This interview was done at Lynx Entertainment Records studio at New Achimota, Accra, Ghana. Present were Richie (executive producer), as well as Asem and OJ Blaq, two other musicians on the Lynx record label.

Museke: Can you tell us about your background, family and education?
OJ Blaq – I was born Nii Akrashi in Accra, and am the only child. I attended Motown (Achimota) prep, junior high and senior high school, through out. I also studied some ICM travel and tourism courses in the UK. I have also taken some Ghana Institute of Journalism courses.

Asem – My real name is Nana Wiafe Asante-Mensah. I was born in Cape Coast, and my family moved around and got to Accra when I was 6 years old. I attended St. John’s basic schools in Achimota and then St. Peters Secondary School in Nkwatia (Eastern Region). I am now at the Ghana Institute of Journalism studying communication studies.

Richie – I was born Richie Mensah in Accra, both parents are Ashantis. My mum is Alberta Mensah. I have 2 more siblings, a brother and a sister. I atteneded Christ the King school and then Achimota.

Museke: How did you get into music and what made you take it seriously?
OJ - I started doing music way back in Motown (Achimota secondary school), rapping and emceeing shows. Showbiz started for me in Motown. I was rapping my own songs, I could write one or two.
I knew I was in creative, studied art in Motown. Creativity is unlimited, so far as I can write and produce things with my own ideas. I noticed I could do my own music even in primary school so I wanted to take it seriously. I didn’t even want to divert, I wanted to be in the arts, showbiz or the media.

Asem – I got into music around secondary school time. I was doing ‘copyright’ in junior high, singing people’s songs, mostly those of Lost boyz, Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., Busta Rhymes, etc. I was writing my own lyrics and singing my own songs on stage by senior secondary school. That was when I developed the art. After school (St. Peters Secondary School - Nkwatia), I started doing it professionally, in 2005.

Richie – I have been singing all my life with my own family. I started professionally in senior secondary school (Achimota), formed a group called S-touch. S-Touch was made up of S-Touch – me, Irene Logan (of Irene and Jane and Stars of the Future fame), Salimi (girl), Edwin Ferguson (keyboardist), Francis and Selassie. When we left school, we changed to Lynx. The four guys formed lynx and then used it to start the studio and record label. Later it became Edwin and I, we formed the studio. I took music seriously when we formed Lynx.

Museke: OJ, your face is familiar from the hit television series, Sun City. What does OJ Blaq stand for and tell us about your acting career?
Way back in Motown, people said I was wilder than OJ Simpson. I was called Notorious OJ, so I changed it to make it OJ. Someone is using OJ in the gospel scene so I changed mine to OJ Blaq.
I am still acting, I have a couple of good movies coming out. I am also writing some. I acted in Sun City as ‘Marlon T’. I am part of a new TV series coming out whose working title is ‘The Frosters’.

Museke: How did the three of you meet?
Richie – OJ began my studio career. The studio was menat for Lynx and then OJ asked if it was possible to work with him in the studio and then more artistes came to the studio. When Asem was in SSS, he and his friends came to Lynx to record a demo. After school, he came and joined the record label.
My brother is OJ’s junior in school

Museke: Asem, how was it coming to record from Peters?
If you perform on stage and they say you are good, they (the fans at school – Peters) give you motivation. A friend brought me and my other friends here to record a demo. For our level, it was nice to get this chance. After school, I came back with a couple of friends but because of my talent, I was drafted into the record label. (Here the interview is interrupted by a call on Asem’s phone and he addresses the one at the other end as ‘Sweetness’ ? )
When you are in school, people do it (rap) for fun, after school, but after school, we wanted to do it professionally. I started recording from 2005.

Museke: What songs have you featured on or featured others?
OJ Blaq - I am featured on Sidney who is now Barima’s ‘Ma sweety’, then with Fontomfrom and nkasei (bie pono no).
For my own album, the title be Galanja – it means ghetto, my abode. It means ghetto in my language (that I made up). I have Tinny (Otan and Abotere), Quata (Dedeede), Asem (Galanja n Put your hands up), Richie (Come get with me and Put your hands up)
I am also doing a project with Okyeame Kwame – it is an NGO project for the International Labour Organization; we are making songs for them. It is a child labour campaign. We got it through one of the front-liners of a Canadian NGO.

Richie - I featured on Okyeame Kwame’s songs (Mmaa and Wo so), Tinny (Now I know, Sexy African lady and Gangsta’s party), Lady Prempeh (Odo yi wo he) – the song talks about how people don’t care enough about each other. I also featured on Bradez’s songs, Tiffany (How we do it), as well as tracks by Asem and OJ Blaq.
On my album, I featured Tinny (Gangsta party), Bandana and Mr. Borax (More of that), Tom Houston, who is an American artiste on ‘When u r gone’. Tom had come to Ghana and was looking for a studio. I also have Kazooka (Dirty dance), Irene n Soulja’s Inn (Frema remix), Asem and Salimi (Shabote). The album is called All of me.

Asem - I haven’t really featured on major songs, but I have done some underground mixtapes. Because I am in school, I don’t have time to move around studios recording. I have friends who are doing music full-time.
On my ‘Better late than never’ album, I featured Okyeame Kwame (Lickle girl), Tinny and Richie (It’s over), Mr. Borax (Ohemaa), DJ Andy Dosty, Tinny, Richie and Bradez (Gimme the blow remix), Dampo and OJ Blaq (AgyekE – bad boys sound, a collabo with myself and two bad boys), as well as Lady Prempeh (Obra)

Museke: Which African musicians did you listen to growing up? Or foreign?
Asem – I listened to Kanda Bongo man, Freddy Meiway, Ras Kimono of Under pressure fame. I also listened to Alpha Blondy, Kojo Antwi, Rex Omar, Paapa yankson, Nat Brew, Kodjo Acquai (OJ says), Akosua Agyepong, Nana Acheampong, K K Kabobo. Reggie Rockstone, George Jahraa, Nananom.
For foreign musicians, I listened to Kris Kross, Vanilla Ice, Run DMC, KRS One, Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Dre, Method man, etc

OJ Blaq - My list includes Amandzeba, Fela Kuti, Salif Keita, Hugh Masekela because I love the trumpet, Osibisa, Kojo Acquai, Freddy Meiway, Kanda Bongo Man. I also loved Youssou Ndour with Wyclef Jean (Diallo).
For foreign musicians, I listened to UB40, Michael Jackson, MC Hammer, Kris Kros, Vicious, Notorious BIG, Tupac Amaru Shakur, Barry White, Lost Boyz (Peac, Love and Happiness)

Richie – I liked Kojo Antwi, Osibisa, Nakorex - all of them and I followed their careers after they disbanded. For the outside folk, I listened to Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, R Kelly, etc.

Which African musicians do you idolize or admire (presently)?
Asem - Freshlyground, Nameless, Skwatta Kamp, Salif keita, Youssou Ndour.

Richie – P-Square, Nameless, W4, Nana Fynn, Asem, OJ Blaq, Okyeame Kwame. I also admire R Kelly, Usher, Akon and Ludacris.

OJ Blaq – Tuface idibia, Faze, P-Square, Okyeame Kwame, Elivava (Tina), Rocky Dawuni, Hugh Masekela, Skwatta Kamp (Clan), TKzee.

Museke: How is the album doing? What are some of the songs on the album?
Asem – It’s been very rough. I have been recording over and over again and fixing school in between. Finally, the battle is over and production is going on. I was waiting for the right time to release the album. I didn’t wanna be like those who release, get some small airplay and drown into the system. Right now, we have the right influential people to make things go, with Lynx.
Promotion is now about to begin full-time, we were testing the waters before. Promotion is not only radio, if you look at international artists, they used the internet. People have the song (Gimme blow), on their pc’s, phones, etc.

OJ Blaq – Officially, selling would start by June 2nd, the album is complete and I am looking for more promotion. We are starting from the tertiary institutions. The Sun City acting is helping push me and I think the video would help me more.
Since people like you all over, when your song comes out they will be wondering and would want to find out. ‘Me kura mu’ is my major single.

Richie – recording it since 2003. Only reason is cuz he’s a perfectionist. Launching Frema as a single in April and then the album will follow in the latter part of the year.

What kind of music do you do?
Asem – Ghanaian hip hop.

OJ Blaq – I do universal music, I listen to whatever kind of music depending on time.

Richie – African RnB singer, I do all genres and me being a producer, it gives me the ability to do various genres. I draw inspiration from whomever I am doing music with, and it helps to blend styles.

Part 2 of this interview can be found at this link