THE CUTS: EP 04 VOL. 5
THE CUTS reviews songs, videos or albums we think deserves your attention. The music covered are not genre and/or region specific. Once it is good, it would be reviewed here. THE CUTS is available every FRIDAY
LaMeme Gang – Stone Island feat. Darkovibes, RJZ, Kiddblack
Friendship, brotherhood, love, appreciation. These are some of the themes that permeates ‘Stone Island’, the latest track from LaMeme Gang. Darkovibes, RJZ and Kiddblack settled for a mellow tuned trap beat rather than their usual highly combustible vibe that has defined their music. ‘Stone Island’ is an ode to friendship and a reflection on the unified bond on which they collectively thrive on, and the skill set each member brings on board to fuel their ascent. Darkovibes captures the mood in the hook: ‘’shouts to all my bros/ all my niggas on the road/bitch over fucking with the sauce/lame niggas outta door’.
In the accompanying video, we see them in various moods – mostly jolly moments- either acting out at home, in the club, at the restaurant or on the road. Watching the video is akin to watching their snapchat reels. The ‘Stone Island’ video demonstrate vividly the themes of the song and present them as the rockstars or popstars deemed by their millennial fans. It’s obvious that, the love between them is nothing but real.
E.L – Interview
For the second week running, E.L has shared a song from his anticipated “BVR” album – the crucial fifth album from his running “BAR (Best African Rapper)” series. “Interview” is Lomi’s expository on a series of happenings, mostly within the music scene. ‘‘Everyday I’m contemplating/make I dey or make I jemi”, he muses about the unrewarding nature of the music scene. And he blames this, in part to the “fake things I dey tsei for radio station”; that’s how radio host bait artists for controversial soundbites and click-bait headlines.
Whether you call this release perfect timing or just coincidence- considering the many back-and-forth between some artists whose display of hypocrisy fascinate him. “Interview” isn’t a complaint. E.L rather proffers an advice: it’s up to artists to build their legacy and the industry as well.
Famous Eno 7 Gafacci – Ranting
Gafacci is one of the best and few producers in Ghana keen on experimenting with musical influences/ sounds and pushing afro house to Ghanaian audience. His quest for experimentation has earned him great looks from some top notch producers; who have quickly invited him to help craft their project. One of these producers is Famous Eno.
Famous Eno is an Irish music producer who shares the same sounds exploring mission as Gafacci. Together, they have released ‘Ranting’, an afro house song with an energetic fervor thanks to its asokpor feel. It begins with a man ranting about folks who talk ‘too much’ over a single drum sound. The bubbly beat finally drops right after the ‘rant’. ‘Ranting’ is a 3 minute sonic trip: a blend of house, dub step and Ghanaian traditional rhythms. ‘’Ranting’’ is one of the six songs on Famous Eno’s latest EP, Music For Clubs.
R2Bees – Boys Kasa
‘Hey ba, k eke ba/ boys kasa/ but dede kwa’ (boys talk but it’s all noise). Brilliant, simple and crowd chorus hook. Pae Dae cleverly pulls a nice trick out of the bag: tapping into a very familiar jama tune for the hook of ‘Boys Kasa’, a soothing, easy-on-the-ear song produced by Killmatic. Featuring some of today’s refreshing young act, this posse cut has all the ingredients to become a huge record; and earn a place among the top tier singles in the duo’s catalog.
Bab Direction taps into this fun feel vibe – provided by the kids in the video- and the energy offered by the ‘community’ of featured artists, plus the sights and sounds of parts of Site 15 (in Tema). This is one of the simplest and ‘raw’ videos I’ve seen from R2Bees.
Yung Pabi – Who You Know
‘Who You Know’ is a popular Ghanaian phrase used to ask if you know somebody important when you need help from certain quarters. That is, the person you know is the ‘plug’ to help you achieve your mission. On his latest song, Yung Pabi pegs the phrase-like question against a series of issues: how do you blow as a young rapper without knowing anyone in the industry; people’s ‘connections’ leading to them having good jobs. In short, Who You Know is a song against corruption.
Reynolds The Gentleman, who doubles as producer, adds his croon to the mid-tempo afropop tune. Interestingly, Yung Pabi flipped the Who You Know question around, finally asking again: ‘Who Knows You?’. An equally important question since the favours you need or your ambitions won’t materialize if nobody important knows you. Yung Pabi has been one of the voices whose songs are centred on social issues and this new single doesn’t deviate from the script.
Medikal – How Much (Remix) feat. Sarkodie & Omar Sterling
A video for a song about money couldn’t come better than this Yaw Skyface directed visual for “How Much” Remix. Wades of dollar bills, money counting machines, girls and latest dodge sport automobiles. The quality of the video isn’t in doubt: visuals look crisp and clean. The level of excitement that greeted the remix and the visuals of the song is fantastic.
Layla Fento – Liar
From performing on her IG page to getting to work with producer Kuvie. That’s the story of Layla Fento, a songstress who’s just released her debut single titled ‘Liar’. A fusion of reggae and afrobeat, ‘Liar’ is a crying tale of Layla about a cheating lover. Interestingly, the song’s elegant, mid-tempo and slightly bubbling feel turns a sad song into a bop. AYAT is drafted to offer a perspective from a male dealing with a cheating lover and a ring of enthusiasm on the song with his English-hausa lyrics. Being a first single, Layla sounds like a singer with much to offer. The good catch is, she’s with a producer who has the qualities to help her grow and share her talent with the world.
Kula – The Interview
Kula finds himself playing two positions on ‘The Interview’: one as an interviewer; and the other as the interviewee. What ensues is a conversation cum interview where he receives commendation for his ‘hustle’; the industry and its challenges and his DIY mentality. In the video for this, we clearly see the two Kula’s going back and forth in the studios of Accra based, youth oriented radio station, YFM.
Shot in black and white and directed by Kula himself, ‘The Interview’ projects the Kula’s creativity on one hand; and also, points to his resilience at pushing through the high, hard walls of the music industry. Contained in his ‘answers’ are gems that other young artists could employ in their quest to build their own dream.
