Obrafour
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Enable Javascript and Adobe Flash player in your browser to browse the full media gallery2008-04-08Michael Kwabena Okyere Darko
Michael Kwabena Okyere Darko aka Obrafour is a Ghanaian rapper who hails from Kwawu in the Eastern region. Obrafour means Executioner in Akan. Michael Kwabena Okyere Darko is dubbed Ghana's rap sofour (priest) and owns the Execution records label.
He grew up in at Kwawu and left to Accra when he was 5. He attended New Star Preparatory and then Abetifi Secondary and St. Peter's Secondary School. He dropped out after one term after his mother died. As a child, he sang at church with his mum. He had formed a quartet which sang gospel songs. He had dreams of becoming a lawyer when he was young.
Influenced by Reggie Rockstone and the emergence of the hiplife genre, he decided to take up hiplife. He began attending various auditions and performances. His performance was at a programme held at Secaps Hotel where he caught the attention of Radio Gold's B.B. Menson. He eventually struck a chord with Edward Nana Poku Osei aka Hammer (of the Last 2 together with Yaw Anoff 'Deep'). Hammer was an amateur beat maker who had not taken the music business seriously until he met Obrafour. From Hammer’s own words, they ‘clicked’. For Obrafour and Hammer (the Last 2) fans, the rest is history.
Hammer helped Obrafour secure a deal with Abraham Ohene Djan (OM Studios) and in late 1999, Obrafour’s first album, 'Pae mu ka' was produced and distributed. The album was an acclaimed success and a breadth of fresh air on the music scene. One of the songs, 'Kwame Nkrumah' paid a resounding tribute to the Osagyefo and encouraged Ghanaians to unite and work for the best of the country. The album, considered to be the best hiplife album ever, enjoyed a lot of airplay that to this day, the intro and outro tracks are still played during radio programmes.
In 2001,Obrafour released his second album, 'Asem sebe' which was also very successful. He went back to his first love and did Ghana's first ever rap gospel song called EnyE Nyame a. Obrafour sought the assistance of other beat makers than Hammer and had a few songs with the highlife vein. He proceeded to do a maxi single album dedicated to his late mother, Mrs. Gladys Agyapomaa. The album featured Tic Tac and Yoggi Doggi on a remix. To this day, 'Maame' is a Ghanaian music favourite that rules the airwaves each Mother’s day. The album also had a song he did jointly with Tic Tac for Ashfoam which was very successful.
His third album, Time Out for Adhesion (TOFA) came out in 2003. In this album, Obrafour’s love for singing is heavily noticed along with many highlife songs. His fourth LP, NteteE Pa, came out in late 2003 with a number of remixes from the TOFA album. The lead single, however, was Nya NteteE Pa (Be disciplined) which coincided with his effort to join Ghana’s vice president to fight indiscipline in the country. It was voted by the song of the 2003 by Joy FM listeners and Obrafour’s legend was magnified. He started his own indiscipline campaign which targeted the youth mostly even though he had advice for everyone (from ministers and musicians to taxi drivers and pastors). His Platinum Project on indiscipline was divided into two main segments; the Lecture/Counselling Workshop and the H.E.L.P (Hiplife Education and Literacy Project) Ghana initiative.
In 2004, Obrafour decided to use his record label, Execution Entertainment (which had been responsible for his last three albums) to expose new talents on Ghana’s music scene. He produced 'Execution Diary' with the help of Hammer which was the first major compilation album involving hiplife artistes by another hiplife artiste. The LP had songs which introduced relatively new 'hiplife foot soldiers' like 'Oye nonsense' by Kwaw Kese, 'Ntakaa' by Hot Core, 'Susu dwen me ho' by Dogo and further enhanced the careers of Tinny with 'Heko Ejorko' (I believe I can fly), Okyeame Quame with 'Opabeni', 4x4 with 'Kpekpele' and Yoggi Doggi with 'Ye ne saa ma me'. 'Oye Nonsense','Heko ejorko', 'Opabeni' and 'Kpekpele' all enjoyed massive airplay and were on Ghana’s 20 biggest hits at one point in time.
His fifth album, Heavy, was released in 2006. It gained massive airplay and featured Kanda Bongo man on Aunti Akosua Ba.
Obrafour has been praised for his lyrical prowess and has stated that he wants to be the most decent lyricist ever out of Ghana. He has also a clothing line, OB4.
Some of his songs are Agoro no aso, Kokonsa, Ma mendwen me ho, Asem sebe, Who born you by mistake, Odo, Enye Nyame a, Okukuseku, Oye Ohene, Adefoode, Nyamekye, Ebehyehyew, Sete, Akokonini, Obaa bi, Odo amaa, Oyonkour, Mensesa, Monfa nsa, Kae me, Odo nsuo, Aunti Akosua ba, Wote puupuu, Fakye me, African boy, etc.
Obrafour on MySpace
Obrafour featured
Song lyrics
Pae mu ka (1999)
Pae mu ka
Yaanom
Kwame Nkrumah
Aden
Asem sebe (2001)
Obibini
Maame
Bra be hwe
Okwantuni
Twe wo ho
TOFA (2003)
Sete
Ntetee Pa (2003)
Nya Ntetee Pa
Who Jah Bless





















Obr4 made some great gospel songs o, Enye Nyame a and Hwan na ene. I remember Enye Nyame a as the first hiplife gospel song and then everyone else copied him. Ghana Rap Sofour ampa!
Obrafour is the best rapper ever!
Rap Sofo, do your thing, don't let no one break you down.
You are the best.
Boy, you de bomb I be listening to your song all the time. I love Oye Hene (Is that spelled right)
Boy, you de bomb I be listening to your song all the time. I love Oye Hene the remix too.
Congrats on your Ghana music awards Ghana rap sofour. You deserved them.
Charley, I'm gonna keep it real with u. You know what's up and how great your music is right from your classic debut "Pae Mu Ka", and trust me, it's the only album apart from Reggie's "Makaa Maka" and Tinny's, Buk Bak's and VIP's that I really listen to. You kept hiplife alive with the original Ghanaian and Western funky blends. Big ups!! But on the real, when can your fans get another real hiplife classic like your debut? I'm sick and tired of brodas selling their souls with all these cheap imitations of "jamma rap" and "highlife rap". The whole funky rhythm is gone and the annoying part is a hiplife track with 50% singing. What the hell is that? man we are here to spit good lyrical punches and metaphors. And if you ain't with that, get out of the game. Cha, the execution camp's got to step up the game with the Last 2 productions and keep keeping it real aight? We are with you guys. One love!
i agree with the last 2 part, those guys need to step up their game, they falling behind. or is it payola, bad distribution channels?
what's up man? I really appreciate you taking a look at my comments on "keep it real". That was some good lookin'. You seem a real soldier of the game! I recently posted an article on the blog page (Hiplife:The True Definition) and a topic on the forum page (The State of Hiplife Today), so kindly click on and holla at ya boy aight? You can also get it on the Reggie Rockstone hope page as well. Holla!
Obrafour has canged his style but I still love his music a lot.
could you please send me the lyrics for hwan na by obrafour.
thanks
andy k
Hwan na lyrics posted at http://museke.com/node/1642
it's a really beautiful gospel song though it has some Arabic/Muslim lines in there. That doesn't matter to Obrafour though, he's all about unity.
You can also listen to the song here - http://www.museke.com/node/1641
i am half nigerian/ghanaian and am very proud of Obrafour.
his lyrics are clean, straight and kool.
would be in ghana by march 2008 and buying his cd's is a must!
i love all your style you too much... i dey try make am too
GOOD LUCK IN ALL YOU DO AND ALWAYS KNOW GOD IS WITH YOU...
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