12 hot minutes with Obrafour the executioner - he finds love with ‘Heavy’ album

The way Obrafour blew in from nowhere last year with his hit songs, “Heavy” fueled by a Hammer produced song, “Ako” is amazing. The song has carried Obrafour to the top of the rap charts and helped prove that he is still the Rap General when it comes to hiplife music.

Now with his songs ‘Heavy’ and ‘Ako’ in heavy rotation on Ghanaian radio airwaves in and out of the country, Obrafour is out to prove that he’s no one-hit wonder.

Obrafour has been able to carry the hiplife badge of honor till date marketing his songs well making him sit on top positions mostly.

Obrafour is no stranger to Ghana Music.com, so with a keen understanding of the game and his obvious ability to create hits, the Obrafour of today having sharpened his lyrical skills which is now poised to slay all hiplife artistes who want a shot at the position he now holds now.

Obrafour took a break from shows and is relaxing after sweeping three awards at the Ghana Music Awards 2007 to fill us in on how success has been treating him.

Ghana Music.com: First, I spotted your music in the late 90s. You’ve come a long way. Tell us about the transformation from that time to 2007. How was it?

Obrafour: Well, what I can say is I have come a long way and it hasn’t been easy. The discipline part of me has always been the trick. What I mean is I have stayed focused on my business with the help of God.

Ghana Music.com: What inspired you to name the album, “Heavy”?

Obrafour: I had found love and a wife which is one of the greatest times in my life. Love has been the sweetest thing God gave to man. For Obrafour to find love was a crazy thing to happen.

Ghana Music.com: What keeps you so passionate about music at a time when many artists are getting frustrated by producers thus quitting the music industry?

Obrafour: It’s very good to use the word ‘passion’. Passion has been the fuel that has driven my success and always believing in what I do. I live music and music is part of me.

Ghana Music.com: As Nas said in the hiphop world, hiphop is dead. Do you declare that hiplife is dead? Do you think so?

Obrafour: It’s difficult to say that. Hiplife songs are coming out day in and day out. When you look at my ‘Pae Mu Ka’ album, you find it as a purely hiphop album but now am doing what is hiplife as we have labeled it. But when it comes to market wise, due to stuffs like Payola and piracy which are in high attendance, I can say hiplife is dying. There is no game. I intentionally chose the word game instead of industry because there is no industry.

Ghana Music.com: Please could you dwell more on the ‘game thing’?

Obrafour: Way back when there was highlife, there was an industry with well structured things in place. I have so many faults with the game.

Ghana Music.com: With all these successes. Any plans to turn that into a business venture?

Obrafour: Thank God for all that. I never dreamt that Heavy will get me this far and hoping to maximize it. Am not restricting myself; I need to expand my clothing line (laughs). I tried it some years back which did not go well. Am also interacting with some UK and international record labels.

Ghana Music.com: What exactly is the ‘Ako’?

Obrafour: Is to say am raging war. I want to get done with all the lyrical MCs to say am the master of hiplife. It’s over and done.

Ghana Music.com: How has the experience been for you so far?

Obrafour: Ok, but doesn’t mean I should be satisfied with what I have; at least I don’t beg. I have a family which is doing well. In my childhood days, I was told never to be satisfied in life but always urge on for more success.

Ghana Music.com: You have your own record label, how did you end up on Big Ben’s label?

Obrafour: It’s really difficult down here to manage a label alone. My financial status was overstretched and I needed a reputable label to get me out there. That’s how come I jumped on the wings of Big Ben.