‘Old Compound’: Kweku Smoke’s Account of Love, Life & Hustle.

At a time when afrobeats is all over the place and people are peddling the assertion that Hip-hop is declining in Ghana, one person that has consistently proved that assertion wrong is Kweku Smoke. Since his breakout single ‘Y3din,’ Kweku has remained true to himself and his sound by churning out Hip-hop records consistently. This writer believes that the story of drill music or Asakaa can only be told with Kweku getting his flowers. His works with 800Hertz and Hordzi dating as far back as 2019 were some of the earliest Drill songs out of Ghana. Despite not enjoying major success during Asakaa’s dominance of Ghana’s music space, Kweku Smoke has not let that stop him. After dropping his debut album ‘Snoop Forever’ in 2020, Kweku would take a short break and make an impressive comeback in 2022 with two back-to-back rap tapes ‘Big Shmoke’ and ‘Eye Red’ (a collaboration with his long-time producer friend Hordzi), He kicks off 2023 with his new tape ‘Old Compound.’

As one of the very few people keeping the flames of Trap and Drill music ablaze in the country, this tape is just another tale in Kweku’s music career thus far. This time around, he teams up with producers A-Town, Hordzi, JUICZXXX and the only featured artiste Kuami Eugene, to serve fans this six-track masterpiece. 

One of Kweku’s biggest traits as a rapper has always been storytelling. He gives us more doses of storytime throughout the tape across different topics and themes. The Intro to the tape just like its title, offers hope. On ‘Hope,’ Kweku tells tales of how adulting has not been as easy as he thought it would. Despite the numerous downsides and challenges, he is keeping faith in God and the plan he set for himself; after all, only God knows whether he is gonna’ die or shine. He may come from the gutters, but he is still going to hold on to the hope of a better tomorrow. 

While you hold on to hope, Kweku sends out words of caution on the next song ‘Stay Alert.’ He recounts how people are not always what they seem. He has been hurt and betrayed so much, the only way out for him is to hit back and make it hurt. This song is his fair warning to people who have put him through pain.

He continues his tales on the song ‘Akatanii,’ where he gives a lesson on life on the street as an ‘Akata.’ He kicks off the song with one of the hardest opening lines you will hear in a song. He sheds light on how the economy makes it difficult for people to make the most out of their life and as such, there are few options left. You are either ‘pressing’ or ‘scheming’ to make ends meet. As an ‘Akatanii,’ who has big dreams, you need your mum’s prayers as you press and scheme. He paints pictures of the vices people indulge in just to calm give them some calm in the storm of life. It was not a smooth journey and he came into the world handicapped because of his poor background but he found his way and made something he can be proud of. 

The tape takes a different turn on ‘Be Mine’ with Kuami Eugene, as Kweku shares his experience in romance. Despite being an ‘Akatanii,’ even he can not escape the institution of love. Kweku comes off as a very thoughtful and romantic person. He showers his love interest with gifts, affirmations and through his actions. He opens the second verse of the song by echoing his interest in her. He lets her know he is serious about his intentions and is ready to prove it to her, all he needs is her honest response. Kweku’s love story continues in the next song ‘Meaa’ where his love story moves from just words to more action. The song has a subtle sexual theme which talks about the girls burning desire for intimacy. Seems Kweku is not just a thoughtful lover but one that knows how to handle business under the sheets and not just the streets. I too will love to go out for dinner and then return home for some sweet-after-meals under the sheets. 

He goes out flying on the last song ‘Lamborghini.’ His flow and sing-rapping skills come to play on the last song. The song is about him talking about living lavishly. He talks about the numerous things he is willing to do when he grabs his Lambo. From taking rides with friends to the sexcapdes. He sheds some light on his past while he enjoys the life he has now but tells us about bigger things to come. 

People who read this article would not agree with this take, but it is this writer’s opinion that this is one of the sweetest runs in terms of rap projects since The ‘BAR’ Series by E.L and ‘0106’ series by Jayso. Not many people would stick to making hip-hop records consistently as Kweku Smoke does and that is something I rate very highly about him. His ability to build strong chemistry with people he works with from producers to fellow artistes like Kuami Eugene results in creating the right song with the right emotion and mood. He may not be giving a lot punchlines and metaphors in his raps, but he does know how to flow, deliver and tell a good story. One plus on this project is the calmness with which he flows with. In the past many have regarded him as an aggressive rapper which he still is but in a much calmer tone. As someone raised by the streets and influenced by it, we would be hearing more street tales from Kweku in the future. While I would love to hear more street tales, I would also love to hear Kweku Smoke do more works with singers. The collaboration with Kuami Eugene is testament to the fact that, although he is from the streets, he can also be a lover man.

You can stream One Compound out on all platforms.