Music

THE CUTS: EP 06 VOL. 10

THE CUTS is a weekly review of newly released songs and videos. The songs and videos covered are not genre or region-specific. Once we find it dope, we’ll share outhoughts on it here.

Questo – Ananse

Questo hit my radar somewhere last year courtesy my buddy Aubrey Mensa, and I have kept my eye and ears on his progress, musically. He has had his name associated with some singles and features over a period. Waiting on a tape from him has been one of the things I have looked forward to for a reason: how Questo would sound on his own.

His response was the release of an 8-track EP “Ananse”. Reflecting his musical influence of hip hop,”Ananse” is, perhaps one of the most seamlessly hemmed and sonically flexible albums I’ve heard this year. Its appeal befits the current dispensation we live under: calm, relaxing, melodic. “Yawa” with its afropop influence touches on his love entrails. “Daze”, first released in 2019 shares shards of hip hop. “Abrantie” offers nods to a Gyedu-Blay Ambolley classic.

The standout record is the Marince Omarion assisted “Akolabone” record, where Marince’s falsetto, 6-bar verse, Questo’s delivery including the lyrics “man for get that dough and blow” and the infectious flute driven beat completes the record. Questo recruits collaborator associate Zotto, Demmi (on “Rundown”), and Kenxshin on “Designer”. Questo has a good tape that could potentially propel him to the next level in his career. All he needs to do is not to fall into the cave most rappers fall into: expect people to do the work of selling the tape on their behalf instead of owning and promoting it intensely.

SuperJazzClub – Cellular

What kind of genre of music can’t the SuperJazz Club make? If you think their brand of music is all about soul/RnB with a dash of blues, electro, and hip hop, then you would definitely have a rethink when you listen to “Cellular”. This is pure reggae. Not a record that samples or interpolates record rhythms. Nope. “Cellular” is reggae. The roots-rock kind. The song embodies every roots-rock reggae song elements: the striking and amplified bass guitar, the unmistakable electric guitar riffs, and the strong snare drums.

Seyyoh, Ansah Live, BiQo take turns to splurge their various perspectives on this incredible piece of music. While Seyyoh takes charge of hook duties, Ansah Live exhibits his rap flow with BiQo serenading in both pidgin English and Twi. At this point, if I’m to draw any comparison between SuperJazzClub and any music collective or group, it would definitely be Earthgang, in terms of their versatility and bravery at venturing and owning genres that aren’t typically associated with them. The SuperJazzClub Collective makes it look easy.

T’neeya x WebbieJustDidIt – Hype Means Nothing

The squelching guitar riffs pave the way for T’neeya’s vocals to glide across the RnB/Afropop fusion. “Hype Means Nothing” is a song about steering the course of your hustle. Here T’neeya lays out the blueprint of her ambitions, first drawing a line between her and others (“smallest time I’d be driving in the ‘Rari/ And all my friends they’d be throwing all the parties”) and how you draw the wrong energy from others when you make it. Her polyglot gifts shine across the WebbieJustDidIt produced record, where she mixes French (by virtue of her Cameronian background) and English; a move aimed at satisfying both her Ghanaian and French fan base as she did on her previous song “Text Me”.

Galle- Ansah ft. Saeeda Wright – Changing

“The world is changing/ Everywhere is filled with grief”, Galle -Ansah and Saeeda Wright team up on a soulful ballad that reflects the crazy times we are living under. Their mellifluous performances on “Changing” showcases their vocal strengths and range despite the melancholic tone of the song. Some may know Galle-Ansah, the actress from the TV series YOLO. Now, she is out here sharing her voice with the world on a theme that afflicts all of us.

Kev & Grenade – UTOPIA

Kev’s name has been tolling within the hip hop circuits down here in Ghana. So, getting signed to E.L’s VONation did not come as a surprise considering his association with the new boss. Teaming up with Grenade, E.L, and Grammy-nominated rapper Blackway, the duo dip into the mellow tunnel of today’s trap sounding hip hop, reinforced by some Afropop records on their 11-track album ”UTOPIA”. In a clime where hip hop is making a strong impression – thanks to overpowering drill beat- Kev & Grenade are among the few hip hop artists sharing their art with the world.

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