THE CUTS: EP 01 Vol. 1
Xtacy feat Worlasi & Kwame X– Kings of Our Prime
Supreme Rights signee Xtacy teams up with fellow label mates Worlasi and Kwame X to remind us that time is perishable (no time to waste…there’s more sleep when we die). With a soulful hook delivered by Xtacy (who later dropped a rap verse) and an unmistakable trap beat produced by Qube, the three artistes hint at their ambitions and beginings. There are shreds of authenticity and honesty in their individual stories. Worlasi, who chose to rap than sing (I was fed up with him being limited to hooks) touched on self-belief (don’t be cheap/You too good/ you too great for these cheap guys you see). Aside his stellar talents, Worlasi’s ‘I- speak- my- mind’ attitude was on display (Osibisa we dey wan feature who the f**k is Weezy). Kwame X verse is about being successful (I dey Awake on the Watch Tower) so he can afford a ‘house in Trassaco Valley and Balloon Gate’ albeit acknowledging success doesn’t come cheap. Kwame X’s delivery was straight forward; devoid of unnecessary lyrical theatrics (punchlines, wordplays). The aggression behind his words are measured. For Xtacy, his well-noted grind in Tesano (his hood) set him off the path of failure since he began to ‘see life since I lost my mother’. The soulful hook, the lyrics shared and the laid-back beat is where the attraction lies.
Magnom – Mature by Nature
One of the advantages of fame is that, it hands the opportunity to showcase other talents you hold within. Magnom, one of Ghana’s known producers has capitalized on his long standing fame; releasing a new 15 track album: Mature By Nature. The album leans heavy on such musical influences as trap (Money In My Pocket, Too Fine, Hold You) and Afro Pop (New World, Mend It,Open Up, Wyne Your Bumper, Bend Over, Your Bex). Unlike other producer-made albums where the producer shouts his name on tracks, Magnom is heavily involved in this one, singing in an auto-tuned voice. The Ghanaian producer who has worked with almost every artiste had some of his ‘friends’ feature on this album. Mature By Nature is a decent output, not exceptional. The production is unquestionable-it has a happy, bouncy feel to it. It also has songs to suit the listeners mood.
OTI feat Copta & Kwame Nsiah – Sweet Love
The first time I saw Oti was last year at Sabolai Radio when he was Copta’s hype man. Months on, he is out with his single Sweet Love featuring Copta and Kwame Nsiah. With the familiar tale of a girl with gold digger tendencies as the backdrop, Oti, Copta and Kwame Nsiah share their experiences with their ‘Sweet Love’. A sour Oti, whose voice has a Biggie echo, labels her as one who ‘don’t deal with the weak scrubs’; Copta paints a picture of their coziness to the point of her asking ‘what are we? Friends benefiting? Kwame Nsiah on the other hand reminisces about how his actions resulted in her pulling out ‘her shares in the company and left me’. The beat on Sweet Love carries an old dusty and soulful tone reminiscent of works by J. Dilla or Madlib or Knxwledge. The production tone sounds like a mid-90s basement record, allowing their words to float over rather than sink within beat.
Tim Lyre – One Dance Controlla
Nigerian artiste Tim Lyre chops up two of Drake’s top selling singles into one single medley whiles retaining the original lyrics. With both One Dance and Controlla having almost similar beat pattern (afro beat and dancehall), it was easy to merge the various influences. Tim Lyre put his own spin to it. What is interesting again is how he deliberately exchanged some of the lyrics for each beat of the songs. For DJs who always find a way to mix these two songs together during raves, Tim Lyre has made your work very simple. He has saved you that trouble since you can drop his version and still get the people grooving without any break.
https://soundcloud.com/tim-lyre/one-dance-controlla
