On my usual freaking on
the social media, I came across information concerning an award for the
Underground Musicians in Ghana. This event known as the GUM AWARDS 2015 is an event organized by Latent Hub to award some
talented artists who are on their own to motivate them and also give them a
publicity opportunity.
My involvement in this
activity has given me the opportunity to come across one talented musician
called, Jonathan Osei-Tuffuor whose stage name is SLIM JOEZY.
Slim Joezy made it
clear that he is a musician, not an artist and therefore does all genre of
Music but performs best in HIP-HOP and HIP-LIFE. He really has a great story to
tell, and I guess his fans will be ear-itching to listen.
Slim Joe as I Call him
started singing and performing with most popular artist’s songs on stage when
he was actually in primary two. He once put a smile on my face when he told me
that during his early primary education period, he goes to sit behind a
drinking spot near his house and listen to songs after school, because there was
no radio at home. In class three, his mother bought him a Walkman which
motivated him a lot to listen more songs from the then popular artists like
Obrafour, kwaadei, Obour and others which he performed during school programs.
At the age of 12, he started writing his own songs till now. ”So today if I
cast my mind back I can see that music is my life”.
He made mention of some
artists like T.I saying he likes his way of rap, Yaa Pono saying “he speaks his
mind” and Obrafour saying his music always teaches.
So far, Slim Joezy has worked harder with a
lot of artists and engineers. He is currently on four songs and is working on
his new single. He has worked and recorded in studios like Lay Ham Studio,
Toontoom Studios, TML Studio, Hit Makers Records and is featuring in the
upcoming Ghana Underground Music Awards Cypher. He is also working with One
Love DA Kuborlor and other artists like Jay Shady, Kingskid, Regina,
Regardless, and Esias.
Aside Slim’s progress,
he is facing some challenges which he believes he is going to overcome as he
keeps pressing harder. He hardly finances his music career and he strives very
hard to support himself and his own music since he has no manager. He is
currently working on a job to further his education abroad. He is born to be successful,
and as a hard worker, it is his plan to have so many different producers all
over the world with one serious manager, an engineer, a personal DJ and wants to
take African Music to the Apex since his music teaches as well.
Slim Joezy sees the Ghana
Music industry to be doing their best but are only interested in the popular
artists. He says the Music Industry should also stretch their hands to the young
talented underground musicians for they are the falcons to fly Ghana Music
higher. He also pictures the Ghana music Industry to become massive and larger
and can see Gospel to overshadow others genres some time to come.
Slim Joezy’s last words
are targeted to all other young underground artists like him. They should keep on working
harder no matter the challenges they go through. Undergrounds are also not to
see each other as enemies and beef each other but come together, collaborate
and feature each other to do and produce good music.