Album Review: Mawcom X & Kuvie On “Gift of GOD”
“I’m not making music for Ghana, I’m making music from Ghana but it’s for the world’’- Mawcom X
Technology has eased the way artists work. Geographical constraints have been eliminated. The time spent on completing a project is no more an issue. The availability of technology makes it easier to shape the final product to the creator’s own taste. Unlike many years ago where collaborations mean locking in with whoever you have pencilled down in a studio for hours, days, months and sometimes years to get the work done, today creatives have the luxury of churning out work at their own frequency.
Technology has bridged that gap. In pre-COVID 19 times, creatives sent each other files via e-mails, dropbox links. Crosstown artists could pop in the studio and trade ideas with one another as well. The Covid-19 situation pulled the plugs on such studio check-ins. Sharing work across file sharing sites has intensified. The work got produced despite these minor setbacks.
Listening to the latest collaborative work between rapper Mawcom X and producer Kuvie, the chemistry between them was evident. “The Gift of GOD” sounded like the two artists were in the same studio sharing creative ideas on the scope and direction of the final output. Kuvie brought his experience as a producer to the table, crafting beats that fit perfectly in the musical lane of Mawcom X, whom I was hearing for the first time. The synergy could be felt across the seven (7) songs that ended up on “Gift of GOD”.
Along with that unbridled synergy was the impressive A&R work that went into “Gift of GOD”. Featured artists like $pacely, Kirani Ayat and Lye showed their class on songs like on the afro-trap tune ” Talk Talk”, where Lye’s soulful vocals encrusted the song with a neon warmth. Whereas Mawcom X took the time to introduce himself and invited all to his party, $pacely’s baritone voice floated befittingly within Kuvie’s kpanlogo drum pegged beat.
The sequencing of songs on “Gift of GOD” revealed an arching tale of an artist’s journey- his wins, hopes, struggles. This was loudly revealed on ”Mawuli”, the chilled-out, part prayer, part hopeful tune where he called on Jah to “make me great/Jah gon’ take me high/ and dema words and blood and tear go be sanctified”. Mawcom X took a long shot of his artistic journey, highlighting the fears of his parents about his chosen career thus asking “what I gotta do for happiness? What I gotta do for success?” These musings are legitimate when you are pursuing a dream whose successes are not immediately seen. But for Mawcom X, keeping the flame of optimism golden is of the essence. “By the end of the year we gon’ be overbooked, he rapped.
On the bouncy trap tune ‘’More’’ featuring Kirani Ayat, Mawcom X laid out his desire to get more money, earn more blessing and enjoy more success. His almost laid-back delivery contrasted with the energy of Kirani Ayat who complimented the track with a verse in Hausa. ‘’Pure’’, another trap influenced record with reggae embellishments is the one of two best songs on ‘’Gift of GOD’’. $pacely’s hook and adlibs added an extra glint to the song. Lyrics like ‘’I’m so happy of late/Cut the grass off the snakes’’ and ‘’I’m just tryna get my energy pure’’ offers a cue to the benefits of staying where ‘the vibe is pure’’.
The commercially sounding song ‘’Body’’ is a groovy afropop record that interpolates Mr Eazi’s ‘’Sample You’’. A love song that celebrates the physique of a lady, Mawcom X, $pacely, BOJ and Kuvie joined their various gifts to craft one timeless record. Anytime I’ve played this song, I imagine the crowd reaction at Serallio on a Friday evening when Eff The DJ drops this crowd charging record.
For those within the Accra creative space, Mawuli or Mawcom X is a known name. Through his creative agency B.E.A.C.O.N, he has organized social events for notable brands like Hennessey, Ballantine and Afro Nation. With ‘’Gift of GOD’’, Mawcom X, through Kuvie is tapping into another frontier in the ever connecting art space.
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