SriBuO Release for the week - Obrafour - Asem Beba Dabi

Kasiebo burst onto the Ghanaian music scene with a lot of hue and cry and controversy surrounding it. The interesting thing about Obrafour's latest album is that, so much attention was given to Kasiebo that the rest of the album was largely ignored. This weekend we will take you behind the scenes of this album and dissect it for you track by track. This is arguably the Rap Sofour's best album to date (rivaled possibly by Asem Sebe). Most of the tracks were produced by JMJ and have a Hip Hop feint, however the Executioner stays true to his Ghanaian roots on each every track in his own unique way.



First of all, we will start with Kasiebo. They say a picture is word a thousand words ... what about a video?

Kasiebo is the second track on this album. The first track, Ma Praise (Maseda) is an ode to the Most High. In this song, Obrafour thanks God for seeing him through the dark times and bringing him to where he currently is. Maseda is a beautiful song and one of my favorite from the album. It has this way of lifting your spirits and reassuring you that with God, all things are possible. Don't believe me? Listen for yourself and be the judge:

Next to praise, the other theme that constantly runs through this album is Love; in all its stages. There are about 6 out of the 13 tracks on the album all dedicated to Odo that chronicle the various stages in a couple's relationship. There is How will I know? that features Samini, asking the age old question "How will I know if your love is true?". The song has lovely calypso-like instrumental backing that will get you on your dancing feet. Nyamekye featuring Ghetto KB is a love song that talks about the love he has for his woman, God's gift, Nyamekye. Any woman who had these lyrics made for her would truly feel like God's gift indeed.

Just like how life has its ups and downs, Love also has its highs and lows. Tell Me and Just Go are two more tracks from the album that explore the turbulent times of love. Tell Me tells a poignant story of the times when poverty might be coming through the door, encouraging the couple to not let love fly out of the window. In Just Go, the straw has broken on the camel's back and the relationship is on rocks. Odo Pa Ye Na (True love is hard to find) featuring IWAN is also another soulful track about the value of Love. Ghetto Love, a song on the album that features Stone Boy will go down in history as one of the best Love anthems of all time; we will save it for last.

Obrafour tried something quite unique and new on Asem Beba Dabi this time around. Two tracks, Kasiebo and Hiplife (featuring Sarkodie) are complete dialogues. Kasiebo as you already heard, has more of an interview format. Hiplife sounds more like a regular conversation. The artistry here between Obidi and Obrafour is simply sublime. Managing to maintain a rhyming scheme along with all the regular mannerisms found in normal Ghanaian speak was certainly no mean feat. See what I mean for yourself as you watch the video below:

The rest of the tracks on this album were the Rap Sofour mostly asserts his status as a leading figure in Hiplife in various ways. First of all, there is the title track Asem Beba Dabi which is a warning: the chicken who overdrinks and overfeasts in the sunlight forgets that the Hawk is hovering nearby. Born to do it (featuring Kazuuka) and Ma pain (featuring Guru) are both sides of the same coin. When you are Born to do it, you will have the drive to succeed and apply yourself till you are on top ... and you are the only one who will know all the struggles and pain you had to go through in order to make it.

Obrafour having firmly established himself as a Hiplife prowess in his previous albums needed to do something different on this one to take his music to the next level. We can safely say that he has managed to successfully do that on Asem Beba Dabi. If you are still wondering whether or not to get a copy of this album, I am going to make a bet with you. We are dedicating this last track "Ghetto Love" to all the lovers out there. Have a listen and if it doesn't cause you to move your body to the beat you have won the bet, if it does then you know what to do:

Check out more tracks on SriBuO's Facebook page.