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!
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!
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!
I have been asked by my high school, SOS Hermann Gmeiner International College (HGIC) to be a guest on a panel speaking to the kids about life after high school. This time however, I will be speaking as Hondred Percent.
As I think of what I will tell these teenagers I can’t help but look back at why I decided to walk down this challenging road as an artist. How I even came up with the name Hondred Percent is even interesting yet the more I reminisce the more I see how I have evolved.
I have a better sense of purpose as an artist. I want my success as an artist to pave the way for others to cause a positive shift on the art landscape in Ghana and beyond.
The motto of SOS HGIC is “knowledge in the service of Africa” and I am definitely doing this for more than selfish gain. I guess I have to thank SOS HGIC, for being a significant institution in instilling these values in me.
One thing I do know is that I could have been better prepared for what life threw at me. Relationships, love, passion, spirituality and all other important elements I may not have mentioned, are all areas that I could have been guided through better.
Knowing what I know now however, I feel I am in a better position to mentor someone deciding to walk down this same path. I just don’t know how I will do that in 7 minutes.
I will keep you posted on how the talk went next week.
Keep it One Hondred!
Our elders have a saying: “Dont call a spade a spoon if it is used in feeding cattle”
This is exemplary of the humorous wisdom rendered by Jojo, Uncle Ebo Whyte’s main character in his latest play titled “The Comeback” which I had the opportunity to preview last Wednesday 30th August, 2017. “The Comeback” is a play about a successful uneducated Ghanaian Italian league soccer player, Jojo, who returns home to realize that his investments have been squandered by his brother.
My first Ebo Whyte in 2015 left me unimpressed. The script lacked depth, had an overuse of singing and jokes that in my opinion often fell flat.
Despite my past sentiments on Uncle Ebo Whyte’s work, I went in to watch this play in the hope that my issues from the past will have been rectified.
Alas, my past issues were still visible. I often found myself sighing whenever there was a performance involving song. To be fair, the songs were much shorter but still rubbed me the wrong way. Overuse of Singing
The problem with singing or use of song within plays boils down to choice. Many of the songs used within the play were unnecessary and added no value to the message or context.
One excellent use of song within the play was the use of Ghanaian rapper EL’s song “Kaalu” in a scene where coach arrived in the nick of time to prevent Jojo from assassinating his brother.
It was perfectly placed to deliver laughter. I laughed effortlessly and was impressed with the idea. If all songs were placed in a similar manner I would be singing a different tune about Uncle Ebo Whyte’s plays today. Characters
The choice of the characters in this play was a perfect recipe for humor. Coach for instance was my favorite character. He is a professional coach who enjoys life, likes to have a good time and calls a spade a spade as is evident in his commentary of issues at the family table.
Jojo’s mother, brother and Uncle were also great characters. The characters with the exception of Jojo were developed well.
I had issues with Jojos character. Jojo was the main character of the play. The acting was spot on but certain aspects of his character did not contribute to the success of the production. Jojo’s illiteracy and wisdom
Often within the play, Jojo will blurt out some wisdom attributed to his elders. This happened so often that I looked forward to his so called words of wisdom.
The problem was that majority of these quotes were either not funny, made no sense nor contributed to the discussion within the play at the time.
More thought should have gone into these quotes to have made the play a hit. I feel each time Jojo made reference to his elders was an opportunity to make the audience laugh and this opportunity was not utilized efficiently.
Jojo as mentioned earlier appears to be uneducated. Thus, his speech is wired with bad grammar. This provided the audience with a lot of humor and was a bit excessive. In the same vein as the quotes, his lines could have been scripted better.
A great example of this is in the early scenes of the play where we see Jojo return from his travels and realizes that his investments have been squandered. “wait, wait, wait….halftime, halftime”
These were Jojos words. The use of soccer jargon to express himself was effective in delivering a joke as well as expressing his frustration.
As a soccer player I felt such jargon should have been used more in his conversation to showcase his dependency and passion for on soccer as a livelihood. That Weird Dance Scene
Now I am not sure what the idea of Agnes, the daughter of Coach and her fiance dance arguing was about.
I always look out for something unexpected or surprising but this was beyond anything I my mind could create and till date I am not sure how to feel about it.
It was weird, confusing and hilarious. I laughed so hard that I believe the cameras took a shot of my laughter; and as I laughed I kept looking for something to justify this weirdness and came up empty handed.
Now that scene could have worked if Agnes for instance was introduced earlier as a dance enthusiast and her fiance and her have been seen practicing a wedding dance of sorts.
The dance however was a distraction from the main plot and totally unnecessary. Stage Screen
Before concluding I want to comment on the screens used on stage as backgrounds.
I liked the idea of screens being used as backgrounds. The opportunity and convenience it presents allows a variety of scenes to be crafted.
My favorite background was the gym background. The visuals created the ambience of a gym. Though I kept wondering what a dining table was doing within a gym premises.
The household of Jojos mother however had a background that looked animated than realistic. Which I thought wasn’t good enough.
Also there was tv screen within the background in loop showcasing a channel that I felt was distracting and again, unnecessary as it failed to contribute to the story.
If that was an attempt at product placement it should be reviewed for future productions. Conclusion
This play was far better than the one I watched some years back. Though I haven’t elaborated on all my issues with “The Comeback”, the play shows that the production house of Uncel Ebo Whyte is improving.
Generally people loved the play and found it humorous. Uncle Ebo definitely understands what Ghanaians find funny. It just needs polishing to appeal not only to Ghanaians but others nationals as well as that can see his work being adapted in other countries.
Then again, a production house looking at producing a play every quarter will be faced with many challenges and for that I say the play went well despite my issues with it.
That however, should not be the case. The plays must strive for a good rating at all times and if that means making changes to time or staff that help in the content then it must be done to ensure that quality is maintained.
Bear in mind that going to the cinema is way less than watching an Ebo Whyte play. So for me quality should not be compromised as other entertainment options are available.
This play gives me hope for future productions and I look forward to the growth of the production house.
Keep it One Hondred!
So last weekend was the Chale Wote Festival and as usual High Street saw floods of people parading through James Town to take selfies, express themselves, enjoy the art and entertainment artists had to offer and have a jolly good time. If there is anything that the Chale Wote festival teaches us, it is that Art is powerful social magnet.
I remember when the Chale Wote in 2011 started. I didn’t attend that year but the streets weren’t packed with people like I saw last weekend. It was the beginning of something great and like a baby, Chale Wote festival was just getting used to its feet.
Year after year the scale of the festival has just grown to become in my opinion the biggest festival in Ghana. Strangely enough other festivals and events, paid or free that have a track record still can’t attract the audience that Chale Wote attracts (well unless its a sports event or shata wake lol).
The Chale Wote festival and its organizers are not perfect but on the whole understand people better than most. So I ask myself this question, why can’t other festivals especially the cultural ones, fuse art into their events?
There is a lot to benefit from such fusion. First off you get people who aren’t attracted by culture to be interested in coming to the event.
Art within cultural festivals is a win win because it presents audiences with an opportunity to experience the beauty of Ghanaian culture that they may have been unaware of. They get to take their pictures with art and also see a side of Ghanaian culture that they never knew.
Tourism also has an opportunity here. Restaurants, bars, guest houses, hotels and the likes can make use of such festivals to increase business. The ministry of Tourism in my opinion should champion the cause to get something started. A lot of people travel to see the Chale Wote festival. What are the stats on this? How can we use it to improve festivals and tourism?
We are sitting on a lot of opportunity here that people are dying to see. All we have to do is infuse art with it and “kpakpakpa” you got success.
Keep it One Hondred!
Writing an artist bio feels like a forced assignment by a grade 2 teacher on a kid who just wants to play. The only problem is that playing alone doesn’t get one very far and at a point you have to get to the important stuff that just doesn’t feel like a holiday in Hawaii.
Over the weekend I stumbled upon an article about biographies that got me reviewing my sorry excuse for a tell the world about you –biography, which was nothing more than a glorified resume with a bit more text. I hadn’t realized yet that this affected my branding.
So I got around to making notes and working on them and I now have a short and medium bio I want you to check out. I will work on the long one this week and send it to you as well. Tagline Spicy Ghanaian black pepper poetry bumping to Hip Hop music Short Bio
Whoever said Hip Hop was dead went to the wrong funeral and never gave Hondred Percent a thought.
Hondred Percent expresses the raw humor and experiences of the Ghanaian lifestyle through authentic spoken word and rap.
With inspiration from Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, Missy Elliot, Reggie Rockstone, Saul Williams, Common, Mos Def, Timbaland, Kanye West and Kevin Hart, Hondred Percent has created a distinct sound that can only be compared to Ghana jollof.
A Manifest (Ghana) and Blitz Da Ambassador (Ghana) fusion or Tumi (South Africa) and HHP (South Africa) rolled in one, jamming to sounds from the Roots (USA) gives a hint to the sound, word play and realness that Hondred Percent brings to the stage.
The two time Ehalakasa Slam Champion (2014-2015) is set to release his debut album “WTF?” in June 2017. It is spicy Ghanaian black pepper poetry bumping to Hip Hop music. Medium Bio
Hondred Percent aka Paul Forjoe jnr is a rising spoken word artist from Ghana who burst on the scene in 2011 fusing poetry and rap to make Hip Hop music.
Hondred Percent is set to release his debut Hip Hop album “WTF?” in June 2017. He is currently working on a video for a single in the album and releasing his second single “Poet Rapper”.
Hondred Percent in 2014 and 2015 triumphed as the overall winner of the Ehalakasa Slam in which over 40 poets in Ghana contested.
While in Form 3 (Grade 9) in the early 90’s, Hondred Percent got introduced to rap and started writing poetry. It was his varsity days in South Africa that exposed him to Spoken Word and got him performing.
He came up with the name Hondred Percent in 2010 as a way to distinguish and motivate himself in his passion on his return to Ghana. He has since performed at numerous events within Ghana and recently traveled to Kenya to feature as a guest artist on a French show and a Slam at Alliance Francais Nairobi.
He is inspired by Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, Missy Elliot, Reggie Rockstone, Saul Williams, Common, Mos Def, Timbaland, Kanye West and Kevin Hart.
He has been compared to Manifest (Ghana) and Blitz Da Ambassador (Ghana) by some. Hondred Percent is however trying to tap into the essence of Tumi (South Africa) and HHP (South Africa) bumping to the Roots (USA).
The artist has made quite a name for himself as a prolific wordsmith within Ghana. He plans to release his album for free as means to grow his fan base and crowd fund for the next album set for 2018. There are also plans to put together a band by the end of 2017 to enable him tour Ghana, Africa and the World. Conclusion
Keep it One HONDRED! and let me know what you think. Later in the year I will probably put together a workshop to help others see the importance of bios and branding. Look out for it.
So the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) was the center of attention once again last Saturday 8th April 2017.
If you had a show that day and suffered poor attendance my sympathies go out to you.
Ghanaians love the VGMA and are either watching on TV or at the show themselves taking up the job of fashion police and satirist for the evening with social media.
If you thought Ghanaians didn’t care about fashion, the VGMA will change your mind and give it a bow tie to rock whilst the changing goes on. The event could easily have been mistaken for a fashion show.
The “who are you wearing?” question however pissed me off. It was an irritating question that hinted at a lack of content to be discussed by guests. Did every guest on the red carpet need to be asked that question?
I am not much of a fashionista so let me save my rant.
Now as an artist i asked myself, “Will I ever get to the VGMA? Will it be one of my future highlights?”
Gospel singer, Joe Mettle, VGMA Artist of the Year 2017, in an interview after the awards said that he doesn’t make music with the VGMA in mind. Impact is what he looks out for.
I resonate with that goal. As an artist impact is what I aim for. I aim for my art to touch people and make them happy, reflect, ponder and hopefully change their attitude about something depending on what the poem or song is themed on.
If an award comes along as a result that’s great. If I am recognized for championing a cause, awesome.
Awards help in the impact process. Your popularity increases and you are afforded a platform to make a change.
Its tricky sometimes as there is tug of war between the pleasures of fame and reality but if you are grounded in your purpose you will make a difference.
As my video comes out tomorrow I know not where it will take me. People will like it and people won’t. This is my first step in putting out a video. Failure being the mother of success, I am on a path to victory.
Go out there and be the best you can be. If you get an award for it that’s great. If you don’t continue until you reach your goal. Remember an award sometimes is not in line with your objectives.
“Not all who are crowned Kings are really Kings. Not all fiancées who get rings are really the Queen. Certificates are just paper the skill is really within. Awards are just indicators, the prize is really the VIM.” – Hondred Percent
Keep it One HONDRED! and watch out for the Ronning video tomorrow.
So the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) was the center of attention once again last Saturday 8th April 2017.
If you had a show that day and suffered poor attendance my sympathies go out to you.
Ghanaians love the VGMA and are either watching on TV or at the show themselves taking up the job of fashion police and satirist for the evening with social media.
If you thought Ghanaians didn’t care about fashion, the VGMA will change your mind and give it a bow tie to rock whilst the changing goes on. The event could easily have been mistaken for a fashion show.
The “who are you wearing?” question however pissed me off. It was an irritating question that hinted at a lack of content to be discussed by guests. Did every guest on the red carpet need to be asked that question?
I am not much of a fashionista so let me save my rant.
Now as an artist i asked myself, “Will I ever get to the VGMA? Will it be one of my future highlights?”
Gospel singer, Joe Mettle, VGMA Artist of the Year 2017, in an interview after the awards said that he doesn’t make music with the VGMA in mind. Impact is what he looks out for.
I resonate with that goal. As an artist impact is what I aim for. I aim for my art to touch people and make them happy, reflect, ponder and hopefully change their attitude about something depending on what the poem or song is themed on.
If an award comes along as a result that’s great. If I am recognized for championing a cause, awesome.
Awards help in the impact process. Your popularity increases and you are afforded a platform to make a change.
Its tricky sometimes as there is tug of war between the pleasures of fame and reality but if you are grounded in your purpose you will make a difference.
As my video comes out tomorrow I know not where it will take me. People will like it and people won’t. This is my first step in putting out a video. Failure being the mother of success, I am on a path to victory.
Go out there and be the best you can be. If you get an award for it that’s great. If you don’t continue until you reach your goal. Remember an award sometimes is not in line with your objectives.
“Not all who are crowned Kings are really Kings. Not all fiancées who get rings are really the Queen. Certificates are just paper the skill is really within. Awards are just indicators, the prize is really the VIM.” – Hondred Percent
Keep it One HONDRED! and watch out for the Ronning video tomorrow.
Elidior The Poet is a remarkable poet with interesting views on everyday issues. I met Elidior in January 2015 at the first round of the Ehalakasa Slam. He struck me as a powerful confident performer and definitely inspired me that year.
In the finals that year, Elidior performed a piece titled, The Ghana Education System. The piece focused on the relevance of the system and its impact on students. Most importantly it emphasized the need for the system to change. I was amazed at the content and creativity involved in the poetry. I also felt it deserved a better score than was given.
Anyway, what use is it if I tell you about the piece without giving you an opportunity to listen to it.
Here is Elidior’s Ghana Education System You Tube Video
