From Adabraka with love to all African Girls

Matching up to a debut hit album has never been an easy feat for many an artiste. Since the release of their debut LP spearheaded by hit single “African girls,” the 5Five boys have gone on to win two Ghana  music awards [2008] including the converted prize of ‘Discovery of the year” and added the best group video award at the recent 4Syte music video awards.

Two years after their breakout success and the addition of a new member, in Gyino, the self styled ghetto super stars from Bullhaus entertainment/DMJ Consults are hoping to follow up on their buzz with the release of their sophomore effort appropriately titled “Adabraka” after the hood whose daily hustle, they continue to glamorize in their music.

The question on most lips though is whether the self styled ghetto superstars have got the stuff to match up to their current buzz. Their breakthrough single “African girls” was a tribute to all African ladies, and it seems the Adabraka boys are content with sticking to their ways and making music for the ladies. This LP may be titled “Adabraka” and have the title track to back it up, but right from start to finish, the theme of the African girl and love is touched in a variety of colorful ways.

The 11 track playlist opens with title track, ‘Adabraka,’ a joint that describes the daily hustle of life in the ‘hood.’ Papi sums it all on one chant in the end, “In ma hood then go fi kwashe you/hey tufrim!”

The tempo then rises with a dancehall production from Richie on “Pretty gals.” The first single off the LP, this is a definite club banger enhanced in no small way by Gyino and Killi’s combined vocals, blending impressively to produce an irresistible dance tune.

The tempo then drops back to an RnB groove on “Banana” which has Ofori Amponsah lending some silky smooth voice to maximum effect, but it is Gyino and Killi who get you paying attention from the beginning riding the rhythm to perfection.  Papi’s delivery also does well to impress. Ofori Amponsah does not disappoint, proving why he still remains relevant to Ghanaian music today, and manages to give the joint a distinct feel as he sings in Twi, in contrast to the trio’s English flow.

The crooning continues on track 5 with “Excuse me,” another romantic ballad. Papi’s flow on this joint, as with most others on this playlist fails to impress. His flow seems to lack his of stage swagger and punch, and is at best dismissive; nonetheless this joint should please many an RnB head any day.

Track after track, from singing the beauty of  GH gals, ghetto style, on “I see gals” to smooth humming on “ma gal,” the Double 5 boys are joined by label mates  Iwan and Natural Face to sing one melody after another dedicated to the feminine race. At a point the theme inevitably gets a bit monotonous, but track 10, “On The Grind,” offers a different sound though the theme of love is still maintained to an extent, the flow is definitely different and even has Papi on auto tune for the most part.

On track 7, Iwan nails the vocals on “Ghetto Queen” and makes another impressive contribution on the hook to “Bullhaus party,” a typical party/dancehall joint reminiscent of the popular “African girls,” and in much the same way is sure to get rave heads head bumping and grinding.

The “African Girls remix” comes up on track 11 before this playlist wraps up on an absolutely unexpected joint. Whiles “Lalanyukor” may follow the lead of “excuse me” and the other RnB grooves on this playlist, it pretty much different from the rest, offering a spare but soothing jazzy instrumentation that has Papi riding the waves accordingly with undoubtedly his best flow yet. Killi also rises up to the occasion and seals his performance with a soothing delivery on the hook that could land him a place along GH’s favoured male vocalists. If Double 55 wanted to give African ladies the perfect kind of tribute, this final track surely did it for them.

Not a bad effort from the boys from A-Town, it sure could have been better but they’ve certainly given their GH girls 11 more reasons to love them back.