The Kwesi Arthur Story – Part I.

The year 2017 will go down as one of the most important years in Ghana music history. At a time when things seemed blurry and our music did not have a sense of direction, there was an uprising from a young crop of artists who had been steadily building their craft and sound through the then-popular streaming platform SoundCloud. Backed by local fan support on social media and the student populace in tertiary and secondary institutions, these acts championed a sound and wave that would see them become “leaders of the new school.” While some of them had been doing music much longer than others, 2017 was the year all the stars aligned. From songs like ‘Dear God,’ ‘Grind Day,’ ‘Tomorrow,’ ‘Delay,’ ‘Odo,’ ‘Angela,’ and ‘Oh Yeah,’ these young acts would get their shot at stardom. Acts like Darkovibes, La Meme Gang, Amaarae, B4bonah, Kelvyn Boy, Kidi, Kuami Eugene, Tibu, Adomaa, and a host of others were the ones that would take Ghana’s music to the next phase. While all these acts had their own appeal and their own space within the ecosystem, one act that was regarded as the leader of the pack and the people’s champion was Emmanuel Kwesi Danso Arthur Jr., also known as Kwesi Arthur. Kwesi’s rise to fame received arguably the most fan engagement, love, and support, which till date is shown in how people react to him and his music.

Kwesi Arthur began gaining attention on social media when several freestyles caught netizen’s interest. Under the guidance of Ghanaian music outlet GroundUp Chale; a platform dedicated to amplifying young talents in Ghana, the platform through their GroundUp Sessions hosted acts like Kwesi Arthur himself, B4bonah, Worlasi, Cina Soul, Ayat, Raph Enzee, among many others. However, among all the acts, the one that caught the most attention was Kwesi Arthur. As the universe would have it, Kwesi’s lyrics and style quickly became an audience favorite. The young rapper would often be seen topless, rapping out his heart and soul. At the time, he had already dropped music, including features with other acts like Kayso, Screezy (now label executive Jxhn Hill), and Darkovibes. His biggest break would come when he dropped his song ‘Grind Day’ and EP ‘Live from Nkrumahkrom Vol. 1.’

Months later, he would release the remix to the song with Ghanaian rappers Medikal and Sarkodie, which would raise Kwesi’s popularity. The song had some very comical and catchy lines, which generated a lot of noise and fan love. He would go on to ride on the attention that came with the song and build upon it. He would quickly become one of the fastest-rising acts in recent years. The highlight of his growth was when he was nominated for the BET Viewers Choice Awards in 2018, just a year after his breakthrough. The nomination generated a national call for support like never before. Although he did not win the award, the show of love and support for him would be the start of an amazing career for the young man. He would go on to work with some of the biggest names in the Ghanaian, Nigerian and UK music industries, including M.anifest, Tiwa Savage, Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, Shatta Wale, Joey B, Joeboy, and Mr. Eazi, among others.

He has four EPs to his name, which include: ‘Live From Nkrumah Krom’ (2017), ‘This Is Not The Tape, Sorry 4 The Wait’ (2019), ‘Live From Nkrumah Krom Vol. II Home Run’ (2019), and ‘This Is Not The Tape, Sorry 4 The Wait II’ (2020). He then dropped his debut album, ‘Son Of Jacob,’ in 2022.

Kwesi Arthur’s career has been one of the few that many people; especially young adults, have keenly followed. For people that were too young when Sarkodie, R2bees, and the likes came onto the scene, support for Kwesi Arthur has felt like a group project. He’s the artist who embodies everyone’s stories, hopes, and ambitions. Although unfair, people lived vicariously through him; which later proved to be very dangerous. He motivated a long list of younger artists who lacked the confidence to pursue their dreams regardless of the challenges they faced. For the younger generation, Kwesi was their Sarkodie, their Obrafour, Lord Kenya, Jay Z, or Tupac. Everything Kwesi could do was right in the eyes of the people. On the outside, you could tell he was just a simple man who loved making music and sharing his platform with his friends and close circle. Kwesi constantly shared his glory with his people. He gave acts like Twitch, Quamina Mp, Kofi Mole, Dayonthetrack (His brother), and a host of others their major breakthroughs. His light was not limited to only artists. Through his collaboration with streetwear brand Free The Youth, who were running a collaborative campaign with acts like Kwesi, Yeyo, B4bonah, Kofi Mole, and a host of others, the brand became bigger as Kwesi represented the brand everywhere he went. Their most popular merchandise at the time, Ghetto University, became a fan favorite when Kwesi Arthur got nominated for the BET awards.

To be Continued…

Written by: Nana Kojo Mula.