When it comes to rap music in Ghana, we (Ghanaians) often judge things according to the mass appeal. Who gets cheered the most and who gets the most mentions, comments, likes and retweets on social media. I doubt if that will ever change.
However, there are great music pundits out there who understand how to approach issues on music; especially rap music to be precise. Separating the image of the artist from his/her lyrics is always the right approach and it’s heart-warming to know some music pundits in Ghana are doing that.
Flowking Stone might not be a funny (Comic) rapper but has a very good sense of humor which I think most rap lovers would detect in his lyrics. He has a good balance when it comes to showing off his lyricism and playing around with the beat or instrumentals.
In this age of social media, people feel bad when they give the thumbs up to the artist with less social media interaction and praise. In short, social media has influenced the way we judge music in Ghana. The only reason why some of the very old artists are still appreciated to date is because we paid attention to their songs and applauded them without any so-called social media influence. Today a legend like Blay Ambulley is referred to as a rap pioneer.
Things we look for in rap music are Consistency, Lyricism, Diction, Delivery, wordplay and Style. Now let’s put Flowking Stone against these elements…
When Flowking Stone starts delivering his lyrics, he never gets stuck or repeats his line. Uniform and well calculated delivery from start to end. If that isn’t what consistency is all about, I need to go back to school to learn more English.
Lyricism… It will be a waste of time trying to explain this part. This is something we can’t pretend about. He is crazy when it comes to this.
Diction… No matter how fast he raps, every single word falls out perfectly. I know some rappers repeat words to make them sound fast. Example instead of saying “Believe Me” they end up saying “Be-Be Lievi Me”… I know you get the picture by now. That is something Flowking will never ever do!
Delivery… You know this! This is no news to anyone who loves rap music and has listened to Flowking Stone.
Worldplay… Do I need to quote songs on this one? This is probably the reason most people who claim they are into rap music can’t catch up. His Wordplay is totally beyond what they can digest.
Style…. This is where I say he tops all. Flowking Stone will switch styles after every 4 bars which is the standard length to change styles or move the listener into a new groove. No matter how long he has to pour his verse, he doesn’t miss his 4 Bar switches. I’m guessing most people don’t even know this is a thing. Flowking Stone has been doing this since the BRADEZ days!
Now to the main Question. Is he really worth the Title Best Rapper Africa? This is what I have to say. He may not be the overall best rapper in Africa; but definitely one of the Best Rappers in Africa. Put him against any rapper in Africa and subtract the social media influence.
I am confident his new album will get lots of recognition and he’ll be awarded accordingly. It’s possible this Album will be swept under the carpet just like always. But we all know what to expect and know he is a great rapper. Let’s call a spade, a spade!!!