Entertainment

Barely a month ago that the management of Quata stated that he is the diversity king in Ghana music, Quata Budukusu has released his first mixtape under his new record, Bakus Records. Engineered by his personal beat maker, Kelisevee Bangers, Quata rode on the Chaka Demus and Pliers “Bam Bam” tune. Quata ended by saying “you want beef; me I want dinosaur” because he loves Dina so we should keep the saw! Take a listen and judge for yourself if there is any other diverse artiste in Ghana.

Download links:

http://hu.lk/owlyt9s5lczk

http://ow.ly/ZiHH302yTzZ

http://ow.ly/foaC302yUck

Source: Bakus Radio, USA

Idris Elba has said he feels he is "too old" to play James Bond.

The 43-year-old actor has been widely tipped by bookmakers to take over the role when Daniel Craig leaves the film series.

Elba, who is currently on the big screen in Star Trek Beyond, told ABC's Good Morning America: "I think I'm too old for that.

"Running around in cars and ladies and martinis, who wants to do that? Sounds terrible."

The oldest actor in the film's history to have taken on the role of James Bond was Roger Moore, who was 45 when he appeared in his first film - 1973's Live and Let Die.

Elba, famous for his roles in Luther and The Wire, said he has not been contacted by the James Bond team about the possibility of joining the franchise.

"I keep saying if it were to happen it would be the will of a nation because there haven't been any talks between me and the studio about any of that," he said.

"But everywhere I go people want that to happen."

Elba is one of the favourites to step into Craig's shoes, with bookmakers naming him, Tom Hiddleston, Aidan Turner and James Norton as the frontrunners.

Bond producer Barbara Broccoli is currently working on other projects - including Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool, which will star Jamie Bell and Annette Bening.

It is not yet known when the next James Bond film - the 25th in the franchise - will begin production.

Source: bbc.com

Los Angeles police are investigating after a Playboy model publicly shared a photograph of another woman naked in a gym changing room.

Captioning it "If I can't unsee this then you can't either", Dani Mathers posted the image beside one of herself covering her mouth in mock disgust.

She later apologised, saying she thought her Snapchat post had been a private conversation.

Sharing a person's naked image without their consent is illegal in California.

If found guilty, Ms Mathers could face a fine or a short prison sentence. A sexual assault division of the LA police department is investigating and looking for the woman who was photographed.

Ms Mathers has been permanently banned from the chain of gyms, has lost her job on a radio show, and has faced widespread criticism online.

After deleting the image, Ms Mathers posted an apology on Snapchat in a series of videos, saying her actions had been "absolutely wrong".

"I have chosen to do what I do for a living because I love the female body and I know that body shaming is wrong and that's not what I'm about, it's not the type of person that I am," wrote the model, who was named Playmate of the Year in 2015.

Source: bbc.com

In this week’s edition of Flex newspaper, Ghanaian musician Quata Budukusu’s management have made a remarkable statement about their artist. According to the management of the one life to live hit maker, they want the public and music pundit to now see Quata Budukusu as a diversity king of our time so far as versatility and uniqueness in music are a concern.

The management also added that after reading this piece, industrial moguls and the general public as a whole will now have the opportunity to know why he “Quata Budukusu” went into hibernation for over six years but still his space was vacant until he came back to take over. The fact is nobody should get it twisted. At bakus entertainment, we believe that no one can beat the fact that Almighty God is the diversity king over all things on earth. What we are trying to put across here is that God created us in his image, and the same God is the one who gave Quata the talent so now we as management want the general public to identify our artist as the diversity king in our music industry.

Responding to further questions, Mr.Tengol, personal manager to Quata Budukusu, disclosed to Flex newspaper that they believe in the adage "forward ever and backward never" and that Quata has just moved on to another level. The originator thing can’t be omitted from the history book. To cement the fact of him being the diversity king, Management urges everybody to pay close attention to his current works: One life to live, Ohia, Pum Pum Shots, Paper, Kudi, Wind N Go Low, U Too bad. He is yet to release new songs to include Yaa Asantewaa, Menka Masem, I'm on fire, Ano dey see you sef and much more. To prove his versatility, Forgetti Obiaa, another new tune to hit the market was produced by himself. Importantly after recording "One Life to Live" a strictly hip-pop tune to announce his comeback, Quata is now telling us in another song that there are 10000 ways to die.

Listen to his works here: http://www.hulkshare.com/bakusgrp

Source: Flex Newspaper

Barely a month after releasing his Kwaito single "U Too Bad", Quata Budukusu is out again with another single, Sallah, for his Muslim brothers and sisters. He featured the duo "True Prichez" from Nima on the track. According to Quata, his Muslim fans have been fasting all this while, and as they prepare to break their fast, there is no better way to thank them for praying for the peace of the nation and the world as a whole than to compose a song for them. He talked about the Islamic Religion, which stands for peace and the need for all other Religion to see Islam as a peaceful religion and nothing else. The track is designed for the fasting and after the celebration. It is one of its kind in the market now, and it is having an evergreen feel fused with Arabic hook and trap. Sallah was Produced and Recorded by Kelisevee Bangers and mixed and mastered by Goonbeatz, the Mic-Check CEO.

Listen to the new single from Quata and do not forget to share with your Muslim friends and family, especially as they prepare for their biggest feast. Surely, this should be the song for Sallah.

Download links: https://soundcloud.com/bakusgrp/quata-ft-true-prichez-sallah

    https://www.hulkshare.com/bakusgrp/quata-ft-true-prichez-sallah

    http://www.audiomack.com/song/teambakus/sallah

Source: Bakusradio.com

Undoubtedly one of the oldest arguments among both the youth and the old is that between our movie stars of today and music stars who have the largest fan base.

As the Flex newspaper research team took to the streets, this is what music and movie lovers had to say on the issue at hand. Generally, they think music and movie stars of today are doing very great works in terms of projecting Ghanaian values to the outside world but per the votes that we gathered, musicians dominate so far as the fan base is concerned.

To make the research representative the research team made sure that the votes are not limited but rather circled across from male to female right down to old and young folks from different locations.

ISAAC a teacher speaking from Dome Pillar2: I think the music stars of today have the highest dominance looking at the tremendous outputs. Shattawale, Stonebwoy, and Sarkodie are moving at a higher pace on their fan base, bill boards, and corporate endorsement.

TENGOL is musician Quata Budukusu’s manager: For me, our music stars of today are doing their part in terms of audience appeal but I think if it is about highest fan base then I will go straight for the movie stars because their fan base cut across, don’t forget they don’t only act in Ghana and looking at the John Dumelo’s, the Jackie Appiah’s, Yvonne Nelson’s influence on social media tells it all.

CHRISTIAN an architect from East Legon: I am not a fan of this dancehall fever in the country at the moment but I think based on the direction of the argument I will go for the music stars because they are trending more than the movie stars.

For instance, these our movie stars are not even on social media but you can just imagine how our music stars are always trending.

Source: flexgh.com

A former contestant on Mexico's version of The Voice TV talent show has been shot dead in Chicago, police say.

Alejandro Fuentes, 45, died on Saturday in hospital after an ambush on Thursday night. He was a Voice contestant in 2011.

His death comes 10 days after singer Christina Grimmie, who appeared on the US edition of The Voice, was shot and killed in Orlando, Florida.

The number of murders in Chicago this year is up 72% from 2015.

Mr Fuentes had been celebrating his birthday with friends on Thursday night, the local medical examiner's office said.

Fans of Mr Fuentes wept when they gathered at the school on Saturday

He was in his car on the street outside Tras Bambalinas, a performing arts school he ran for young people in south-west Chicago.

A gunman ordered him out of the car - when he refused, the gunman shot him three times in the head.

No arrests have yet been made.

Ms Grimmie, 22, was shot by a fan in Orlando as she was signing autographs after a concert. Her attacker then killed himself.

Source: bbc.com

A YouTube vlog-style series, which was said to be one of the first examples of viral video, has had new material uploaded for the first time since 2009.

The video has already had thousands of views and original fans of the channel, Lonelygirl15, have expressed surprise.

The show, in the form of a confessional vlog by a teenage girl, launched in 2005 and was later revealed to have been scripted.

It attracted millions of viewers, even after the staging was announced.

The filmmakers called a press conference after a year, following increasing suspicion among fans and the media that the central character, Bree, was not a real person.

Co-creator Mesh Flinders, speaking before the new video was uploaded, told the Guardian that he did not think the project would work in today's climate.

"On YouTube now we wouldn't get away with this for 30 seconds," he said.

"People would know she's fake immediately."

One of the first Lonelygirl15 videos has had nearly six million views

The show, which ran for two years, grew a cast of characters and frequently referenced a mysterious and sinister religion. The storyline became a fight against an organisation called The Order.

It continued to run after Bree was killed off - but she is back in the new video, which includes some hidden material.

"I know, you've got a lot of questions. Questions deserve answers. It's the only thing that satisfies them and I have many..." reads the accompanying text.

Those leaving comments beneath the video seem as amazed to discover that they have been on YouTube for 10 years as they are about the new material.

There is a mixture of surprise, delight, and confusion in their reactions to the video itself, as well as some saying they think the series has had its day and should not be resurrected, while others question whether the new video is a hoax.

Actress Jessica Lee Rose, who played Bree, said that when she first discovered the role was for an internet show and not a movie, she almost pulled out.

"I instantly thought this is some scam. I really thought this was what I'd been warned about moving to Los Angeles," she said.

Source: bbc.com

The man suspected of killing US singer Christina Grimmie apparently came from another city to confront her, police in Florida say.

Police chief John Mina said the gunman "travelled to Orlando to commit this crime" but did not appear to know her personally.

Ms Grimmie was shot while signing autographs after a concert in the city on Friday night, and died in hospital.

In 2014, she was a contestant on US TV programme The Voice.

Stars pay tribute to Voice star Grimmie

Police say Ms Grimmie was shot about 22:45 local time on Friday (02:45 GMT Saturday) at The Plaza Live in Orlando.

Mr Mina said the gunman, who shot himself dead during a struggle with the singer's brother, was a 21-year-old white male and had two handguns and a hunting knife. His name has not been released.

"She was doing a meet-and-greet, just signing autographs and selling merchandise," he said.

"This white male approached her and opened fire, striking her."

The police chief praised Ms Grimmie's brother Marcus.

"Very heroic actions by Marcus Grimmie to jump in and it definitely could have prevented further loss of life," he said.

The singer had been performing with the band Before You Exit.

Up to 100 people were at the concert, but only a handful remained at the venue when the shooting happened, officials said.

Mr Mina said unarmed security guards checked bags as people entered the venue but no metal detectors were used and no body searches were made.

News of the attack spread quickly on social media, with many fans voicing their shock and anger.

When the first reports of the shooting surfaced, #PrayForChristina was the top trending hashtag on Twitter.

It changed to #RIPChristina after the death was confirmed.

Ms Grimmie first came to prominence as a teenager for her renditions of hit songs, amassing a huge following on YouTube.

In 2011, she released her debut musical recording Find Me. Her second EP - Side A - followed in February 2016.

Source: bbc.com

Christina Grimmie, a singer who has competed on the US television programme The Voice, is in a critical condition after being shot following a concert in Orlando, officials in Florida say.

They say the male attacker opened fire when she was signing autographs.

The assailant - who was tackled by Ms Grimmie's brother - then shot and killed himself.

The 22-year-old singer was taken to a local hospital. The identity of the attacker was not immediately known.

Source bbc.com

‘ROMANTIC MADNESS’, is a short Comic Video Project produced by Tee Multimedia Production (TMP) in Accra, Ghana. The team has so far released four mind blowing episodes and are working for more interesting and funny videos. The most talented and influential leading characters, Nii Wonder and Oyiakwan are the most interesting characters viewers should look out for with great story lines full of humor. Ghana should indeed watch out for these rising stars as they bring to you interesting, fun and educative series in their subsequent episodes.

In this episode, Wonder and Oyiakwan faces each other playing cards. He eventually spots some cute ladies passing and offensively wakes up to chase them without excuse, driving Oyiakwan straight to the ground. She gets very angry, what do you expect? Well, check out her reaction in this video.

For more information, contact the producer through:
facebook.com/romanticmadness
twitter: @romanticmadness
www.insightgh.com/romanticmadness
www.OmniGhana.Com/romanticmadness
Email: romanticmadness@gmail.com
Tel: +233(0)248083184/+233(0)4970946

You can also watct all the episodes of "Romantic Madness" on:
www.youtube.com/romanticmadness

Source: Nii Wonder

When it comes to tongue twisting in Ghana, one name that comes to mind is Quata Budukusu. Jacob Kwame Etroo musically known as Quata Budukusu, a.k.a. Qtee, was born on June 4. In celebration of his birthday, Quata has released a song titled “U Too Bad” produced by one of the vibrant sound engineers in Ghana, Danny Beatz, for his numerous fans all over the world as his birthday gift to them. “U Too Bad” has the instrumentation of Kwaito (South African dance music) with some dancehall vibes. “U Too bad” was officially released on radio by Sammy flex on Pluzz FM and it is currently receiving massive airplay on Bakus Radio in USA. Enjoy the tune from Quata Budukusu. Sit back and enjoy. Dance to the beat!

One person has been killed and three others wounded in a shooting at a music venue in New York.

Police said the shooting happened at Irving Plaza, near Union Square, Manhattan, where hip-hop artist TI was due to perform on Wednesday evening.

No-one has been arrested and the motive for the shooting is unclear.

Witnesses reported panic inside the concert hall when the shots rang out. Police have sealed off the area around the venue.

The victims were three men, one of whom died, and a woman, the New York Times reported.

TI, whose real name is Clifford Joseph Harris Jr, was not on stage at the time. His representatives have not yet commented on the incident.

Source: bbc.com

Rapper Quatta has responded to veteran Ghanaian rapper Lord Kenya’s interview with radio host Bola Ray on Star FM that Sarkodie is a braggart and for that matter Sarkodie is not the best rapper in Ghanaian.

Speaking on Joy Prime’s Countdown show last weekend, Quata said Lord Kenya is a legend but respect is reciprocal so he needs to respect and appreciate what the young ones are doing with what he himself has fought for all these years. “Sarkodie needs to be commended for taking rap music in Ghana a notch higher,” he said.

Speaking on the best rapper issue, the Wind and Go Low hit maker noted that every child thinks his or her father is the strongest man. “Every rapper thinks he is the best because yes he has a fan base and the fans think he is the best because the content of his music inspires them in a way to do positive things, so Sarkodie may be the best but in his own corner and same applies to anybody who does music.”

Source: flexgh.com

Johannesburg (AFP) - Barefoot, wearing traditional costumes including animal hide skirts and elaborately beaded headdresses, the contestants strutted the stage before Ghanaian Rebecca Asamoah was crowned the first 'Miss Africa Continent'.

The 24-year-old dental hygienist beat 11 finalists drawn from an original list of 40 contestants from across the continent in the inaugural pageant at Johannesburg's Gold Reef City casino on Saturday night.

Runner-up was Michelo Malambo of Zambia, while South Africa's Jemimah Kandimiri was placed third.

The swimsuit contest was also a departure from the beauty contest norm, with contestants wearing black t-shirts and tight shorts while dancing barefoot to music such as "Africa" by Mali's legendary afro-pop musician Salif Keita.

The pageant is the brain child of South African film producer Neo Mashishi, who says it aims to empower young African women.

"This is the first ever Miss Africa Continent," said Mashishi, adding that it had been five years in the making.

"This is about Africa, we are selling Africa to the world, and we are proud to be Africa".

"The way everything was done was African, we didn't emulate anything from Miss Universe, or Miss World," he said.

Asamoah, who wore braids, entered the stage in a traditional Ghanaian Ashanti gold-coloured beaded crown and then returned in a evening dress made from the country's trademark kente cloth.

She walked away with a grant to study business management at Monash university in Johannesburg.

Runner up in the 2015 Miss Ghana competition, Asamoah said she wanted to see young people help uplift the continent.

"There are a lot of things to be fixed in Africa -- water, education, environmental issues," she told AFP.

"My main concern is the empowerment of youths... so we can work hand in hand and put our continent in the best place it should be."

In the weeks running up to the event, the 12 finalists embarked on a series of pre-pageant activities, including showing off their culinary skills in cooking traditional meals from their native countries.

Ultimately, the organisers hope to involve the continental body, the African Union, "so our winner can play a role in uplifting Africa"and spearhead campaigns to fight Africa's woes such as malaria, poverty and xenophobia.

Source: yahoo.com

A search warrant was obtained in relation to the home of Prince shortly after he died, court documents show.

The musician's Minneapolis home and recording studio, Paisley Park, was searched on 21 April, the day he died.

But authorities won a court order on Thursday to keep the warrant sealed, arguing that making it public would hamper their work.

Prescription painkillers were in the singer's possession following his sudden death, officials tell US media.

But it is unclear what role, if any, those drugs may have played.

Carver County Deputy Sheriff Jason Kamerud said reports that the Drugs Enforcement Agency (DEA) had been called in were not accurate.

A post-mortem last week discounted suicide - but a medical examiner said full results could take several weeks.

Prince, 57, was found dead in a lift on his Paisley Park estate.

Mourners gathered at Paisley Park

There was no sign of trauma on the body, Sheriff Jim Olson said, suggesting the singer had died alone.

There have been suggestions the star was addicted to the painkiller Percocet, which he had been taking since 2009 to relieve hip pain.

His former percussionist, Sheila E, told the news agency Prince had suffered the effects of years of jumping off speakers on stage while wearing high heels.

However, claims of drug dependency have been refuted by the singer's long-time lawyer, L Londell McMillan.

Although Mr McMillan admitted that Prince may have taken pills to manage pain, he said the musician was "not on any drugs that would be any cause for concern".

Prince had been rushed to hospital in Illinois six days prior to his death, while flying home from a concert in Georgia, but was treated and released a few hours later.

Source: bbc.com

Pop star Prince did not leave a will, his sister has revealed in court documents.

The papers, filed in state court in Minnesota, show Tyka Nelson has petitioned for a special administrator to oversee the star's estate.

The rock legend was found dead in an elevator at his Paisley Park Studios compound in a suburb of the American city last Thursday at the age of 57.

The size of Prince's fortune is unclear but includes $27m (£18m) in property.

Nelson is Prince's only surviving full sibling and stated in the papers that immediate action was necessary to manage her brother's business interests.

Prince is on course to dominate the UK charts this week, as mourning fans rush to buy his music, while the Hollywood Reporter claimed over three million of his songs and albums had been bought in the US since his death.

A private memorial service was held for the rock star on Saturday, attended by about 20 of his closest friends and family.

Following the service, drummer and frequent Prince collaborator Sheila E confirmed there were plans to turn Paisley Park into a museum, akin to Elvis's Graceland.

Thousands of fans have flocked to Paisley Park, the First Avenue nightclub, and other sites made famous by Prince since his death, while tributes have come from Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake and President Obama, amongst others.

Source: bbc.com

The hugely popular, acclaimed and influential musician Prince has died at his home in Minnesota at the age of 57.

Police were summoned to his Paisley Park estate early on Thursday and found his body in a lift. An investigation has been opened.

Prince became a global superstar in the 1980s, with albums such as 1999, Purple Rain and Sign O' the Times.

No cause of death has been stated. A post-mortem investigation will take place on Friday.

His innovative music spanned rock, funk and jazz. He sold more than 100 million records during his career.

"It is with profound sadness that I am confirming that the legendary, iconic performer, Prince Rogers Nelson, has died," his spokeswoman said.

• Purple reign: Obituary of Prince
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• Why are so many celebrities dying?
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• Sixteen pivotal songs

In a statement, Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson said his deputies responded to a medical call at about 09:43 local time (14:43 GMT) and later found an unresponsive adult male in an elevator at Paisley Park Studios.

First responders tried to revive him with CPR but he was pronounced dead at 10:07.

Hundreds of fans gathered outside Paisley Park. US President Barack Obama said the world had lost a "creative icon".

'A visionary' - Madonna

Born in 1958, Prince was a prolific writer and performer from a young age - reportedly writing his first song when he was seven.

A singer, songwriter, arranger and multi-instrumentalist, Prince recorded more than 30 albums. His best known hits include Let's Go Crazy and When Doves Cry.

'A joy to watch': By Mark Savage, BBC entertainment reporter

A musical prodigy from a broken home, Prince famously wrote, arranged, produced and played almost all of his hit records.

But the Purple man's purple patch really came with his first band The Revolution.

With them by his side, he wrote more than two dozen rock classics in a five-year flurry.

Purple Rain, Little Red Corvette, 1999, Raspberry Beret, When Doves Cry, Kiss... At the same time, he dashed off Manic Monday for The Bangles and Nothing Compares 2U, made famous by Sinead O'Connor.

In the studio, he was unstoppable. But the magic really happened on stage. He would vamp, preen and tease an audience into a frenzy, then slay them with a quiet moment of crystalline beauty. He was a joy to watch.

Prince the magician - Sometimes It Snows In April

He also wrote music for several artists - Sinead O'Connor's version of Nothing Compares 2U became a worldwide smash in 1990.

In 1984, he won an Oscar for the score to Purple Rain, a film in which he also starred.

Throughout his career he had a reputation for secrecy and eccentricity, once changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol.

In 2004, Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which said he "rewrote the rulebook".

He had a mercurial relationship with technology. In 2000, he released singles via the pioneering music-sharing service Napster, but he later declared the internet "completely over" and refused to allow his music on major streaming platforms.

Prince's latest album, HITnRUN Phase Two, was released last year and he had been touring as recently as last week.

On 15 April he was taken to hospital after his private plane made an emergency landing in Illinois. It happened just hours after he had performed on stage in Georgia. He was treated and released after a few hours.

Tributes have been pouring in from artists young and old, across the musical spectrum.

• Madonna, who dated Prince briefly, described him as a "visionary who changed the world"
• Chic guitarist Nile Rogers said there were "tears and love on our tour bus"
• Singer Justin Timberlake: "Numb. Stunned. This can't be real"
• Guitarist Slash said Prince was "one of the greatest musical talents of my lifetime. Maybe of the 20th century"
• Boy George: "Today is the worst day ever. Prince RIP I am crying!"
• "I can't believe it, I'm in total shock. So many wonderful memories," wrote Lionel Richie
• Musician and actor Wyclef Jean: "RIP to the King Prince thank u for inspiring me to be a Musician First and using this tool to heal people"
• Mick Jagger said Prince's talent was "limitless", calling him a "revolutionary artist, a great musician, a wonderful lyricist"

"It's such a blow. It's really surreal. It's just kind of unbelievable," Aretha Franklin told MSNBC. "He was definitely an original and a one of a kind. Truly there was only one Prince."

Source: bbc.com

Musician Jacob Kwame Etroo better known by his music name Quata Budukusu has stated that his comeback at this time is the opportune period to hug the limelight having been away for 6 years.

“I attended to other things within the quiet period. Running my recording studio and tattoo parlor so although I wasn’t in the limelight being the music man that I am, I continued to write and record music at my studio.

“Getting signed onto Bakus Entertainment 6 months ago was most opportune as I needed such a large and diverse team to help elevate my music” the bearded artiste posited.

Although coy about the duration of the contract and how much money he is guaranteed, Quata Budukusu submitted “it’s a standard contract and I can say it’s one of the biggest deals I have appended my signature to.”

According to Quata, he is delighted with the performance of his two videos adding “‘One Life to Live’ is currently part of the top 15 videos enjoying airplay in South Africa thanks to my publicists over there. The performance of the song and video has led to collaborative efforts with Mafikizolo, Black Uhuru and a couple of others.”

The man with 4 albums including ‘Bonie’, ‘Concert’ and ‘Independence Day’ recounted to blakkpepper.com how fortunate he’s been in working with production houses who believed in his dream and availed their platforms to nourish such dreams.

On his aspirations for the year, Quata pledged that he shall mount some of the grandest stages in Ghana and beyond indicating that because he is uniquely different his fans have missed him given the void his absence had created.

Describing himself as a diverse artiste with abilities to sing, rap, ragga and tongue-twist, the artiste who broke through the ranks in 2004 says because he can predict music trends, some released singles he recorded four years ago sound fresh and relevant today mentioning that with engineers Kelis Beatz, Ragoon Beatz, King Joe and Diaz Qlasik responsible for some of his tunes, quality is assured.

“I love to work at home since I own my own recording studio so I can get time for my music since music production requires refinement till the perfect brew is achieved. I do however have respect for noted engineers like Appietus, Kill Beatz and Kaywa and I shall be engaging them in a bit” the Aggrey Memorial alumnus declared.

He stressed: “After my second album, I set up my Audio Farm studio believing as an artiste I needed a studio to easily record when new material comes to me. While others were busy buying cars I invested in equipment. Indeed my studio has hosted Tinny, Tony Harmony, Mzbel and a couple of others who produced music there. It’s a commercial studio although I have been changing residence from East Legon, Dzorwulu through to my current base at Block Factory in the West Hill area but plans are afoot to reopen it to the pubic soon.”

According to Quata Budukusu, he’s delighted with the rise of Sarkodie intimating that he’s built on the foundation laid by his good-self and colleagues. He praised Kinaata for his incisive lyrics, Mzvee for her lyrics, brand, singing and dancehall offerings as well as Stonebwoy for not letting down hopes people had in him even from the ‘Kasahari’ days at Adom FM with Dr Duncan. “Stonebwoy’s lyrical composition is immense. He certainly has more to offer and I can say in 10 years’ time, Stonebwoy will carry Ghanaian music in his talons” he predicted.

Growing up Quata mentions Nas, Buster Rhymes, Ghostface Killer, Twister as well as good old Bob as persons whose music he fed on adding that he’s got a huge music appetite including ballet and salsa since “music is a universal language which speaks to the soul.”

Born and bred in Cantonments Accra, the man whose formal education ended at the Senior High School level explained “education involves utilizing the mind to its full potential and securing basic education is most critical and having discovered my passion for music I have self-taught myself to advance in my chosen field.”

Hailing from Asseibu in the Central region, the entertainer with 8 siblings stated he’s lost his dad to eternity but still has his mother around explaining although his brother Ebibidro also did music for a while he’s veered into other things now.

Having rolled with his wife for 6 years and officially sealing their union 12 months ago, a delighted Quata disclosed his better half has taken seed but would not disclose her name or how their paths crossed. He however offered this: “When a man needs to settle down, he needs a level headed lady he can elevate with. My wife is such a lady. She is a corporate lady who combines work and home duties beautifully and the journey has been most enjoyable.”

A lover of beautiful things, Quata acknowledged that he is encountered a varied damsels in his life given the fame and all but when pressed for numbers stated he doesn’t keep a count but was delighted with his life partner as she caters for his manly needs.

On his faith, the ‘Baby’ singer noted that God is the focal point in his life adding he often interacts with the Supreme Divine although as a member of the Legion of Mary society of the Christ the King Catholic Church his church visitations have not been as frequent as desired.

The ‘neat freak’ stated his style is urban wear and when it looks cool on him he’s good to go. On his love for tattoos Mr. Etroo posited “people are addicted to alcohol, women or drugs. I love tattoos on my body and I give tattoos to others as well since I am a tattooist. I have clients who pay GH¢ 2,000 for a design.”

Although videos for his two singles are making the rounds (Wind N Go low and One Life to Live) , Quata who says ‘Budukusu’ means don declared he’s offered 7 singles in the system disclosing while hibernating he churned out about 500 songs he is gradually offering for public consumption.

“After ‘One Life to Live’ and ‘Wind N Go low’ videos, ‘Paper’, ‘Kudi’ as well as ‘Pum Pum Shots’ videos are set to follow. You know I am the signature for rap and tongue twisting so I shan’t disappoint the eager fans.”

According to Don Quata, he sees riches and success as having good health, good living, peace of mind and having good communication channel with God, the rest are all world perceptions people hold.

“I am comfortable. I am not hungry, I live well and dress good so I am good” he stressed.

Fufu and any soup involving goat meat sets the rapper in a good mood while whisky on ice, wine and Champaign suits him well.

“I am naturally hyper so I don’t need stimulants be it drugs or alcohol before mounting a stage. Truth is you can’t even be tipsy desiring to offer a good show.”

Quata Budukusu expressed thanks to Natures’ Crew, Lowdown Records/OM Studio, Saddick, Kojo Antwi, the Original Gadons Family comprising Palas, Buba, Oloch and Mohammed for their love and care.

Blakkpepper.com can only hope the partnership with Mr. Ernest Annoh-Dompreh of Bakus Entertainment and personal manager Mr. Tengol Kplemani can continue to yield immense dividend for all concerned.

Enjoy ‘One Life to Live’ from Quata Budukusu:

Source: blakkpepper.com

Listening to the lyrics of almost all the songs from the Ghanaian hip hop and hiplife recording artist from Tema, Michael Owusu Addo, known by his stage name Sarkodie, one cannot deny the fact that all was not rosy from his beginning.

He always drums it into the minds of his fans that, he went through tough times before getting to where he is today.

According to the one time BET award winner, at the grass roots of his career, organizers of event did not see the need to pay him cash, and instead they paid with t- shirts and toffees.

“I played many shows for many organizers and they always paid me with t-shirts and toffees.”

All this did not stop him from chasing his dream, believing in himself and putting in his best in whatever he finds doing.

“I still held on to the dream though at a point I nearly stopped rapping. I am not sure I would be here if I listened to people’s opinion.”

Sarkodie is often named as one of Africa’s greatest Hip hop artists. MTV ranked him number 6 on their list of the Hottest African MC’s in 2014.

In 2013, Lynx TV ranked him number 1 on their list of the “Top 10 Ghanaian Rappers Of All Time”.

In 2015, AfricaRanking.com ranked him number 3 on their list of the “Top 10 African Rappers Of 2015”. In the same year, Sarkodie was named by The Guardian as one of the top five hip hop acts on the African continent.

Source: Live Fm Ghana