On what would have been her 26th birthday, we look at how the hardcore Diva’s short career took a turn, from her death to the aftermath, Ghana’s reluctance in road safety, and social media’s way of treating deaths. Have we learned anything at all? Clearly not.
Losing Ebony eight days before her birthday had the whole nation still in shock, with some still struggling to believe we had lost one of the boldest music figures in our industry. Priscilla Opoku-Kwarteng, known as Ebony Reigns, was rapidly becoming the voice of burgeoning dancehall and modernized Hiplife at the peak of her career. IMullar remembers her rise to the top as a certified baddie with ambitious wings.
In a cute barber shop where some of Ghana’s industry Gurus and prospects got their trims in Achimota, Accra-Ghana. I’d always involve myself in music conversations while waiting on my turn, and I’d always pick up arguments with Bullet of Ruff n smooth (who initially became Ebony’s manager). Next to him, was a wild personality with beautiful messy freeform locs that looked too big for her tiny head, mumbling words of freestyle in a room that got louder with music arguments. She was so lively and it felt like nothing could quench her fire. In a short while, she’d eventually announce herself to the world. She signed to Rufftown Records Label and released her first single “Dancefloor”. The song transitioned into a viral hit, earning her the “unsung” category nomination at the 2016 Ghana Music Awards. This shone a light on her craft, but also made her a target for the media due to her fashion picks, making every appearance she made a controversial one, at just 18/19, you’d think all that spotlight was too much for her to handle, but her fierce persona fought through it all, staying through to what she felt was okay for her skin.
Clearly, she was ready to take on the spotlight and its gruesome headlines, she released her first Major hit single “Kupe” in March 2016. The song catapulted her into big league status, making her the face of modern dancehall/hiplife. Despite the media’s daily bashing, the song received positive reviews and marked a new era for feminine dominance in the country. The message was clear after lead singles ‘Poison’, ‘Kupe’, ‘Sponsor’, and ‘Date Ur Fada’ took over the airwaves, she was here to push her craft to the next level and her debut album was the perfect announcement for her reign. With an album launch at Golden Tulip, she dedicated almost 2 hours of her time to upcoming artists (mostly females), who introduced their craft to invitees, another feat that said a lot about her soul. “Bonyfied “ was one hell of a debut statement, the name itself is an archaic term that means to make something good, especially something that was bad before, and with all the dark articles about Ebony, her debut album was proof there are tons of light flowing through her. The album’s cover art also became a cultural phenomenon, plastered onto the backs of Trotro cars all over the country, a Queen’s influence. The album had good songs structured into a body of work that fit her body language, boy she knew how to rattle Ghana’s sensitive media, and the fun part of it was she gave zero fucks. “Hustle” was a massive hit and also one of the most hated songs from her discography, of course, it was all from the “oldies” whose morals didn’t align with the lyricism, but in the midst of all that was a perfect banger.
In all the fun moments at her launch, little did we all know that was one of the final intimate moments we were going to share with her. Prior to all that, she had already bagged four awards to her name, winning the best female video at the 4syte awards. After her album release and a busy December which saw her perform at Afrochella 2017. 2018 felt like a mass takeover, only for us to lose her to a traffic collision in the second month of the year, even so, it was still a takeover as she posthumously won three awards at the GMA’s including artiste of the year (making her the first female artiste to win it). Alongside her, were her assistant/longtime friend Franklina Yaa Nkansah Kuri and soldier Atsu Vondee, who all died in the accident, just eight days before her birthday. It felt unreal and sparked controversies, of course, the Ghanaian stereotypical narratives about spirituality were all over, but the Bechem Nkwanta road near Mankranso in the Ahafo Ano South district was the center of it all, a route plagued with Poorly-maintained road safeties. It even gets sadder because two days later, there was another accident on the road, a series of events that summed up the main problem. Stonebwoy and Sarkodie embarked on a road safety campaign after Ebony’s death. Meanwhile, on social media, explicit pictures of a lifeless Ebony circulated the internet, an awful scene to look at and the start of an era where all notions about respect for the dead have been ripped apart by the advent of social media, another issue that needs heavy tackling.
“A figure who at huge personal cost, left music a better place than when she found it”
But in it, all here’s to Ebony, a “90’s bad gyal” who gave us one of the most influential four years span of a career, a career that paved way for today’s next-gen Divas, a figure who refused to be rattled by anyone, a figure who roared about the messiness of youthful female experiences and most importantly, a figure who cultivated a look so unique and irreverent that it’s still immediately recognizable today, a figure who, at huge personal cost, left music a better place than when she found it. A bonyfied diva.
Written by Edwin Quartey.
