B**ch! Ni**a! S**t!

Years ago I wrote a spoken word piece for the Ehalakasa slam competition in 2014 called “Bitch, Nigga, Shit”. I was worried about how the poem and myself will be received by the audience as Ghana is a country that likes to see itself as conservative. 

This I believe stems from religious beliefs in the country and the desire by a majority to seem pious. The colorful language in vernacular, pidgin, and western slang I hear daily being used to create a Jollof of insults and expressions, however, shift my moral perception of the country. Let’s face it, we Ghanaians can be pretty vulgar.

The poem begins with me screaming out the title of words tagged as expletives. 

“BITCH! NIGGA! SHIT!”

The utterance will usually divide a room with many asking silently whether the space they are in is for poetry or a hip-hop rap battle. The content of the poem however quickly paves way for my intentions. 

Words are complicated elements that are often thought of as aspects we see and hear. A closer look, however, reveals that words are felt. Words are transformative. Words are MAGIC! 

As a result, people have an attitude toward words. Despite what the dictionary will tell you, a word often used to relay the positive can be interpreted as offensive or negative due to the manner in which the word was used or uttered. Sarcasm is usually the culprit in these proceedings. Culture, environment, stereotypes, and biases also play a role in how we as a people interpret words.

I thus try to be open-minded with words. It’s no easy feat but I make the effort to read between the lines, giving speakers and writers the benefit of the doubt. Asking questions where possible to clarify meaning. 

Communication is not supposed to be this complicated but it often is. From corporate bodies to relationships among peers and loved ones, communication can be a strength or a weakness building or damaging bonds. 

Comprehension of this uncanny relationship with words challenges the Creative in me to come across in a manner where my audience will interpret correctly what it is I am communicating. It’s an art form that I believe with dedication can evolve one’s creations and presence in spaces.

As a poet and rapper, the goal of the pieces I create can be multiple. Sometimes meaning is derived from your art that is plausible yet, never was your intention. It’s this freaky aspect of poetry and rap that’s a turn-on for me. 

The poem “Bitch, Nigga, Shit” aims to showcase this dilemma with words. Words are multipurpose assets that can easily transform into liabilities. They are nonbinary and have a spectrum of meanings. We all have our favorites and others we consider poisonous to society and worthy of evaporation. 

(I wish the word “bitch” will just dissolve)

As I celebrate the 5-year anniversary of my album WTF? which is home to the poem “Bitch, Nigga, Shit” and its remix. I am reminded of the relationship we all have with words. I am reminded of how we are biased toward them. How some of us are racist towards a word whose meaning is more than that which some choose to judge it by. I am reminded of the power I wield as a creative who uses words as paint to create canvases of art. I am reminded of all this and wonder, how much more I need to go as a wordsmith to change perceptions.

The video to the poem BNS remix is now available on YouTube.

Why Me? – My Birthday Prayer

Dear Lord,
I am humbled by your gift of life.
Years into my life on Earth I realize I need you more than ever.
I am unworthy of your help and mercy yet you shower me with grace and blessings which always lead to the question, “why me?”
If I ever doubted your love today you have shown that I am special.
A thank you is not enough.
All I can do in my helpless state is to depend on you and praise your Name.
You love me not because of what I have done but because I am your creation.
Thank you Father for this wonderful gift of life.
I am truly humbled.
Amen

Africa Sent Me A WhatsApp Message – Word N Sound Performance

I performed two poems at Word N Sound in Johannesburg on Saturday, September 1st 2018.
The first poem, “Bitch, Nigga, Shit”, I put out the week after I performed. The second one, “Africa Sent Me A WhatsApp Message” I released on Founders Day.
Remembering Kwame Nkrumah and this poem I believe go hand in hand. Here it is for you to watch and share

Poet Rapper GIF Video Out!

Last year I made this video as a creative option to express my art. It took a lot of time screen capturing the GIF’s in Quicktime followed by editing in iMovie. The end result is, however, a beautiful video that I can use as a backdrop whilst performing or as a stand-alone video to enjoy.
I have been investing time, creativity and other resources towards video. You should be expecting more videos from me in the near future so if you have not subscribed to my blog or YouTube channel, now is the time to do so.
Keep it One Hondred!

Hondred Percent at Word N Sound #PoetryLeague 2018

For those who do not know I spent five years in South Africa pursuing degrees. On that journey I acquired a love for spoken word poetry of which I was eager to pursue seriously once I got back to Ghana.
It’s been over five years since I left South Africa. Through work I was fortunate to return and extended my stay to explore performance opportunities in Johannesburg.
A friend blessed mewith the opportunity to perform on one of the biggest poetry platforms in the country, Word n Sound poetry league.

I have learnt a lot over the years regarding performance. From delivery, eye contact, improv etc every opportunity to be on stage is a lesson. The applause that comes with a good performance is humbling and interaction with members of the audience who were touched by my words always encourages me to do what I love doing.

I was happy to connect with the organizers and learn from them also. The more you perform the more you understand the statement “no man is an island”. I need all the help I can get to be successful as an artist. Networking is so important.

The poetry I experienced during the show was beautiful. We have some work to do in Ghana to get to the level of what is happening in South Africa and Kenya.

I performed two poems of my album WTF? “BNS” and “Africa Sent Me A WhatsApp Message” and it was magical. The crowd reaction was awesome and humbling. Even after the show I got compliments and love from both poets and members of the audience. It’s always inspiring to get such feedback. It serves as a testament to your work.
I have had a beautiful time in South Africa and will be heading to Kenya for another performance. I look forward to more blessings, experience and connections to aid in my success as an artist.
Keep it One Hondred!

Bible vs GOT – Reality or Fiction?

Last Friday, I posted a clip featuring a conversation between Ria Bossman and me relating to Game of Thrones and its sex scenes. It was based of an interview at Oxford between two of the shows male cast and a student audience. Kit Harington who plays the part of Jon Snow in the series commented on the sex scenes and their necessity in telling the Game of Thrones story.

I for one do not know how the show will have progressed without the sex scenes depicting the nature of the characters and its impact on the narrative. It is clear that the show though graphic has a greater goal than pornography with its raw images of sex and nudity that are displayed.

Interestingly enough I read an article on the internet that suggested that the Bible and Game of Thrones share a commonality especially with regards with the raw blunt nature of each script.

As a Christian, it is difficult to deny that the Bible is a very graphic text containing evidence of sexual immorality from the beginning of time. The sexual immorality and violence is comparable to that of Game of Thrones and begs the question, “is this reality or fiction?”

I guess the Internet and Social Media have to be given credit for exposing our true nature. We seem hypocritical in our assessment of reality and are unwilling to accept that our morality as a race has been in a constant state of decay. Though the Bible reflects this more accurately, many do not view the Word as a reflection of man but just of his past.

Its a shame Game of Thrones is not an African story (I can imagine how that will play out with African countries). Nevertheless, it strikes parallels globally because of familiar themes that reflect the true nature of man. The greed, violence, sex, immorality, wisdom, kindness and other colors of the human behavioral spectrum are similar to what we find in the Bible. (With the exception of dragons of course)

The Bible, however, is more than a story of fiction. For many, it is history and inspiration. Game of Thrones, however, is a fantasy novel. Within it lies no prophecies relating to the real world. Both touch on the nature of man and relationships and should be seriously considered for the reflection on reality both throw at the human race.

If the content of the Bible is similar to that of the Game of Thrones narrative then why is it not consumed with such fanfare? After all, what difference is there in Meschach, Shadrach, and Abednego surviving the furnace of fire to that of Daenerys Targaryen aka Khaleesi being immune to fire?

Budget and Hollywood is surely part of the reasons for the fanfare but it also seems to mask the idea that the events told in the story are closer to reality than meets the eye. Winter is coming is about terrifying a term as global warming.

The Bible and Game of Thrones serve a purpose in the world today. Be sure to take away wisdom and lessons from the words these documents provide than just awe and entertainment.

Keep it One Hondred!

My Thoughts on my Rehearsal 

Preparing for a show is a lot of work that sometimes I even take for granted. From logistics, sound, fashion, marketing and more it is safe to say that experience goes a long way in getting one accustomed to ensuring that an audience gets the best service.
Of all these elements involved in preparation, what catches me off my game is rehearsals. 
I do lot of these in my car as I drive. That however just ensures that I have my poetry or lyrics memorized. The other side of rehearsals involves interacting with the crowd and creating a sense of flow which I tend to forget to do due to my day job.
This time around I am doing rehearsals twice. 
I started yesterday and ended up turning the rehearsal into a deep conversation about Africa and our selfish attitudes that find us in our deprived state.
This was due to my “Africa Sent Me A Whatsapp Message” poetry performance. 
I sometimes forget how powerful words are. A friends brother heard the poem for the first time and was deeply moved by the it. 
I must admit the poem takes me by surprise sometimes due to the impact that the words have. Its surreal because I find myself in awe and asking how I got around to piecing the words together. 
The glory goes to none other than God!
Its inspiring when your art touches people and gets them thinking. It motivates you to keep pushing. I for one now seek to perform to touch people. Impacting one person is enough to making me feel fulfilled.
I hope however that today’s rehearsals goes as planned without interrupted intellectual debates.
Keep it One Hondred!

He Came In 30th So What?

Pursuing your passion is not a journey for the faint hearted. Your definition of success as a goal and you sticking to it can end that journey or see you through it. There are aspects of spirituality, discipline, life etc that come into play but today I want to focus on the importance on not giving up.
I was on twitter and saw tweets from different sources on Akwasi Frimpong’s performance at the olympics. Some sources dwelled on the fact that he underperformed because he had the lowest score.
Akwasi Frimpong is Ghana’s first skeleton Olympic athlete. Wikipedia defines the skeleton sport as:
a winter sliding sport in which a person rides a small sled, known as a skeleton bobsled, down a frozen track while lying face down. Unlike other sliding sports of bobsleigh and luge, the race always involves single riders. 
It would be awesome if Akwasi came out first or top three but he didn’t. Are we saying that pursuing your dream and seeing it through regardless of not achieving your goals is not good enough?
I resent that!
It is that attitude that dampens our spirit to explore and take risks.
Akwasi has probably sacrificed time and resources all in an effort to out Ghana on the map. The least we can do is be supportive.
Ghana needs more people especially the youth and younger to see Akwasi’s effort as a reason to take risks and pursue their passions. Coming out tops is good but more important in my opinion are the lessons learnt on that journey. 
He came out 30th so what? 
His name will not have been written in history if he didn’t sacrifice time and resources to pursue his dream. Because of Akwasi a young minority will be empowered to believe that they can make it in winter sports regardless of their environment. 
I relate a lot to Akwasi because as an artist I feel I am pursuing my passion as well. It is not as rewarding but I have dream to be the greatest Spoken Word Artist and Rapper and I will continue to pursue it.
Yesterday via twitter I received a tweet from a fan asking to buy my album WTF? that I released last year. We communicated privately and in minutes he had made a purchase. He informed me through conversation that he saw me perform “Gidigidi” at Yoyo Tinz shrine at Chalewote Festival 2017, James Town, Ghana and had been thinking about the track since.
I was humbled! 
Last year was stressful for me as an artist. I had challenges in creating and promoting my album. I sold a few copies but after September 2017 things kind of took a down turn. I did not give up but I needed time to find myself and strategize towards making progress. 
So yesterday’s tweet was a beautiful gift of encouragement that made me feel appreciated. I wish it was always like this but I appreciate the little steps of progress.
I feel Akwasi needs encouragement like the one I received yesterday. Let him know via social media that he is beacon of hope. It lifts the spirit in a special way. Do it because you understand what it means to have encouragement.
I urge you all to encourage anyone who is pushing or pursuing their dream. Criticism is all good but all of us need encouragement to make it. So lets be proud of our own and encourage all to reach for the stars.
Akwasi came in 30th but if he hadn’t participated he would have been last. He did not give up and saw himself all the way through. I believe he has picked up valuable lessons to improve on his performance in the next olympics. In my eyes he is a hero keeping it One Hondred!

Life After High School Pt.2

So last week I mentioned I had to go to my high school as a guest to chat about life after high school. The panel was made up of both seniors and juniors including myself who had the rather unconventional route. 
We all had similar experiences and it was clear that passion fueled our drive to be engaged in what we are doing. 
It was sad however to hear that morning that Ebony, celebrity artist pegged to win Ghana’s Artist of the Year at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA), was involved in an accident that took her life.
It was something I reflected on during the talk to the students. Ebony took a decision to walk down a certain path which has made her known all over Ghana. She made a mark on society and will be remembered. Whether the mark is positive or negative that’s another debate for another day. 
However, it also reminds us that our time here on earth is not forever. We need to live everyday as if it’s our last and also acknowledge there are things greater than us. 
I am a Christian and know that the future is uncertain. God however on my side I walk daily knowing that his grace and angels protect me and my family. 
The uncertainty of life calls for you to lean on something. For me it’s God. He ensures that I am safe and is available to all who call on him.
So keep it One Hondred! Live life to the fullest, trust in God and be the light of the world.