The Rise To Fame Of Kofi B

Kofi Boakyie Yeadom is like many of his compatriots in the musical world - he has dreams of becoming rich. But, unlike many of his peers Kofi B, as he's also known, has an interesting reason for wanting to amass all those cedis: he wants to be a lawyer.

"I think it is the most respected and humble job one can do," the up-and-coming hip-life artist says about his lifelong ambition to be a lawyer. And as for that burgeoning musical career, Kofi B says that"s all by chance.

This week Yeadom sat down with The Saturday Statesman to talk about what he has achieved so far.

Dressed casually in a long sleeved shirt and trousers, he related his average beginnings. "I got into music accidentally," he said. "I come from a poor family. At the age of five years my father died. After he passed, because there was no money to do anything I had to come out of school, that is Agogo Secondary in the Ashanti Region, to help to support the family. I then went into trading where I was selling shoes."

Kofi explained that although his family has music in its history his ambition is still to become a lawyer. In fact, so strong is the musical tradition in his family, that some are even disappointed with Kofi's legal aspirations. Many Ghanaian mothers would be overjoyed with a son who wanted to be a lawyer, but Kofi's mother wanted to support his other dream, he says, and advised him that he could make a living through through music.

Living a day at a time the young artist, who counts football and boxing among his hobbies, says he finds the music industry very intriguing.

Speaking about the recent Ghana Music Awards, he said: "My music was supposed to be nominated next year but it was nominated this year without an award, this [the lack of an award] I find hard to believe …" Kofi remains confident and relaxed, and some of his close confidents openly say that although he failed to win an award, Kofi still believes that if the music industry were to call out its five best singers, he would be one of them.

Amakyei Dede, Kojo Antwi, Ofori Amponsah and the late Opampuo were the people who inspired Kofi, he says, but Ofori Amponsah was the one who lifted him from grass to grace since they came from the same village.

But not the music industry is not always a friendly or pleasant environment in which to work, Kofi points out, saying that the music world has taught him a great deal about cheating: "the producers do not give us what we deserve."

True to form on his latest album yaw dompreh the track "Belinda" is his favourite because it talks about love, when the one you love leaves without telling you.

Source: Scholastica Nyarko, The Statesman