ALBUM REVIEW – THE OKYEAME KWAME VERSATILE SHOW

"The Rap Doctor'' OKYEAME KWAME

Is it the array of young singers that he featured on the album that is the attraction? May be the expression of his musical malleability? Or the riveting and soothing effect the songs leave on the listener? That is the question I’m trying to decipher after listening to the new album ‘’The Okyeame Kwame Versatile Show’’.

The album is indeed an exhibition of versatility as the artiste does more singing than rapping, something unusual from an artiste with ‘Best Rapper Alive’ tag.

The album carries with it such ‘lightness’-an easy listening pleasure coupled with a soul soothing aura. The track list (13 songs with 4 instrumentals) will leave many to drool over the album. Check the full track list below the article

One distinguishing feature about the album is the level of quality work the quest acts put in. The songs are crafted to dove-tail into the versatility the ‘rap doctor’ is projecting.

So, which are the favourites? “Sika”(Money) which features Kesse and explores the compelling power of money or Woara (Only You), the amorously tasteful high life ballad featuring the sultry songstress Raquel, in which the rapper argues that ‘’bye bye is for guys with bad vibes’’?

 Maybe White Wedding with EFYA, whose vocals over this neo-soul flavoured piece leaves a tinge of sensation on the listeners’ ears. White Wedding looks at the nexus between love and white weddings. Efya sings “Living in the same room/Pouring all my love through/ Pretending to be wifey, bearing all the pain with you/ Is wedding too much to have?  Okyeame Kwame’s rap at the end sounded more like spoken word poetry than rap.

Mr. Versatile, arguably the lead song opens with a bold and profound statement as Okyeame Kwame claims ‘’I’m too old for swag/ so I floss’’ and indeed he flossed, rapping on a myriad of beats from different genres of music. Irene Logan’s voice sounds expansive and rich. The track goes to confirm why Okyeame Kwame is the best rapper alive.

Don’t Judge Me featuring Vera (D-3) is heavily laden with guitar strings, giving it a pop-rock-electro appeal. Vera’s remarkably, powerful, Rihana-esque voice reverberates through the music.

On  Odo Wo He, he teams up with Nana Yaa to go in search of their love. It’s the kind of song that instantly 
gets you bumping to as soon as the beats swell up.

Then comes the high tempo, danceable and rap-filled tracks like One In A Million, where he and Caroline sketch a template of the spouse they wish to have. Others include the humor-filled Mafe Wo, the raw rap full Kwame Ke Tinny, Far Away (the only azonto track) on the album featuring SHE, whose singing was unnecessarily auto-tuned.

Raquel’s brilliance on Woara perhaps got her a second bite on the album by providing the hook for the rock-influenced New Nation featuring Bradez. A politically themed song calling on Africa to rise and celebrate her success as the chorus indicates: “I know you can’t wait till the storm is over/ The light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer/ The war is over now/ So put your armour down/ And celebrate”!

Holla At You, a calypso/carnival riddled track featuring Edwin (Soul Black) put gloss on the album. No need to go far for the calypso songs, we have one right here to jam with.

As an ambassador for Hepatitis B, it was fair to provide a slot for a track about the disease. It featured Quabena Maphia, whose emotion-filled singing gives the song a deserved ‘sorrowful’ effect.

Okyeame Kwame’s quest to establish himself as a versatile rapper or performer was achieved by this album. The various modes and swings of songs contained on the album makes it not only a good work of art but affords fans to view the malleability of his talent in 3-D format .

Rating 4.8

TRACK LIST

1. SIKA ft Kesse

2.WOARA ft Raquel

3. WHITE WEDDING ft Efya

4. MR. VERSATILE ft Irene Logan

5. ODO WO HE ft Nana Yaa

6. ONE IN A MILLION ft Caroline

7. KWAME SE ft Tinny & Edem

8.MAFE WO ft Tattoo

9. DON’T JUDGE ME ft Vera (D-3)

10. FAR AWAY ft SHE

11. NEW NATION ft Raquel & STONE (Bradez)

12. HOLLA AT YOU ft Edwin (Soul Black)

13. HEPATITIS B ft Quabena Maphia