The Ghanaian rapper’s debut shifts frenetically between street rap and subtle crooning. His meticulousness and use of evocative classic Ghanaian song samples lend the records an impressive narrative, with emotional quality, all inspired by his mum.
Gaga Ranks grew up in Accra, Ghana. Influenced by the vibrant sounds of Highlife, Hiplife, Reggae, and Calypso, he has stayed true to his sound. With a handful of singles, Gaga Ranks creates music that bridges tradition and modernity, touching on everyday life and its elements. “moms missin tape” doesn’t follow your modern day hiphop path, there is no Sexxy drill, Trap, or Drill itself, just original rap production, overseen by producers MikeMillzonem, Lee, and Bigmendoza. Whether he’s gracing his trademark laid-back approach to rap, blues-rooted sound, or velour sample loops, he doesn’t sound out of place. The intro, “Mmt UNTITLED 1” mixes a string sample of Gary B.B. Coleman’s hit, and tiny hi-hats with a bouncing drum line as Gaga comes to terms with the fact that he is tied to street life. “Mmt UNTITLED 2”’s production pays homage to Ghanaian singer Jerry Hansen and the Ramblers, with additional vocals from Esy Graham. Gaga puts a modern spin on ’90s alt-rap. Allowing Esy’s vocals to flourish.
As a product of Ghanaian rap, he switches between his Ga Native language and English. The sampling also speaks highly of how cultured he is, as a music lover, within a strong Ga continuum. His rap style is fluid and melodic but approachable, depending on homegrown lifestyle raps, which are evident on “mmt UNTITLED 3”. The “Mixtape” as he describes it, is connected with an interlude, a voicemail by his mum dubbed “Oboshie”. The fifth song, arguably the most vulnerable, remains as one of the most fluid and soul-touching records in this body of work. It takes a different turn, shades of slow disco is evident here, he sounds like he has learnt to locate his struggle on a wider canvas, lacing his confessionals with street imagery and memories from his upbringing and love stories, it’s one song you go back to out of awe because of it being a novel approach from a rapper whose style is cemented. The outro is more experimental and quite personal. One of the most enchanting things about the outro is hearing how he manipulates his voice before the studio modulations kick in. His vocal tics and morphs sound like those of a gleeful Playboi Carti or Baby Keem. He’s crying over lost love and refusal to take advice, feeling regret while lamenting on urban addiction and dark days, contemplating morality and loyalty. In all this, he emphasises having no vice, not taking alcohol, and facing his sad days on sober terms. It’s a beautiful tragedy. He’s found new ways to communicate and process trauma by pulling back the lens and articulating his struggle into a piece in a wider, older story.
“moms missin tape” runs for over 13 minutes, a raw body of work that brings a more considered levity to his mixtape, striking a balance between heartache and resolve; a project that defines his story. It’s an emotional roller-coaster. After moving you through an impeccably created atmosphere full of yearning, the project places you right at the edge of expression, leaving the listener wanting more of Gaga Ranks’s raw stories.
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