The Traditional trap artiste celebrates his ancestry on his latest project, Tsootso. Marrying African music with a languorous voice and modern trap/RnB influences, Marince, the young genius behind the Oblitey tape continues to hold our attention.
“Tsotsoo” is an EP I made in memory of my late grandmother, Margaret Tsotsoo Quarcoo. All the 5 songs on my Tsotsoo EP are a sonic reflection of my grandma’s larger than life personality and her enduring impact on my life, even in her death”, he tells IMullar.
Staying true to his Ga roots, Marince kicks the project off with “Mkpai” which translates to pouring Libation. On the track, Marince honours his named ancestor by asking for wisdom and energy on his subsequent journey. After the rites are completed, the rising artiste switches to a softer vibe in “Gbonyo Party” where he lays down his unique thoughtful lyrics onto a slow-paced production from Pzeefire & SPC Ghost. Demonstrating his prowess in storytelling, Marince recalls the story of a girl dancing seductively at a funeral party (Gbonyo party), satirically exploring the connections between life and death, mourning and celebration.
“Seke” which is arguably the best song on the project, smoulders with guitar strings that highlight the musician’s soothing voice. His words carefully convey a story about a village girl who drove him crazy during his stay. The song’s theme is further built on by THE ART who invades the song with a pidgin verse, creating a chill bop in the process. Marince switches the vibe on the project with “Koti”, an Afrobeats song that tackles the harassment law enforcers inflict on the youth, detailing the days of him following his grandma to the police to bail her sons out for alleged crimes that were not committed, drawing further inspiration from his childhood.
He rounds the project off with a peak Marince type of song. “Give it back” is pure Ghanaian hip-hop at its finest, with verses that let each rapper deliver on their trademark sound. Hard-hitting verses from both Black Sherif and Chief Kellz form the perfect way to end the project. “Tsootsoo” as a body of work grinds on retro-fetishism culture in the Ga community, with a touch of modernized production that fits perfectly, making this project worth every listen and some of the artiste’s best work so far.