Following a slew of acclaimed singles across the past year, fast-rising Ghanaian superstar Kwesi Arthur is set to release his highly anticipated debut album Son Of Jacob on 1 April 2022.
Announcing his presence with a standout feature on one of the most viral global tracks of last year in Yaw Tog’s “Sore” Remix ft. Stormzy, Kwesi has continued to electrify the Ghanaian scene, his breakthrough COLORS performance drawing co-signs from US superstar Cardi B and his recent track “Winning” ft. Vic Mensa rightly labelling him as one of the key new artists coming out of the creative hotspot.
An innate rap talent that blends seamlessly with an ear for contagious Afropop melodies, Kwesi delivers an intricately inter-woven project that underlines the rapper’s ability to inject both meaningful social commentary and feel-good energy over a patchwork of sonic textures. A considered array of features from the likes of M Huncho, NSG, Vic Mensa, Joeboy, Team Salut, Teni and Adekunle Gold underline Kwesi’s truly global presence - from the deeper, more meaningful “Freak” to the refreshing instrumentals of “Celebrate” and euphoric “Mind Over Body”, the album delivers a vivid impression of the origins, growth and ascendency of one of the fastest-growing artists on the African continent right now.
Speaking on the album’s title, Kwesi states: " I belong to the Akan meta-ethnicity which consists of a group of people presently settled in parts of Ghana and Ivory Coast in West Africa. We the Akans and other ethnic groups all over Africa, have a peculiar connection with the Israelites in the Bible. We share close cultural practices such as circumcising our male offspring as well as various other rites of passage.”
“Jacob, according to the Bible, birthed the tribes of Israel - apparently 12 tribes - and although we come from that, I feel like we are the 13th son that the world has ignored for so long. I am the representation of the 13th son, hence the title ‘Son Of JACOB’".
Kwesi’s multi-dimensional grasp of genres and worlds has seen him sell out shows in London and New York, gaining critical attention across the likes of i-D and NEW WAVE MAGAZINE to THE NEW YORKER all proclaiming Kwesi as one of Ghana’s most important and resonant new voices.
Kwesi has found his multi-dimensional grasp of genres and ability to transcend worlds quickly translate to sell-out shows in both London and New York, whilst features across the likes of i-D and BILLBOARD continue to place him as one of Ghana’s most important and resonant new voices.
Added to a fashion profile that’s already seen collaborations with the VOGUE-featured Ghanaian label Atto Tetteh, the young artist from Tema is balancing huge global expectation with the kind of humility and panache that continues to define his legacy, as the young star's sprawling fanbase (1.4M+ IG) sees Kwesi marked as one of the brightest talents from the new generation of artists coming out of African continent right now.
Animation by : Caleb Menka
11 сен 2024
