Ghanaian music legend, Okyeame Kwame nicknamed Rap Doctor has shared details on how he was able to breakthrough in the Ghanaian music industry.
He revealed that, based on how unpopular rap music was at the time, it was quite difficult getting people around to support and push rap artistes with their resources.
“From 1993-1997 I used every single cent I could raise to invest in recording myself as an underground artiste and still did not make headway. At the time, all the big men in Kumasi wanted me to sing like Amakye Dede or Daddy Lumba and I couldn’t. I knew I did not have their talent, but what I knew how to do was rap”, he mentioned.
In an interview with Kojo Manuel on Y 107.9 FM’s Y Disco Diaries he said, “It was very difficult until Reggie Rockstone released his first popular single ‘Tsooboi’. That was when the world realized that if we produce other rappers, we will be successful”.
He added, “So it was actually Reggie Rockstone’s ‘Tsooboi’ that opened the grounds for me to excel as an artiste”.
Okyeame Kwame added that, “before the release of ‘Tsooboi’, no serious minded man will listen to our rap songs but ‘Tsooboi’ came and gave us the opportunity. People realized if Reggie has been successful, then let’s try these boys too. So it was very difficult until Reggie’s ‘Tsooboi’ came out”.
By: Gyamfuah Owusu-Ackom
