Song: No Competition

Artistes: Okyeame Kwame ft. Kuami Eugene

Producer: Kuami Eugene and MOGBeatz

Author of Review: Kwame Dadzie

Okyeame Kwame's rap dexterity seems not to be ebbing away in the wake of the stiff competition posed by newer and more vibrant rap artistes in Ghana.

His delivery on his latest song with Kuami Eugene, 'No Competition' is testament to his proclivity to excellence when it comes to lyricism.

Intro: The song starts with a cappella of Kuami Eugene singing: "I came to them sometime they say they don’t know me; Now everybody dey sing my melody; See me, I no get compete; Come and see money follow me."

Then both Okyeame Kwame and Kuami Eugene enter with their signatures: "Rap Dacta, Rockstar made it, Ladies and Gentlemen."

The second phase of the intro comes with a prominent melody of a popular song 'Ghanafo mmaayewa', performed by a flute. This flute melody ends the song, as well.

Production: Kuami Eugene is gradually ensconcing himself in the world of production and his work on 'No Competition' proves he is maturing in the field. The production quality and groove make the song one that will make it to the playlists of music lovers and consumers. Complementing his creativity on the song, is music producer MOGBeatz.

The musical piece is done in 6/8 rhythm, in a typical kete/adowa fashion - a rhythm that is common in most African societies. It is rendered in Key C Major.

The bed created by the guitars and keyboards evince a soothing highlife vibe. The d-f-s-d progression and the highlife guitar strums makes the song relatable.

Message: Both Kuami and Okyeame in this song, accentuate the hustle they have been through to get to the top. The claim they have no competition because of their uniqueness and resilience. In fact, Eugene indicates how difficult it was for him to be accepted into the industry. But after winning the hearts of music lovers, they sing his songs.

The intro of the song which happens to be chorus (the heart of the musical piece) sums up the crux of the message. To wit, their success today which makes them incomparable, didn’t not come by fluke.

Kuami Eugene’s verse: Kuami Eugene is at his vocal best on the song, as he gets more rhythmic and poetic with his delivery. He mixes Twi, Pidgin English and Ga to communicate the quest by people to bring him down, the strides he has made and the God factor to his success and protection against the wiles of his enemies.

Wait, jealousy go shame menua no long talk

I'm the baddest in the game man always on top

They want make I fall make my teeth comot

But Oluwa dey my side I'm a lion

Otao Ogbemi aloo

Otao, otao ogbemi aloo

We dey scatter the place from Accra to Ojueleba oo

No ewor tswaa me beat Ebo

Nyɔŋmɔ haaa ni em) ni ewo

See how I’m chilling, girls are billing poverty dierr no no no

Okyeame Kwame's rap: Okyeame Kwame does a mixture of conventional spoken rap and melodic rap in the song; there are portions he places melodies on his words. The variety makes the song more refreshing.

The verse is also laden with puns, double entendres, symbolism, similes, metaphors, among other literary devices.

While using imagery in his composition, Okyeame paints a picture of being distracted while having an intercourse (not with a woman but with music). He therefore expresses how well he loves rap than sex.

Oooooh hwan ni a?

Magyegye adamu wo dan mu a

Me nsa ator bi so sei mua

Me nnyae mme tie mo wor Ghana

Ok ! Mo afre me a, maba

Hwan ne ho amaga

Mo per baabi akor a, apata?

Meper rap na gyae atopa

Me ridi rap se ponko

Me denden a, me kyen pompo

Kwame’s 'Made in Ghana' agenda is carried on to this new project. His love for Ghana is not just evident in the rhythm for this song, but his quest to keep drumming home pushing what is Ghanaian. Kwame in his delivery projects Ghana ahead of what is foreign.

His Sean Jean example is symbolism for the agenda. He uses fashion to highlight this virtue, most importantly mentioning how he visits Hong Kong while clad in the Ghanaian kente cloth.

Kanee no na me hyer Sean Jean

Nso Ghana nti ma shun ‘John’

Hyer kente nenam Hong Kong

Legacy for the kids unborn

Although Kwame tells his story in the first person narrative voice, he does a switch from the 15^th to the 16^th line of the verse, to a second person voice.

26 years nie onnae da

Na O2 (otu) nenan, London

These lines mean Okyeame Kwame has not slept for the past 26 years he has been in the music industry, and that his hard work has taken him to London. He plays on words here. ‘Otu’, the Twi expression which means “he steps” rhymes with O2, the performance centre in London where Akyeame once performed at.

There are more punchlines from the 20^th to 24^th lines:

I am already pregnant with the flow nti no me nfa wo Lydia

Ma gye nsem se Libya

Me acti a media

Nim se me Forsi Lydia

Connected, Nvidia

The Rap Dacta in line 20, says that nothing can prevent the growth of his creativity and excellence in music. Lydia in line 20, represents Lydia contraceptive. Then compares his extraordinary performance to one of Ghana’s iconic actresses, Lydia Forson. He mentions that when he acts, the media knows he can be likened to Lydia Forson.  Nvidia, is a technology company that offers networking solutions; the mention of the name highlights how connected Okyeame Kwame is, to the people that matter in the music ecosystem.

Although Okyeame talks about payday in line 26, he also refers to Paedae of the R2Bees music group. This meaning crystalises better in the next line ‘refuse to be broke’ the full form of R2Bees.

Yenyinaa ye twen payday (Paedae)

Refuse to be broke all day

Conclusion: After touting all his achievements and qualities, he asks that people should jubilate and salute him. He also re-echoes his brand, OK – which is the short of Okyeame Kwame. The last line of the verse proves this: while doing word play with AY Poyoo, he says even if “ay” is taken from the word ‘okay’, he will still be OK (as in Okyeame Kwame).

Oye oye , bo ose bo se,

Mo ntwa me prusei prusei

Wo yi AY no de ma poyoo koraa still me ye OK.

This might not be Okyeame Kwame best rap verse since he started music about 26 years ago, but a lot of people who thought the emergence of new and more ‘dangerous’ rappers might have dislodged him from the rap scene, are beginning to fall in love with Kwame’s rap potential all over again.

Listen to ‘No Competition’ by Okyeame Kwame ft. Kuami Eugene below: