Melbourne-based Ghanian-Australian hip hop artist Kwasi is one of the driving forces taking the local scene into the next generation. His addictive cadence and creative storytelling is on show in latest offering ‘Self Sabotage’, featuring Congrats, released 25 May via his own DGTL Records.
Produced by platinum award-winning Melbourne genius Hamley (Stan Walker, Allday), the guitar-driven beat is reminiscent of 2000s pop-punk with modern trap stylings. Kwasi’s versatile flow is paired with Congrats’ (Ben Stewart of Slowly Slowly) aching hooks in a self-deprecating singalong of confronting honesty. ‘Self Sabotage’ draws aural influences from the likes of contemporary acts Kid Cudi, Triple One, Kwame and Blessed. It’s an all-too-familiar topic conveyed as an infectious albeit moody banger that is both nostalgic and refreshing.
“I had some relationship woes at the time, I wrote the words ‘Self Sabotage’ in my phone notes on the way to the studio knowing I had some energy to get off my chest that day,” Kwasi explains. “Being from different music backgrounds, we didn’t know what to expect when we started creating, but that said, we definitely had so much crossover in our musical expression. The session felt cathartic and gave way to a long lineage of songs we’ve now created together.”
The two also collaborated on the single ‘Overthink’ from Congrats’ debut EP Pharaoh in 2021.
“‘Self Sabotage’ serves as a much needed follow up to ‘Overthink’, as I think it really solidifies the way in which Kwasi, Hamley and I balance our unique styles to create something unique,” adds Congrats. “It’s a natural way of songwriting with a lot of mutual respect. I really enjoy creating music with them.”
Having supported the likes of Genesis Owusu, 360, Illy, Allday and D12, Kwasi’s success is hard-earned and self-made. With over 1.2 million streams, partnerships with 1800 Tequila, Under Armour and Scrapegrace Gin, and running his own studio, the accomplished rapper has built a solid foundation as an independent artist over the last two years. Now, 2022 is shaping up to be monumental, with a slew of exciting content on the way.
Speaking from experience, Kwasi shares his three top tips for selling out a launch show:
Tell everybody – “If you don’t have a big team or big budget, you need to find a way to get the word out. Anybody I would speak to that showed on the lead up to my events, I would fill them in. This was very effective and you’ll be surprised how hyped people get about something when they can tell you are passionate. You want to be graceful with this and still pick your conversation timing haha. But some of my biggest music opportunities have developed through sparking a conversation.”
Interesting content – “Branding and vision come into this. You want to find unique ways to get people excited about your shows. On the lead up to my events, I would do anything from releasing weekly freestyle videos to filming myself rap whilst getting a tattoo, get support acts involved, email marketing, etc. The weirder, the better. Also, investing in a graphic designer doesn’t hurt for this. If you don’t have the skills to visually translate your idea, you should get someone involved that does.”
Strategy – “Plan out style, timing and check marks to hit along the way. This gives you small steps to work towards and also gives feedback on how to improve for the next project.”
Praised for ‘diving even further into a nonconformist fusion of his influences’ by Blunt Mag and ‘transcending barriers’ by Africa Day Australia, Kwasi is the future of hip hop, today. ‘Self Sabotage’ is an expression of everything that the multifaceted talent and his music stands for, with homage to the culture he grew from while shaping the way forward.
You can follow Kwasi on his socials below.
