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10 best new Ghanaian artistes of 2017

Pulse Ghana’s entertainment editor, David Mawuli has picked up 10 best newcomers who made imaginal impressions and shook 2017.

From Richie Mensah’s new dazzling catches, KiDi and Kuami Eugene to new school Hip-hop hotshots, B4Bonah and Strongman, a wealth of new musicians changed Ghanaians’ perceptions about what modern music should sound like.

Pulse Ghana’s entertainment editor, David Mawuli has picked up 10 best newcomers who made imaginal impressions and shook 2017.

PS: This list is in no order.

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1. Akan

He is a mixture of the pioneers of Hiplife, Obrafour, Okomfour Kwadee and Lord Kenya, with a credible wealth of knowledge about the genre that originated from Ghana. Akan has had an impressive year.

Even though with no major hit, his debut album “Onipa Akoma” changed the people’s assumptions about the dwindling genre and brought hope to the lovers of Hiplife music.

2. Ayat

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With a daring and scary brand image and weird but perky stagecraft, Ayat re-created an existing niche in the Afro-Trap and Afrobeats fraternity.

Ayat, who rose from Medina to the top of the rap game, changed young Ghanaians’ taste for foreign Trap with his queer and heavy-bass laced Afro-Trap.

He hooked up Sarkodie for “Dodo” and Medikal for “Forget Everybody” before cementing the fruitful year with “Kudi” featuring M.anifest.

He had Sarkodie thanked him for ‘taking him back to the essence of rap’ on their collaboration.

3. KiDi

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After winning MTN Hitmaker season 4, KiDi had to wait for almost 2 years to get his first hit, titled “Say You Love Me”.

The 23-year-old record producer and performer is an expert in creating and weaving exceptional lyrics and in addition, he knows how to create melodies that arrest the attention of Afrobeats lovers.

His mastery made him create another nationwide hit, titled “Odo” and even had “Fall” hitmaker Davido and “Mama” hitmaker Mayorkun bless him with a remix.

Richie Mensah should be proud of this lad.

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4. Patapaa

From nowhere came a young man who dazzled millions of people across the world with a blazing Afrobeats jam accompanied by a weird viral dance.

Patapaa Amisty, who rose from Swedru – the ancestral home of multiple award-winning rapper Kwaw Kese, took the world by surprise with his viral fast-tempo Afrobeats jam, titled “One Corner”.

He has only one hit but Patapaa made 2017 a memorable one.

5. King Promise

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With his soothing vocal, King Promise created love melodies that would forever live in the memories of Ghanaians.

He is the master of love songs – I guess the fresh graduate from Central University is a lover doctor.

King Promise created sounds that cut across all aspects of relationships. From happy moments to breakups, the young lad created romantic vibes that had everyone sing along.

He started off the year with a nationwide hit, titled “Oh Yeah”, hooked up Mr Eazi for the remix, hooked up Stonebwoy for another banger “Hey Sexy” and cemented the glorious year with another instant hit, titled “Selfish”.

6. B4Bonah

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The new school rap hotshot shot into the limelight with his first touch, titled “Dear God”. The Mimlife Records signed rapper and singer who knows how to capture the attention of the millennials hooked up Sarkodie for the remix of “Dear God” and even blew up more.

To conclude the fruitful year, he hooked up King Promise for another banger, titled “My Girl”.

7. Kuami Eugene

Currently, Ghana’s darling boy of Afrobeats music – Kuami Eugene gave no one the chance to reign especially in the latter part of the year 2017.

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Richie Mensah’s signee, who has been working underground for so many years, emerged the winner in the “Unsung” category at this year’s Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.

He started off the year with a banger, titled “Hiribaba” featuring label mate MzVee, followed up with charts topping song “Boom Bang Bang” and concluded the amazing year with a nationwide hit, titled “Angela”.

I hope he achieves, even more, success in the coming years.

8. Maccasio

Don’t doubt him – his fan army calls him ‘The President of Northern Music’. Maccasio’s achievements in 2017 are unprecedented, freakish and mind-blowing.

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The rap virtuoso who is best at delivering his refined lyrics in both Pidgin and native language Dagbani kicked off the year with one of the biggest concerts in 2017. The concert dubbed “Too Big Concert” featured controversial Dancehall star Shatta Wale and saw thousands of fans thronged the venue – Tamale Sports Stadium (now, Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium).

The wordsmith further dropped his third studio album, titled “Ninsala” and pulled over 20,000 fans to the album launch.

9. Strongman

He has been underrated for years – but thanks to Sarkodie, the world have come to realise the cogitable potentials of the young lad.

A few days after getting signed to SarkCess Music, Strongman dropped his major hit single, titled “Transformer” featuring label mate Akwaboah.

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The country’s favourite wordsmith followed up with another Hip-hop banger, titled “Odasani” featuring his label boss, Sarkodie.

He has a great future, from all indications.

10. Magnom

This man brought into being the fear of modern Ghanaian tastemakers. You are wrong if you perceive modern sound engineers to be only experts in beat creation. Magnom hammered that assumption this year.

The beat creator, who has been creating hits for top Ghanaian stars from Sarkodie to Edem, baptised himself into the performing field a year ago and immediately blew up.

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He started off 2017 with an instant hit, titled “My Baby” featuring Joey B. He followed up the success of the song with “Tsoobi” (Toy) – a heavy bass Afrobeats and “Overfeed Me” featuring Mr Eazi.

He cemented his first successful year (as a performer) with “Bam Bam” featuring Spacely.

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