Leave ASEM The Hell Alone!

I am always beaming with smiles and get exhilarated whenever I hear people write serious grammar to lambaste Ghana Music Awards 2009 New Artiste of the Year winner Asem. I begin to ask questions if those people are indeed for real.

In August 1999, Ricci Osei, Reggie’s late father said “if they are not talking about you, it means you are not worth talking about”, so I guess you understand me now why they keep talking about him, Asem is worth talking about really.

Listen up, aside Asem being one of the most popular artistes in Ghana right now; he’s the darling boy or the most handsome guy in the hip life game, anyone who thinks otherwise should just put up or shut it. Take it or leave it, Asem is just ‘pretty’, if you can permit me to use that word.

If by any chance, you find yourself listening to my favourite tracks “Obaa Yaa” and “Pigaro” and don’t hit the repeat button, then I can say without any hesitation whatsoever that you need a special attention.

The Pigaro remix is just incredible; Caronline’s rap will just blow your mind:

// C.A.R.O, shieeee wow, the girl body body body chaww

// the way he de boogey sef dey make I dey bow oo

// see the things she dey do shieeee wow, he put some otor otor fister

// He boxers be Tommy Hilfiger, oh sister, I dey mad oo, I dey craze oo, ibi sad oo

// the way he de boogey den flow, eh its killing me like death roll, ah,

// the way he dey boogey den flow, DJ please play me pigaro. Caroline you rock.

There are things his suppose haters are using as yardstick to judge him, which to the best of my knowledge is just bullsh*t. It saddens my heart to see or hear Asem’s haters using the fact that he made his name from the night clubs, hence calling him names for no apparent reason!

If suddenly acquiring fame from a night club has become so illegal, that people have started calling and mocking at Asem, What about the one who made his name sleeping in a mosquito infested studios with several days of ‘body fasting’ just to feature on Obrafour and Hammer’s compilation respectively and calling himself Abodam? How about that for reply?

Enough, I have been at most of Asem’s shows are the night clubs and I can tell you that he’s undeniably a sensation. Asem is really an exceptional and a natural rapper, he has something that his colleagues in the hip life game can only dream of. “

ASEM is an extremely talented artiste. He has the swagger and cockiness of Tupac and T.I.; he wields the lyrical dexterity of Notorious BIG and Nas, and commands a stage presence like LL Cool J and DMX. The clarity and power of his lyrics are like that of Redman and Ludacris and it feels easy to rap along his lines like rapping along P. Diddy lines”. Says Arnold Asamoah-Baidoo, a columnist on Ghana Music dot com.

To have something in common with the likes of Tupac, T. I., Notorious BIG, Nas, Redman (my all time favourite), Ludacris, P. Diddy? Asem should be in cloud nine now.

The argument that he simply cannot rap a verse without sounding profane is neither here or there, we should learn to grow up and stop reading meanings into lines and stop wasting everybody else time.

Why do we always misconstrue Asem’s lines? Others touting him as “boastful”. Ah! For crying out loud Asem has his life as an individual, so you guys can cool off in hell or “Give Me Blow”. We have the penchant for complaining about everything.

No! No! No! I will not compare Asem to any hungry, filthy and thirsty lunatic gallivanting on the streets with no sense of direction. Again, a lot has been said about his beef with Kwaw Kese, self-acclaimed king of the streets. They argued that Asem cannot compare himself to the king of the streets, because he made it with a single track on Obrafour’s executioner’s diary with his ‘Oye Nonsense’. And again another single track “Ma Tewo Kwakwa” on Hammer’s soundz of out time.

All I can say now is that, this is a topic for another article because I don’t see any sense in comparing and inciting Kwaw Kese who made it with only a single track on Obrafour’s executioner’s diary with his ‘Oye Nonsense’ and “Ma Tewo Kwakwa” on Hammer’s Soundz of out time. Against who made it with a full album “Better Late than Never”.

Did I step on any toe? What are toes if they are not meant to be stepped on anyway? Who the cap fit, let him wear it. I doff my hat to the guys at Lynx Entertainment, you guys rock. You know the name right?

http://www.ghanacelebrities.com/index.php/hot-topics/say-it-loud/379-leave-asem-the-hell-alone

By: Ebenezer Anangfio Jnr. (Columnist, Ghanacelebrities.com)

Ghana Music Has Taken A Nosedive - Aplus

Reading the interview AfricanPromo.com granted the controversial hip life artiste Aplus and Mmframa of Fili Gadogi fame who appeared on TV Africa’s Run Down last Wednesday hosted by Yaw Sakyi, I get the impression that everything is not going on well in the music industry in Ghana.

Aplus is one artiste you love to hate, especially his political antagonist but who cares about them though? They are not detrimental, as they can bark but not bite. He sings and the world goes round.

He is definitely not a politician but thinks as a registered voter and a tax payer; he has every damn right to check on the people if the tax payer’s money is used judiciously and not on ‘pampers, chichinga and baby oil’.

Both musicians have lost interest in the music business now because of low patronage and other pertinent issues such as the influx of Nigerians, piracy, payola and royalties. Mmframa advocated for the demise of the Musician Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) in the next five years if nothing is done to ameliorate the challenges affecting the musician industry in Ghana.

Whiles the late Michael Jackson’s Thriller sold $49 million copies and still counting, Ghanaian musicians do not sell even close to 100 thousand copies. I think the highest they have sold was Nkasei’s Tuobodom album which was said to have sold close to 150 thousand copies with two weeks of its release.

These days, people don’t buy Cds anymore; they rather prefer one track from Aplus, Mmframa, Tinny, Reggie Zippy etcetera etcetera and get their own album. This is happening because someone at MUSIGA is just not doing his or her job well. It’s high time we stopped talking and take pragmatic measures to address the concerns.

“Ghana music has taken a nose dive and again it is not getting any better. Especially now that the Nigerians have taken over and there is not a single mechanism to check piracy and royalties is a big issue? I just hope and pray it gets better”, Aplus said.

Mmframa on the other hand think “If you are a taxi owner and your driver is not making good sales, what do you do? You let him continue or you sack him, collect your taxi and give it to another driver? If the people at MUSIGA are not performing, or not doing what is expected of them then, we see no use of them; musicians must come together and remove them from office”.

Low sales is blamed on the Nigeria invasion which confirms my earlier article captioned “Nigeria Has Taken Over Ghana Entertainment Industry” ( LINK TO ARTICLE anangfio.blogspot.com )

If there are no musicians then there wouldn’t be any MUSIGA. Indeed we cannot fold our arms and pretend everything is fine, when the reality on the ground says different.

It is my fervent hope that Diana Hopeson, the president of the MUSIGA will be reading this, as the musicians are gradually and simultaneously fading out and dying as paupers.

By: Ebenezer Anangfio Jnr.

http://www.ghanacelebrities.com/index.php/news/entertainment/375-ghana-music-has-taken-a-nosedive-aplus-share

Hip Life Artistes Singing More Than Rapping?

Why are more (Hip Life) rappers singing now instead of rapping? Why can’t they concentrate on rapping and leave the singing to the backing vocalist to sing?

Is hip life dead? It sure sounds like it. Why are they (hip life artistes) turning to their own vocal abilities when they have no formal vocal training and can’t sing?

If you turn on the radio and TV. What used to be thrilling thought provoking music seems to have gone under the drains.

How many of you remember this line from Fat Joe’s ‘Fuck 50’ dissing track in response to 50 Cent?

// No, no, no shawty
// That's right, you sing more than you rappin
// Now 50 that ain't right

This altitude of 50 Cent singing more than rapping has engulfed the hip life genre and that brings back the debate as to whether hip life is really dying or dead.

Hip life is defined as a Ghanaian musical style which fuses highlife and hip hop, recorded in Ghanaian languages (Twi, Ewe, Ga etc...). This is how Reggie Rockstone, Godfather defined hip life "Rapping in your local dialect (Twi, Fante, Ga, Ewe etc) over hip hop beats"

So by this definition hip life is dead right? Since the hip life artistes are now singing instead of rapping.

The origins goes back to the 1980s, when performers such as K.K. Kabobo and Gyedu Blay Ambolley found a small audience performing highlife variations with fast spoken, poetic lyrics which we call ‘RAP’.

I observe with grave concern as hip life artistes who invaded the game with their rap powers, have now sat back and doing more singing than the rap which they are noted with. What is it about the rap that they want to make away with?

The only topics they sing/talk about is too violent and our women often depicted in offensive ways, how many girls they have slept with and blah blah blah. Nobody raps about love anymore.

Quata’s Independence’s album on the market confirms his sense of direction now. Tracks like ‘Pretty Face’ and ‘Baby’ on the album says a lot about Quata’s new found love which is singing.

His ‘Onie’ track from his album was a bomb. He is one artiste who welcome himself into the hip life genre with some wicked, war raps that he is really identifies with so why the change now?

His act on Tinny’s Aletse track dissing to Buk Bak and Jay Q and KK Fosu’s Oga track dissing Samini says a lot about this rap abilities and versatility.

His latest album further raises more concerns as to whether Quata has parted company with the hardcore rap that he is identified with.

Tinny also known as Aletse Kankpe, Fire Starter, Buffalo soldier has failed his fans a great deal considering the standard he set for himself with his first album ‘Mokola Kwakwe’.

Tracks like the title track, Mokola Kwakwe, Angelina, Ofee Dull, Obi Do Ba, Wane Kyiki explains how good Tinny is in the Ga rap. Many young guys and girls adopted and embraced the kind of style he raps.

To say Tinny is one of the best Ga lyricists will be understatement, he is the best presently but I see Shilo as his biggest threat now without any doubt whatsoever that is if he continues to sing.

He might be the hottest artiste so far as collaboration is concerned now but he’s sinking as a solo artiste because of this singing altitude he has also adopted. Why sing when you can’t sing? Just stick to what you are good at.

His style of rapping is just marvelous but to continue to be the best, you must just do more, you need consistence, when you continue to repeat your lyrics, people then begin to ask questions.
Please read more anangfio.blogspot

By: Ebenezer Anangfio Jnr.
e: ebenezer@ghanacelebrities.com

Western Region Says Bye To Ghana Most Beautiful

31 year old Pamela Nyarko representing the Western Region as Akasi has been evicted from TV3’s Ghana Most Beautiful reality show. With her eviction last Sunday, Akasi became the 4th contestant to be evicted from the reality show, Serwah, Rafi and Dedei followed in that number.

Akasi who has become one of the favourites for the crown has to bow out of the competition painfully because the votes were just not coming in. The evictee has been by far the most eloquent among the other contestants week after week.

The theme for last Sunday’s show was ‘passage of rites’. The girls depicted various rites from their respective regions; they as usual excelled in their deliveries apart from the constant repetition of lines.

Volta Region’s rep Enam was just annoying, she was disorganized and talking fast as if she was been pursued but her dimples made her look pretty. I think she will be far in the competition if she stops wasting viewer’s time with her constant repetition.

Ghana Most Beautiful season three will go down well as the most boring of all, considering the standard season one and two created, so far season three has failed to live up to its billings.

The judges are just there to rubberstamp than to look for mistakes and offer constructive criticism. Of course we do not need them to be telling us the same things week after week. Who doesn’t know the girls are pretty?

I bet viewers are just missing Efo Kojo Mawugbe and Linda; he is one judge who will say it just as it is.

To avoid wasting of precious time and repetition of lines, I think the organizers must insist on a specific time for the ladies to deliver. This area needs to be address.

Host of TV3’s Todays Women was the guest judge and she broke the sad news to Akasi. The night was not all about contestants, contemporary highlife musician Kofi B was there to his own thing.

There will be another eviction next week so good luck girls.

By: Ebenezer Anangfio Jnr.
e: ebenezer@ghanacelebrities.com
http://anangfio.blogspot.com



Disclaimer:
Views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this site. Ghanacelebrities.com takes no responsibility for the opinions of the author. 

Hip Life Artistes Singing More Than Rapping?

Why are more (Hip Life) rappers singing now instead of rapping? Why can’t they concentrate on rapping and leave the singing to the backing vocalist to sing?

Is hip life dead? It sure sounds like it. Why are they (hip life artistes) turning to their own vocal abilities when they have no formal vocal training and can’t sing?

If you turn on the radio and TV. What used to be thrilling thought provoking music seems to have gone under the drains.

How many of you remember this line from Fat Joe’s ‘Fuck 50’ dissing track in response to 50 Cent?

// No, no, no shawty
// That's right, you sing more than you rappin
// Now 50 that ain't right

This altitude of 50 Cent singing more than rapping has engulfed the hip life genre and that brings back the debate as to whether hip life is really dying or dead.

Hip life is defined as a Ghanaian musical style which fuses highlife and hip hop, recorded in Ghanaian languages (Twi, Ewe, Ga etc...). This is how Reggie Rockstone, Godfather defined hip life "Rapping in your local dialect (Twi, Fante, Ga, Ewe etc) over hip hop beats"

So by this definition hip life is dead right? Since the hip life artistes are now singing instead of rapping.

The origins goes back to the 1980s, when performers such as K.K. Kabobo and Gyedu Blay Ambolley found a small audience performing highlife variations with fast spoken, poetic lyrics which we call ‘RAP’.

I observe with grave concern as hip life artistes who invaded the game with their rap powers, have now sat back and doing more singing than the rap which they are noted with. What is it about the rap that they want to make away with?

The only topics they sing/talk about is too violent and our women often depicted in offensive ways, how many girls they have slept with and blah blah blah. Nobody raps about love anymore.

Quata’s Independence’s album on the market confirms his sense of direction now. Tracks like ‘Pretty Face’ and ‘Baby’ on the album says a lot about Quata’s new found love which is singing.

His ‘Onie’ track from his album was a bomb. He is one artiste who welcome himself into the hip life genre with some wicked, war raps that he is really identifies with so why the change now?

His act on Tinny’s Aletse track dissing to Buk Bak and Jay Q and KK Fosu’s Oga track dissing Samini says a lot about this rap abilities and versatility.

His latest album further raises more concerns as to whether Quata has parted company with the hardcore rap that he is identified with.

Tinny also known as Aletse Kankpe, Fire Starter, Buffalo soldier has failed his fans a great deal considering the standard he set for himself with his first album ‘Mokola Kwakwe’.

Tracks like the title track, Mokola Kwakwe, Angelina, Ofee Dull, Obi Do Ba, Wane Kyiki explains how good Tinny is in the Ga rap. Many young guys and girls adopted and embraced the kind of style he raps.

To say Tinny is one of the best Ga lyricists will be understatement, he is the best presently but I see Shilo as his biggest threat now without any doubt whatsoever that is if he continues to sing.

He might be the hottest artiste so far as collaboration is concerned now but he’s sinking as a solo artiste because of this singing altitude he has also adopted. Why sing when you can’t sing? Just stick to what you are good at.

His style of rapping is just marvelous but to continue to be the best, you must just do more, you need consistence, when you continue to repeat your lyrics, people then begin to ask questions.

Joe Frazier, VIP, Obrafour, Castro, Samini, Kwaw Kesse, Shilo, Okyeama Quame are now all singing instead of rapping which is bad for the hip life genre.

I don’t have any problem with any artiste being multipurpose but sing if you have the voice and rap when you are good.


By: Ebenezer Anangfio Jnr.
e: ebenezer@ghanacelebrities.com
http://anangfio.blogspot.com


Disclaimer:
Views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this site. Ghanacelebrities.com takes no responsibility for the opinions of the author. 

I Have A Problem With Everyone, Including God - Kwaw Kese

Abodam is an assumed name of a mad man walking free on the streets of Accra under the pretext of doing hip life. Methinks, Kwaw Kese is just arrogant, bloody opportunist; I won’t be surprise if he’s a gay because of his girlish altitude off late and besides I think he’s an attention seeker.

Why does he want his butt on everybody’s case? This guy is accused of defrauding his ex girl friend; he is again indicted for stealing Konfi’s lyrics in his Zoom Lion Campaign song. I doubt if he’s going to come out clean.

He was on Peace FM, sometime ago to speak well of his immoral acts, praising polygamy, he wants to marry as many as 10 because Ghanaian women needs to be loved. Real definition of a mad man huh? Kwaw Kese the self-acclaimed king of the streets is set to launch his latest album anytime soon on the streets.

Kwaw Kese who rides high on the Mad House Records explains the venue of the launch. "Since am the king of the streets, I feel I needed to get closer to my fan bases, who are the guys on the streets. I am a product of the street and I want to give it back to my people. ". Speaking on The Rundown, an entertainment review program on TV Africa "You see, people organize launching at high places like the Accra Conference Centre and charge huge sums of money but my fans can’t pay, if I do something like that, hence my decision to launch it on the streets".

The Odiem star, who is also the CEO of Mad House Records, seems to have a problem with everybody, including God. Asked if he has a problem with Asem. He wasn’t straight with his response, as he only managed to say "I have a problem with everyone".

Yaw Sakyi, the host of the show, pushed him to the wall, asked him what really did Asem say. Why did you jab at Asem or did he jab at you? "Asem can also jab at me and I will reply him". Yaw, you see I am a commander and on the battlefield I do not have to wait for someone to tell me the bullet or the bomb is directed at me before I can act. Kwaw Kese was apparently, referring to Ayigbe Edem’s You Dey Craze track and Tinny’s Ringtone second Remix featuring Asem, Richie & Okyeame Kwame. In the said track, Kwaw Kese said

//Mo Na Mo Di Bea Ya, Na So Ye Na Ye Yee No Hit//, factually means “You brought it and we made it a hit" And he, Asem, used the same beat and said something back at me, he said

//Ye Na Ye Di Bea Ye, Na So Ye Na Ye Yee No Hit//
// Mo Na Mo Di Bea Ya, Na Mu Yee No Shit//", and as a commander, I do not need someone to tell me Asem was talking to me", he said when asked how he knew Asem was talking to him.

The 2008 Ghana Music Awards winner further took a swipe at the Ghana Music Awards 2009 New Artiste of the Year. “To call yourself a star in Ghana, you don’t need to sit in Accra, move from one night club to the other and call yourself a star, you need to go to Elubo, Aflao, etc then you can call yourself a star”.
The Swedru-born declined to talk about the fraud charges against him by his ex girlfriend, since to him the case is at the court and wants to leave it to his lawyers to handle. He continued his ranting, “Konfi are my disciples, I don’t have anything to do with them, and they even want to rap like me, like they said in their track like-father-like-son”.

He should just save his nonsense and leave everybody else alone. Asem made it with only an album. As a star that he claims he is, he must live an exemplary life for his so-called fans to emulate and stop this gobbledygook since that will see to his downfall soon.

By: Ebenezer Anangfio Jnr.
Email: ebenezer@ghanacelebrities.com

http://www.ghanacelebrities.com/index.php/hot-topics/say-it-loud/356-i-have-a-problem-with-everyone-including-god-kwaw-kese

Ghana Most Beautiful: It’s Eviction Free Week

With Ashanti (Serwah), Upper West (Rafi) and Greater Accra Region’s (Naa Dedei) representative evicted from the Ghana Most Beautiful reality show, the show commenced with the seven contestants doing a traditional dance called “Fume Fume” and twisting their waist to the delight of the audience.

Quata, the hardcore-rapper-turned-singer was there to dish out ‘Pretty Face’ track from his latest album. Sunday’s show was an eviction free night for the contestants, knowing that it was an eviction free night and that none of them would be evicted affected their various performances. With the reality show in its third year running, this week’s show was very uninspiring, very monotonous; it wasn’t something to write home about. It was as if the girls were worn-out. The girls depicted motherhood from their respective regions through their various.

Yaa from the Eastern Region stole the night with her performance and received more praises from the judges. Looking at the boring nature of the show, little suspense from the presenter Gideon Aryeequaye made it look stimulating. Judge Nana Abena Afriyie was charitable to the girls but the other judge Dr. Agyemang Osei, Artistic Director of Abibigroma, resident Drama Group of National Theatre hit the nail right on the head.

He wondered why all the girls portraying themselves as if the Ghanaian men don’t treat them well. He has little advice to the Ghanaian men to change their altitude if indeed they are treating their women badly like the girls portrayed in their performances. Without any doubt, Quata saved the show as he performed ‘Baby’ another track from his latest album.

The audience responded well as they made away of the boring show they have just seen. Next week will be an eviction week and viewers are to vote their favourite contestant to stay in the competition to Vodafone short code 8888. Good luck girls.