I belong to music – Tecknikal

Earl Owusu Ansah, known in the music scene as Tecknikal, a young Columbus, Ohio-based Ghanaian artist says he feels the music industry is where he belongs, not school.

Tecknikal, was born in Kumasi on September 16, 1997. He was raised with his two brothers by his grandparents in Famesua in the Ashanti Region, after his parents; Freda Osei Bonsu and Kwame Owusu Ansah divorced. Tecknikal and his brothers were with their grandparents for 15 years, until 2013 when he traveled with his brother to live with their mother in the USA.

He attended kindergarten at the Schooling Stars Academy, completed preparatory school at M. A. Bediako Adventist Preparatory school and JHS at Adventist Junior High School in Amakom, all in the Ashanti region of Ghana.

Tecknikal had his second cycled education at the Kumasi Anglican Senior High School from SHS 1 to the second term of SHS 2. He continued his high school education at the Westerville South High School, Columbus, Ohio, and graduated in 2016.

He went to Columbus State College for a semester, he said “this time I was also working on my music so eventually, I took a break from college to focus on music full time.”

Technikal, technically started his music journey in 2016, where he dropped the ‘Styla season’ Album, the ‘guapanese’ mixtape, an EP dubbed ‘Dedication’ and some good amount of singles, “which are all available on most streaming platforms under my stage name Tecknikal. It’s safe to say I have over 30 songs out online. I have worked with numerous producers but noticeably Oge Beats and DCQ beats.”

The artist who doubles as a songwriter fell for music at an early age, where he got an iPod and started downloading most of the songs. He started writing poems at the back of his notes in class until it eventually turned into writing raps. At Kumasi Anglican Senior High School, he discovered his writing talent. He started doing rap battles on campus, freestyles with his dorm mates and performing sometimes at the entertainment night events on Saturdays.

Eventually, he moved to America, wherewith the help of a few friends he had access to a studio set up in a friend’s house basement house where he recorded most of his songs. He also participated in his school’s Black History Month Show from his second year of high school to the senior year where he used to perform.

Tecknikal emphasized that music has a major role in his decision-taking, “I can say music had a major role to play in the decision I made about taking a break for school. I was always a sharp kid who would always get a grade good enough to keep me out of trouble. I liked going to school but for the wrong reasons. I liked school because I had friends I could see and hang out with. But I was never as passionate as I am with music like I am with school.”

“I feel like the music industry is where I belonged not the school that’s why I made the discussion to take a break from it but I do plan to go back in a year or two depending on my situation at that current moment. And it’s mainly because I would like to have more than one skill set. I don’t want to fully rely on music knowing this game grants you an opportunity to be successful but doesn’t promise it.”

Tecknikal belongs to the group that supports 100% authentic music, especially to the class that is not limited by music genres, he can be called a multi-genre artiste because he likes to experiment a lot and is always ready to showcase his versatility on different sounds.

The young artiste aspires to be the one to change the phase of Afrobeat worldwide. He takes inspiration from legends such as Sarkodie, R2bees, Shatta Wale, Stonebwoy and more.

“I would want to continue their good work and put a magnifying glass on the map of Ghana for the whole world to see how exceptional and influential we are to modern music, especially afrobeat. Before I decided to pick up the pen to write music I remember one of my biggest inspirations being Sarkodie. I admired how he made being a rapper look like the coolest job on earth.

"From the way, he shot his videos to how he dressed. It made me want to be like him. R2bees were also part of my early inspirations to pursue music. Both Mugeez and Paedae (Omar Sterling) had and still do have my respect for how they could give us a mixture of melodious songs and hard-hitting punchlines. Kanye West is also someone who inspires me a lot. From his life to his music to how he runs his business. I relate to him in the sense that he was constantly underestimated by people and somehow he always pulls through. I think he has one of the most inspiring stories in music history.”

Tecknikal is currently signed unto Extrial Music, a sister label to R2bees which is run by Mugeez of R2bees since December 2019 and has his first song under the label dubbed ‘Fantasy’. The song is available on all streaming platforms with the official music video on Youtube.