the fact that i am no good so therefore deserves to die. But on the contrary God heard my cry and not only healed but has honored me so much. I truly am the stone that builders rejected but has become the chief corner stone(Psalm 118:22) as sang in the song. As a nation,''Dumsor'' is a state that we find our selves in at the moment but lets cast the care on God for He cares for us and is the only ONE that can fix this situation.''

Dark Suburb – Color Blind [Download]

Dark Suburb drops the third of four singles they will be releasing before thier official debut album “The Start Looks Like The End”. This one we have for you here is titled “Color Blind” and it talks much of a world in which there is not racism and borders not existing. An alternative rock band they are, they refer to humans as skeletons and this does not vary as the skeletal system of all humans is one. American producer and musician, Colter Harper, and Lithuanian producer, Lukas Milker, produced all four singles live in Ghana. Enjoy.

LISTEN BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

WATCH: Gemini – Gangsta Die (Official Video)

VRMG and ISHH Inc Records brings to us this new video from Gemini. The HipHop rap heavyweight performs “Gangsta Die” and the video is mad. The video has cameo appearance from Edem. It was directed by Pascal AKA.

Watch below

Yemi Alade, Sarkodie, Sauti Sol, Becca, Mafikizolo, Diamond, Toofan & Lisa Oduor – Tell Everybody [Download]

Yemi Alade, Sarkodie, Sauti Sol, Becca, Mafikizolo, Diamond, Toofan and Lisa Oduor come together to bring to us this new song which is sponsored by the United Nations (UN). This masterpiece was created to center on the global goals for sustainable development. Download this one here and share.

 

listen below or [DOWNLOAD HERE]

AKA – “Baddest” ft. Burna Boy, Khuli Chana & Yanga[DOWNLOAD]

After his perceived diss track to Cassper and Anatii titled “Composure”, Mr. Forbes dishes yet another titled “Baddest” which features Burna Boy, Khuli Chana & Yanga.

LISTEN BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

AKA – Composure (Cassper Nyovest & Anatii Diss) [DOWNLOAD]

LISTEN BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Wande Coal – Same Sh*t ft. AKA [Download]

LISTEN BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Obrafour – Aboa Onni Dua ft Red Eye (Prod By Nature)[DOWNLOAD]

LISTEN BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Kwaku D(smb) ft Biggy bone x kwame Baah x CoolDogg -We dey(PROD BY DJ BANKY)

PLAY BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Tinkla ft LEXIS number 1. Proud by Omar B

another dope tune from our man Tinkla featuring LEXIS titled  number 1 Produced by Omar B

LISTEN BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

HEART LIKE YOURS-GODFREDFT FLINTSTONES[DOWNLOAD]

Ask God to fill your heart with the things he has a heart for....GOSPEL TUNE dropping  exclusively on umusic

LISTEN BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Kobi Onyame Chosen Ones feat. M.anifest [LISTEN]

Chosen Ones' sees for the first time, Ghanaian hip hop artists Kobi Onyame and M.anifest collaborate on a song together. The follow up to Kobi's last single "Imminence (Only Matter of Time o)" is a warm concoction of Afro rhythms, flows and horns delivered in an uncontrived Afro hip hop manner.
The song first featured on Kobi Onyame's last album release 'Glory' in 2014 without the M.anifest feature. The reworked version serves as a taster of what we can expect from Kobi Onyame's forthcoming album.
'Chosen Ones' will be available to download on October 30th.

[DOWNLOAD HERE]

Fokn Bois – Godless[DOWNLOAD]

LISTEN BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Trigmatic – Walahi (No Lie) (Prod By Oteng)[DOWNLOAD]

LISTEN BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

AFRICAN WICKED DANCE MIXTAPE SEASON II |WICKEDIEST_DEEJAY_ROCKY[DOWNLOAD]

01. Drive Me Crazy @AggieCox
02. Fans Mi @Davido x MeekMill
03. Ndi Mukodo @cindy x Navio
04. Freak Of The Week Rmx Jeremih x Wizkid x Davido x fuseodg x IcePrice
05 Way BAK @mARCbRUNNEL
06. Esawa @tyler Himself
07. Amarula @Roberto
08. Position @EmmyAce
10. Come and Do Cnythia Morgan
11. Tubidemu @ZizaBafana x Fyiona Nsubuga
12. Pam Pam @Ketchup
13. Otubatisa @IreneNtale x Sheebah Karungi
14. Looku Looku @TheMarvins
15. Mbilo Mbilo @EddyKenzo
16. My Woman @Patorankng x @Wandecoal
17. Enemies @Jupitar x Sarkodie
18. Love Boat Kcee x @Diamond
19. Expensive @WizKid
20. Laye @KissDaniel
21. FineBoy @Olamide x L.A.X
22. Nipe Yote @Karungi Sheebah
23. Limpopo @Kccee
24. Show VictoriaKimani
25. Bobo @Olamide
26. Gboza @R2beez x Davido
27. Pose @YemiAlade
28. Wole Dj Exclusve x Davido
29. GodWin @koredoBello

#TeamDjRocky
#TeAMWICKEDmUSIC

[DOWNLOAD HERE]
 

Efya – Jorley ft Sarkodie (Instrumental)[DOWNLOAD]

Listen Below or [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Edem – Nyedzilo (Feat. Reekado Banks) (Prod. By Magnom)[DOWNLOAD]

VRMG frontliner, Edem has released his much awaited new song ”Nyedzilo”. “Nyedzilo” is an Ewe phrase (terminology) means “My Heart”. The phrase is a very popular jargon among Volta folks who mostly use it in jovial conversations with other fellows.
Nyedzilo features fast rising Mavin Records’ artist, Reekado Banks and was produced by Magnom Beats, one of the leading music producers/beat-makers from Ghana.
Enjoy!

PLAY BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Ant Finesse - All I Need[DOWNLOAD]

[DOWNLOAD HERE] OR PLAY BELOW

Mr Eazi – Skin Tight (Feat. Efya) (Prod. by DJ Juls) [Download]

This is not the first time you will hear a slow groove tune from Mr Eazi which has a crazy instrumental backing it. He did it with “Bankulize” and this new one titled “Skin Tight” is certainly no exception as a masterpiece. The Originator of the Pipi Dance style share his love on how close he needs his baby and you will love the lyrical flow. One Nation Entertainment’s Efya is featured on this and the eclectic songstress is always at her best. It’s DJ Juls on the production. Enjoy.

PLAY BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Jay Fela X Kofi Lil -NIGGURS BE FEELING ALRIGHT (mixed BY XLC)

NIGGURS BE FEELING ALRIGHT
Production credit goes to Kwesi Arthur of the Xlc Studio

 Play below or [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Yaw Siki – Medi Wekyi (Prod By Masta Garzy)[DOWNLOAD]

Born Again Christian YAW SIKI drops this brand new gospel tune he calls MEDI WEKYI. He sings and praises God and promise to Follow God and always Obey Him on this one.a lovely gospel tune you will all love. stream and download it below

Play below or [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Poizin - Juju (Prod by Tabil)[DOWNLOAD]

Play below or [DOWNLOAD HERE]

ALBUM: TheClassic Nights Ep.

If you think the single King Size Dreams was a jam well here is the full album. The
Classic Nights Ep.

This album is one of our proud works and Bone Records is proud to have Engineered ,Recorded, Mix and Mastered 7 songs of the EP including all Skits and your Favorite King Size Dreams.

It's fresh from the oven, Bone Records cooked it. ��

[Download Here]

E.L's B.A.R.2 CONCERT IS TONIGHT

Tonight all roads in Accra and its environs lead to the World Trade Centre, venue for the country's biggest hip hop and rap show dubbed, 'The B.A.R. Concert'. The concert, put together by leading record label and event organising company BBnZ, has award-winning musician and music producer E.L as the headline act and has confirmed performances from several of Ghana's biggest artistes including Reggie Rockstone, Pappy Kojo, Joey B, C-Real, Kumasi Ko-Jo Cue, Lil Shaker, Gemini, Mzvee, Stargo, Dex Kwesi, Jayso, Recognize Ali and several others. The concert will take the form of nonstop and uninterrupted performances of hip hop songs back-to-back and E.L has already put out a 19-track mixtape album solely for tonight's gig. Tonight's B.A.R. Concert is the second edition and is expected to break last year's record attendance. Tickets are reported to be fast running out and the remaining few are on sale at all Tigo outlets across the capital city. 'Apart from the performances from the big names in music now, the concert would give hip hop artistes in Ghana a platform that they can be recognised. It is to give an opportunity to as many as possible hip hop artistes, both known and underground, to have a stage to shine.

It would be back-to-back uninterrupted performances with just a few pauses in between. It would be back-to-back just as you have a DJ spinning back-to-back sounds but this time it would be the real artistes doing it onstage,' E.L explained. 'B.A.R. means Best African Rapper. I consider myself to be the best African rapper, taking into consideration a lot of things. But if I say it, it would be like I am blowing my horns.   So when people ask me why I am saying that, I just direct them to my mixtapes; they should just listen to my mixtapes. And 99 percent of the time, they concede to the fact that I might just be the best African rapper. 'So at the end of the day, this is not just a statement I am making because statements can be wrong. This is not a claim I am making; it is just something I know about myself. And there is no other side to truth. This is truth and I am saying it,' he added. Reliable telecommunications company, Tigo, is title sponsor for the 2015 B.A.R. Concert which is heavily supported by Guinness.

DOWNLOAD the full album here 

Okyeame Kwame – Small Small (Feat Mzvee)[Lyrics]

Get the audio here
OKYEAME
If you want to walk with me my baby ooo
First learn to crawl with me my baby ooo
If you want run with me my baby ooo
Sometimes you walk with me my baby oo
If you want to fly with me my baby ooo
Sometimes you run with me my baby oo
If you want to land with me my baby ooo
First have to fly with me my baby oo

HOOK
I love you
It’s so easy to say oo
I need you
I hear am plenty today oo
I want you
E bi like say we dey play oo
But I will grow with you
Na en go make our love stay oo
CHORUS
Small Small oo
Grow together
I no get shoto
Grow together
I no get am sokoo
Grow together
Make you no foko
Grow together
We go win lotto
Grow together
I’ll buy you a motor
Grow together
Before the dondoo
Grow together
Small Small oo
MZVEE
If you want to dance with me my baby oo
First learn to sing with me my baby oo
First take a chance with me my baby oo
Before you win with me my baby oo
You want fly first you learn to walk with me
You want to give me rhymes you need to learn to talk to me
You want to smile, cry, to climb you try go high high high ooo my baby oo 2x
BACK TO HOOK AND CHORUS
RAP
Future millionaire nso 3nn3 de3 mey3 pesewanaire
Meny3 bad mey3 good , odo better me eh
Menni kobo mew) vision, b3fa me eh
Ma me pressure na meny3 yie, b3ha me eh
Classy girl hyia boy a, calendar da ho
)b3gyina anya ne joy a, carpenter daho
)twa mu na scent nk) y3 a, lavender daho
S3 me class no nnru a lecture me eh
Wohia Bugatti , chopper a traffic kye na wo home te a masoa wo to wo gyade
Rapper track hitte na me swag lift a yeah I will show how to party
But before then y3nwe y3 gari
Y3nforo y3 trotro , y3nwe y3 sawe
Corned beef beberebe yi 3ma yare, nkwasea keka fakye me
As3 w’ani kum, sexy eyes fa wo ti to m’akomaso na woara wonim makoma nnim sum
Wonni size ,mak) madru,mafa mahunu,mas) mahunu, makomamu wone me sunsum
I’m on the rise, mat3 so k3k3 future millionaire nso wob3di bia gye s3 wogye tum
Will you pay the price?
Makasa dodo ma me nnyae
BACK TO CHORUS

WATCH: Okyeame Kwame ft MzVee - Small Small

'Small Small' is a song that talks about what young men and women face in regards to relationship. The Ladies are fed-up of guys saying I love you, I need you and I want you. they want to here things like I want to grow with you. The young men on the other hand need the ladies to be patient with them and say 'Small Small' lets Grow Together. This lovely video was taken at Ekow Smith Asante's Weeding

Enjoy below

YOUNGZIK – SHAKE IT [DOWNLOAD]

Youngzik is a Ghanaian artist based in Nigeria,a student of Osun
state University,
He released his official first track title Shake it,the music is another hit dope song, The fresh talented motivates the industry by this
dope song shake it for dance!

Play below or [Download Here]

MORNIN TEE FT SOJEERO -Searching for love (Prod by Melody Africa &OTYNO)

LISTEN BELOW OR [DOWNLOAD HERE]

Dark Suburb Mama ft. Noella Wiyaala [DOWNLOAD]

This song celebrates the motherhood of the continent of Africa and every mother in the world.
“Mama”is sung in Pidgin English, Waale and Sisaala.
The song, which was recorded live has a rich and heavy sound and Colter Harper and Lucas Milker handled the production.

 Play below or [DOWNLOAD HERE]

ARTICLE: Sarkodie- An Artist Ahead Of His Time

“I wish Sarkodie was born in Harlem because I’d be bigger than Kanye and Jay,” the Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie (Michael Owusu Addo to those who know him personally) boasts on “Preach,” a track off his 2014 album Sarkology. Jay Z and Kanye West are artists he expresses great admiration for, but the 27-year-old has built an enviable career of his own. He’s one of the most bankable and popular MCs in Africa, and one of the most well-known outside of it. The list of national and international awards he has received has its own Wikipedia page and includes MTV Africa and BET Awards. Put his CV next to his discography of international hits and groundbreaking albums, and his hyperbolic bon mot starts to seem, well, quite reasonable.

This past month, he brought the massive annual concert he usually holds with other artists in Accra to the Apollo in New York City. The sold-out show was billed as “Sarkodie: History in the Making” and it was at least unusual for an event of its kind in the States. While Ghanaian stars like Sarkodie or rapper E.L.—who was also on the bill—come to New York from time to time, they often play big all-night affairs in the Bronx where a large Ghanaian community resides. This event coming together at the Apollo indicates that west Africa’s bold-face names are making greater inroads in the US. It’s also testament to Sarkodie’s star power.

The MC has been able to accomplish all of this while breaking the mold for a chart-topping artist in Africa’s music industry. He’s no stranger to the pop arena and has had hits in the once-trendy azonto style, but he is a hip-hop artist without apology. “The hip-hop scene is strong, but you can’t run away from the fact that you are in Africa,” he says. “What sells is danceable music.” Though he’s not willing to compromise his love of less than radio friendly rap he has nevertheless found a successful formula and carved out a very big niche for himself: “I speak Twi and I rap on hip-hop beats. I bring the beats from the States, but I take the content from Africa, specifically Ghana.”
In his recent videos and output, there are, indeed, nods to ‘Ye and Jay’s grim and grandiose gestures—something that doesn’t translate perfectly with a mainstream audience that favors infectious, Afropop accented club rap. Beyond his US rap touchstones, Sarkodie is an artist very much in his own mold. Sarkology is a two-disc crucible that melds influences like highlife, dancehall, grime and EDM into an operatic whole. The productions provide a dramatic backdrop for his literally inimitable flow.
His fans have given him the title of “Africa’s fastest rapper” and it has stuck because of its accuracy. Toggling rapidly between English and Twi, he’s hard enough for a listener to follow, let alone another MC. When he rhymes in English, Ghana’s official language, you have to listen carefully or you’ll miss half a dozen references to American music and shout outs to Ghanaian and Nigerian artists. His lines in Twi, punctuated by his signature nasal snarl, are verbal juggernauts.
One might think that rapping in Twi would limit his appeal, but it’s a first language for 9 million people in Ghana, and when he does a verse in Twi, he is speaking directly to all of them, from the heart. “I grew up speaking Twi ever since I was a kid, so my emotions are in that,” he explains.
While he appreciates the sentiment, the “fastest rapper” tag does get tiresome. “To me, I think it’s too limiting, if we’re talking about what I have to offer the world,” he gripes mildly. The maturity and variety of the tracks on Sarkology make that plain. “I’m a fast talker in general, if you noticed. So it makes sense if I have to rap fast,” he offers. He does speak at a strikingly rapid clip, but it seems natural and effortless.
A fast-talker he is, but you wouldn’t call him chatty. By all accounts Sarkodie can be reserved and staunchly private, however, when we met at the MTV Iggy offices he is warm, ebullient even, despite his practiced professional distance and the shades he rarely removes.
At any rate, he clearly doesn’t have any trouble making friends. Another aspect of Sarkology’s ambition is the sheer quantity of other stars who feature on it. With guest spots from Ghana’s queen of soul Efya, E.L. and Nigerian vocalists Davido and Banky W, to name a few, there’s a lot of overlap between the album credits and winners of the MTV Africa Music Awards over the last several years. Outside of Ghana, he gets his warmest welcome in Lagos, the largest city in neighboring Nigeria, a short flight from Accra. This is key to his success as Nigeria’s entertainment industry dominates the continent. Ghana and Nigeria’s hip-hop and R&B artists frequently collaborate and share stages, and they have become the vanguard of a new wave of Afropop, often dubbed “Afrobeats” in markets outside Africa, such as London.

Shared cultural touchstones are a big part of this relationship. “We have similarities. Both countries grew up on highlife, so then we have similarities when it comes to sound. When we collaborate you don’t see differences; we just make good music,” Sarkodie explains. Harmonious as the relationship is, he doesn’t view the two countries’ music industries in terms of brotherhood, or rivalry. “I’m an artist, so I look at it from a business perspective,” he says. “I look at Nigeria with their masses, talking about the numbers that they have. If you are from Nigeria, even if you are a B-Class of an artist, you probably get more followers on Twitter. We need each other to get to the next level.”
Speaking of the next level, his soon-to-be-released fourth album promises to be both a further evolution and, in its own way, just as ambitious as the 30-track Sarkology. Produced by Akwaboah, the first signee to Sarkodie’s SarkCess Music label, Mary was made with entirely live instrumentation and is named for his beloved late grandmother. “She always wanted me to do live music. She liked hip-hop, but she was more into live music, the live drums, live guitars, not too much that’s computerized. I should have done it for her and now she’s gone,” he laments.
He’s reluctant to come out and admit to a heavy highlife influence on this album because he’s afraid of alienating his rap loving hardcore supporters, though one gets the feeling they won’t be disappointed. “I took it back to my people, the sounds that we grew up on, and the sounds that I loved growing up. I’m trying to take the indigenous Ghanaian music to the world,” he equivocates. Ultimately, he says he wants to avoid being predictable. This is as vital to rap in Ghana as it is anywhere.
“We just need people who will be themselves and bring something new to the game. When we copy from the States directly, what you guys talk about, it doesn’t make sense in Ghana. If I talk about having a Bugatti, even if I do have it, they won’t believe it,” he says. Sarkodie will allow that some of the grittier American hip-hop lyrics are often very easy to relate to: “That is why hip-hop is accepted in Africa—and dancehall, because they represent the struggle, maybe not the new strain of hip-hop, but the hip-hop talking about what’s going on in the ghetto, the hustle. That’s our daily life in Africa. We hustle each and every day, so we relate a lot.”

He raps about growing up under difficult circumstances, raised by a single mother, but if you ask him about Tema, the port town where he grew up, you’ll only hear good memories. He describes the city, where he still lives, as “well-planned, like New York.” Reminiscing, he says, “We loved hip-hop for ages because we were the only city that had basketball courts in every area. Our swag was just on point. We were living the life.”
Sarkodie takes his own advice when it come to writing songs fellow Ghanaians and Africans can relate to. He has bars about love, sex and the rap game, but he also has topical songs so specific they sound like the transcript of a parliamentary session. For example, the terse “Inflation (Ghana Economy)” deals with Ghana’s monetary issues and the Fela Kuti sampling “Dumsor” vents frustration over Ghana’s regular yet unpredictable power outages. The latter was part of the campaign he took part in protesting Ghana’s energy problems. As far as the energy crisis goes, he says, “That’s something that I feel directly. When the lights are out but you want to record, you have to tell the producer, ‘I’m sorry we don’t have lights, can you come tomorrow.’ I might be talking for the people but I’m talking for myself as well. When I talk about the currency … I had to change $5,000 and I was going to the UK, I had to get like 20,000 Ghana CDs and it didn’t make sense to me. That’s what actually made me go and write a song on the situation in Ghana.”

As critical as can be with some aspects of life in Ghana, he is optimistic about the growth of its music industry. “We just need a system to monitor the numbers that we have,” he says, meaning that the market and audience is there, but that it’s a difficult thing to quantify in a country where pirating music is the rule. Fortunately, the means may be on their way: He points out, for one, that Jay Z is working with Nigerian record labels to bring their artists to his Tidal streaming platform. Currently, Sarkodie’s own music is available on Deezer, which is not only a revenue stream to him but an invaluable way of measuring his audience.
“I think Africa is the next big thing, because I think Europe had their share. America always had their share. We had this Psy guy from Asia. I think we need some Africans now,” he says. His decision to launch SarkCess Music shows how much he believes those words. He’s also not the only one who is betting on African artists—and audiences. When Sarkodie collaborated with rapper Ace Hood on the recent single “New Guy,” the American artist sought him out because of his desire to connect with African listeners and work with the best while doing so. “They understand the numbers that we have now, so they want to collaborate,” Sarkodie observes, referring to American rappers. Ace Hood held his own on the slightly eccentric single, but one wonders how many other rappers from the US would want to try keeping pace with Sarkodie.


By Beverly Bryan

Selasie Kwacha (Prod. By Drumroll & Yung Fly) [DOWNLOAD]

  KWACHA means money in this part of town (although it is the currency of Zambia and Malawi).  Throughout the story of mankind, the quest to be rich has been of prime importance as evidenced by the daily struggle each one of us embark from break of dawn to dusk. Staying without money is most often considered a ‘curse’ or a ‘crime’. Staying financially comfortable through legal means is necessary since ‘money is power’ & that is what SELASIE is reminding us of on his debut single KWACHA.  The song carries a good feel vibe and lyrics that is directed at motivating listeners to go out and make their money by working smart and hard.  KWACHA is jointly produced by Yung Fly and DrumRoll and mixed by Mike Millz  KWACHA comes as no surprise to many who have known Selasie. He has been around music and arts for most of his life- writing, promoting and supporting both established and up and coming musicians-mostly rappers. His association with one of Ghana’s musical export, M.anifest is well known. His knowledge of rap music has won him the hip hop head accolade among his peers.  If more money means more trouble as the saying goes, then try staying broke for a day and you would realize how awful that condition is. Go get the Kwacha no matter what.

Play below or [DOWNLOAD HERE]