Ghanaian Music Gets a Lil Shaker

Lil Shaker is one of the newest kids to hit the block. He is undoubtedly amongst the most creative and dynamic rap artistes currently in the industry. Not only can he boast of prowess in pidgin rap, but also in music production.

Philip Yaw Akoto Atiemo, known in showbiz as Lil Shaker a.k.a The Prince of Beats, has produced countless hit tracks with artistes such as Sarkodie, Kwaw Kesse, Wanlov Kubolor, Guru, Jayso, Chase, Tiffany, EL, D-black and Kweku-T (BREATHE-best video…GMA) and Scientific. He has also produced songs for Ayigbe Edem, Macho apper, Irene, Konfi, and Caroline (Citi fm), which are yet to be released.

As an underground artiste, the rapper has chalked so much success capturing the attention of almost all the youth in the country. He has released over 30 singles and remixes of songs of both Ghanaian and major international artistes.

He on his birthday, 20th February 2010, released a mixtape titled BIRTHDAY MIXTAPE, which had over 20,000 downloads within 48hours and the number keeps increasing by the day. Prior to that, he had featured on more than half the tracks on THE NEW GENERATION MIXTAPE, a mixtape that featured all the new signings on his record label, Skillions Records.

Things around us influence his songs, and it is evident in the content of his lyrics. Usually backed by a comic intension, his songs send the intended messages with a sense of humour. The young rap protÃ©gÃ© looks forward to chopping success very soon, because he has done it once as an underground artiste. He knows doing it, as a commercial artiste is not far from possible.

He proved this when he rapped on one of his tracks, 'Hello' a remake of American artiste Flo Rida's song. On the track he recalls, 'Oh I wasn't born with it/ and no! I no learn am/ the skills already dey, ridee wey I dey try perfect am/ I get some small fame, now I'm looking for success/ so in case you krosh am aa make you tell am say I dey search am...'. Lashing down the track with these lines talking about his focus on success, he goes on further to dismiss failure and declare his allegiance to his record label.

He goes on to rap... 'failure wants to be my friend but no I no go let am/ into my life, forget am/ no I no go accept am/ if e try force in body too aa I go hurt am/ ma album dey drop soon, you for expect am/ some say e cher, oh e go come, you for wedge am/ word to the skillions, shaker got your back/ anybody want beef, bring him to me make I serve am/ I be Ghana boy dat be why I still dey localise my English, I no see why I for slur am/ what you dey talk about me, I no dey hear am/ forget about your rules, I be Beckam, I go bend am'. What more could he have said to alert you?

Lil Shaker, a former student of Accra High School and NIIT, releases his debut album this year, and all Ghanaians should most definitely watch out for the new wonder kid.