Tinny To Launch 38 Track Album

The hiplife industry is really choked with artistes who claim they are lyricists but to me, a few of them stand out tall.

This time round, my editor {Kevin) and I have handpicked some talents that will spark up the hiplife movement one day with lyrical flow, thus taking Ghanaian music to another level.

Captain Planet

Captain Planet with his partner, Abortion all of 4x4 were hiding in Buk Bak?s shadow until they came out with the ?Sikletele? album following it up with up a single on Obrafour?s compilation, ?Rekpete? before their second album, ?Contestant number 1?.

He is leading the team of hiplife artistes who are below 26 years like Okra, Quata, Kwaw Kese and more.

An offspring of Buk Bak, Captain Planet is the only rapper who can rap in Twi, Ga, Ewe and Pidgen.

His Future:

He is gradually snatching the baton from Bright, formerly Buk Bak and can stand alone without Abortion.

He is planning to do collaboration with Babashanti and it will be a full Nigerian pidgen album just because of their pidgen single, ?Rekpete? which was well received by Africans.


Okra Tom Dawidi

Okra is a young artiste and has got a huge fan-base nationwide just because of the hit song, ?Ayekoo? with Obrafour and Tinny. Other featurings with Castro, Kwaw Kese, Sidney, Bohye Ba (Pozo) and more have placed him on a certain height in the game.

Okra hangs with premier lyricists like Obrafour, Tinny, Kwaw Kese, Bright, formerly of Buk Bak and Castro and will have no problem, because all these artiste are willing to bless his upcoming album with their voices.

His Future:

Okra?s fame has grown so fast just with the single, ?Ayekoo? on Obrafour?s compilation and another on ?Sounds of Our Time?. Okra?s lyrics are mostly based on subjects in the animal kingdom. If you carefully pay attention to his verses, you will realize he calls his girl-lover or girl ? ?Okra Waa?.

Okra has painted himself as a hardcore rapper but promises a change in his hardcoreness on his debut album.

With the mega hit ?Ayekoo?, radio DJs will be rushing for his album when he releases it hopefully this year, which will take him to higher places.


Kwaw Kese

Another foot soldier in Hammer?s camp is Kwaw Kese, I would say Kwaw Kese?s lyrics are too ?raw? atimes but has a sense of humour making you forget about the ?rawness?.

He will certainly give the greatest top ten hiplife lyricists a serious run for the crown in the next 5 years. As a rapper, his skills are improving every year.

His Future:

Say all you want about Kwaw's flow that it is profane and the likes but that same style has for pushed him to deliver his own album ?Na Ya Tal?. Did anyone pay attention to ?Oye Nonsense? and ?Kwaw Kwaw? on Obrafour and Hammer?s compilation respectivelty. You'll realize how much he's grown musically.

His featurings on the albums of Bak Tye and on the unreleased album of TH 4 Kwages will help push his name in the game very far.

He will get a comfortable position to place his head because of his flow based on sex, love, women and hardcore things that will make the hiplife game competitive.


Mensa or Shine

He is not only a lyricist but a writer, beat maker and co-produced Reggie Rockstone?s, last album titled ?The Last Show?.

Mensa is too good but I don?t know why he likes to lay low. Listening to him on tracks like ?Mensesa? and ?The Mapouka Dance? on Reggie Rocstone?s ?Meka? slbum and songs of artistes like Obrafour, 2 Cedis and VIP, the only thing that came into my mind was a new star has been born.

His Future:

His raps are one that you will understand without thinking much and is currently gearing to release what he calls his official album.

Many of you readers might not know Mensa because he is an underground but his well thought of flow infused with his slang is incomparable. The forefathers of hiplife pay attention to his flow and beats.


Pope Skinnie

Since Pope Skinnie came into the rap scene in the late 90s, his fans and friends have heralded him high because of the Akuapem rap style he chose. ?Man?, this boy really did it on his last album which did not do well on the market but hey the verses were tight and looked matured.

His Future:
He has immortalized the game and just needs that little push to see him in the star light. These are all good rappers when it comes to lyrics but for some reasons they stay on low. His yet to be released second album is been sought after by some ?big time producers? in Ghana and Italy.

Skinnie?s, second album is slated for the end of this August and we are going to see some singles produced by Jay Q and more. He will be teaming up with some of the finest lyricists in the game and we will see how long he can keep himself in the game.


Quata

He is very humorous and that is the part he is sticking to. Quata lives up to all his songs on his albums.

His Future:
He has not had much success on radio yet still he?s been adored. Quata?s lyrics are evident on his second album, titled ?Concert?.

The only thing his fans critcised him for was why he featured on Tinny?s reply song to Buk Bak. But gained his name back after Tinny started promoting ?Kunto Aha?. You should get to listen to him on Kojo Antwi?s new album.

Quata will have other artistes below the top belt only if he gets a good production house.


Praye Honehoo or Eugene of Praye

Basically the group is talented but Praye Honeho to me is the best among the group (Praye) and I see the other two, Praye Tiatiaa (or Big J) and Praye Tintin (Kente) as his hype men.

His Future:

He will be a mainstay on the game. I don?t wish anything bad for Praye but if they break up or decide to persue solo careers, Eugene can make it. His storyelling verses are simply unstoppable and something to talk about.


Bright

Everyone heard Buk Bak were going to break up but were not so sure until Bright and Ronny spilled it out that they were not going to be together any longer.

Bright always did his two rap verses on any of Buk Bak?s songs well; forget about his singing. His ?klu blofo? kind of rapping interlaced with ?Twi?, ?Ga? and ?Pidgen? is atimes funny but comes out some vital informations for public consumption.

His Future:

As far as hiplife goes, Bright will still remain a member of it. Bright?s first solo album will prove whether he can move to the no. 1 spot. For me I think Bright was really a lyricist when he was with Buk Bak but going solo, his lyrics are kind of cool and childish but still funny though.


Wutah

One of the biggest thing that has happened to the hiplife scene is Wutah coming out of the ghetto with a tight album. They are reggae / ragga artistes but are verstalite.

Virus Wutah and Sugar Risky have carved a good image for themselves with just an album.

Their Future:

Since they introduced themselves unto the game, they?ve hard a consistent formula to churn out good lyrics on all their songs. And all is seen on their latest single, ?Change Your Style? on Appietus Compilation.

Artistes that could have been a serious threat to the aforementioned lyricists:

Sway

In 2005, Sway beat 50 Cent and The Game for the award for ?Best hiphop Act? at the Music of Black Origin (MOBO).

Sway has too much in his head and is proudly lifting the flag of Ghana well in London. Sway?s album, ?This is My Promo Vol. 1 & 2? has been well received in Ghana and London.

Bandana

I personally spoke to Bandana and he said he does not do hiplife music rather he is a reggae artiste.

A lot of fans and lovers of raglife and dancehall music have tipped Bandana to go international ahead of big dogs like Batman.


Kweku T

He has not got a lot of fans but knows how to make good tunes. A lot of people might not know him but if you are a follower of Reggie Rockstone, Panji, DJ Black and NFL or Eddie Blay you will know him.

Coming from the ?Talking Drum? dynasty with Abeiku and Bertram, he had no problem making it on the music industry in the late 90s and, one of the songs that could be well remembered is ?Toto Mechanic?.

If you think there are some other artistes, whose names were not mentioned, please mail me at michael@ghanamusic.com or let your comments be read if you are a registered member of Ghana music.com. If not, click here to register and comment.