The Ghanaian rapper recaptured everyone’s attention with an escalating series of provocations and controversies over the last few years. He has turned himself into hip-hop’s villain and a troll prince. Mastering the art of sparking outrage and bottling it into a feverish popularity, a tactic that has been used before. A type that leaves listeners and fans to not necessarily like him; rather, just had to have an opinion. But beneath all the misogynistic takes and spiral of controversial moments, this EP reminds us why Pappy Kojo is still one of Fante’s most modernized rappers, delivering tunes that are masterworks immersed in Asakaa humidity and rap as a whole.
“Ka Na Wu” which translates to “Voice out even if it kills you” is a fitting name. It sums up his identity as a rapper, the type to put it all in his music. It was only right the intro was something unforgettable. It’s a playback of Keche’s interview with Pure FM in which they threatened to beat the rapper up. This comes up after a series of trolling from Pappy Kojo towards the duo. It transitions onto “Tell Em to Shut up”, an excruciating drill song that contrasts with smooth Asakaa hooks and verses from Reggie and Skyface SDW, as they stunt through deep-cut Batman references. Pappy Kojo’s no-holds-barred melancholy and fatalistic verse on a cold production make it the best song on here. Rap music has a reputation for being misogynistic, and deemed barbaric to the modern world, some rappers still apply it to their songs, and Pappy’s “Mbesiafo” has it all. A three-minute diss track aimed at women, addressing their terrible choice in men, unnecessary but a vital part of his current trademark, one of rap’s unaddressed issues, but the usual in most rap songs.
For someone who seems to be thriving off subliminals aimed at women, it’s quite funny and clownish to hear him croon on the next song about wanting his woman. On “You Bad”, with the help of long-term collaborator Skonti, the rapper shamelessly melodizes with his smooth voice, calling on his lover for company. The crazy part is, It’s annoyingly a good song, a perfect modern emo-trap record with an ink that bleeds with the nature of Ghana’s dating scene. If that was a good crooning song, “Samba” tops it, featuring Darkovibes, his shiny hooks, and uncynical Afropop which is usually full of sarcasm, screw-ups, and young-adult heartache that paints a vivid picture of Pappy’s idea of the song. Of course, he was going to dedicate the outro to his hometown’s style of rap. On Triumphant trumpets, he recruits some of the finest Fante prospects, from Slimdrumz’s infectious hook to Big Cousin Mauve, Kojo Vypa, Lholly, and Yoo C’s intentionally provocative and artfully humorous raps, it’s a proper rap-cypher song, exchange of bars with no hooks or chorus for five solid minutes.
After 17 minutes of smutty wisecracks laugh-out-loud raps and decent production, you just can’t help but wish he was causing more menace on the mic rather than the internet, but then again, that’s currently Pappy Kojo for you, Rap’s trouble maker.
Stream His New EP “Ka Na Wu” Here.
