Ghanaian rapper, Lyrical Joe, has expressed his disappointment in not winning the 26th Telecel Ghana Music Awards’ Rap Performance category.
He stated that his disappointment stems from the significant effort and stress that went into creating the ‘5th August 8’ track.
“Yeah, I was disappointed this year, because last year’s 5th August caused me a lot of stress, and a lot of work went into it. Slim, you know it’s not easy to shoot a 10-minute hip-hop video and keep it top notch.”
Lyrical Joe
Lyrical Joe also mentioned that he’s always campaigned for the Rap Performance of the Year category.
“As for me, anytime I’m nominated, I do it [campaign for it], even my fans alone, they would not let people sleep online. They want us to have the best rap performance and everything.”
Lyrical Joe
Despite his disappointment, he chose not to complain publicly, explaining that there’s no clean way to complain. It’s going to look like you don’t like the other artists who won. “So there’s never any clean way to complain, you just leave it alone,” he noted.
The rapper lost the Best Rap Performance award in the 26th edition to Kwaku Smoke for his delivery on ‘Holy Ghost’.
Other songs nominated in that category were ‘Manual’ by Eno Barony, ‘No Competition’ by Okyeame Kwame, ‘Brag’ by Sarkodie, and ‘King is Back’ by Flowking Stone. In 2022, Lyrical Joe won the slot with his ‘5th August 5’.
Moreover, Ghana’s most lyrically acclaimed rapper released his second studio album titled “I AM”—a sonic manifesto that explores identity, purpose, pain, triumph, and lyrical dominance in its purest form.
Following the success of his debut “Photo Album” and a series of groundbreaking freestyle sessions, “I AM” represents a new era for the rapper, blending spiritual introspection with sharp storytelling and technical brilliance.
“I AM” is more than an album. It’s a declaration. It’s a layered narrative that unveils who Lyrical Joe is—not just as an artist, but as a man, a soul, and a vessel of expression.
Throughout 13 tracks, the album captures themes of healing, faith, hunger, societal awareness, and musical evolution. “The title ‘I AM’ is spiritual,” Lyrical Joe stated.
“It represents self-realization and owning your identity without apologies. Every song on this project is a version of me—past, present, and future.”
Lyrical Joe
In a musical landscape often dominated by trends, the artist stands tall as a torchbearer of real artistry.
With “I AM”, he pushes the boundaries of Ghanaian rap, infusing it with poetic purpose and global appeal. “This album is not just about showing skills,” he added. “It’s about speaking truth, sparking thought, and affirming who we are in a world that keeps trying to define us.”
Lyrical Joe Disagrees with Notion Behind Music Videos
The rapper does not agree with the notion that music videos are no longer relevant in the modern music business.
His comment comes after some music stakeholders, including artist manager Bullgod, recommended that visualisers were more effective in recent times than professionally produced music videos.
The Ghanaian rapper revealed that visualisers don’t have the attributes to make strong business statements.
“Trust me, they’re not going to play your visualiser at the Grammys or MTV music. No, you need good music videos for your catalogue. That’s the way. Even when a label or company is coming for you, you open your catalogue, and it is not visualized; you show them.
“They are seeing the amount you’ve put in the video and everything, so they know how much they’re about to pay you. They know you don’t play with your brand.”
Lyrical Joe
Similarly, he said, although freestyle videos also appeal to music audiences, the importance of official music videos always towers over other forms of visuals recorded for music promotion purposes.
“You see, people like freestyles, right, they love it a lot, but no matter what, it will never go a long way to beat your catalogue as a musician. And freestyle, you can do it over and over again, you can only shoot the main video once.”
Lyrical Joe
Lyrical Joe’s emphasis on building a strong catalog and investing in high-quality music videos highlights his commitment to his artistry and brand.
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