Kweku Smoke’s musical journey has been largely influenced over the years by various factors and people. Born in Kumasi, Ghana, where he is working hard to climb the ladder of fame, Kweku Smoke, born Paul Amankwa, is a rapper fast gaining prominence and recognition among hardcore hip-hop heads. He set out early in his life to become a lawyer, which was his family’s expectations. However, the story changed when he started following his elder brother, who was an aspiring rapper at the time, to the studio. His love for music became strong, and he relied on CDs to listen to rap and Hip-Hop songs.
Listening to those Hip-Hop songs and watching his brother rap in the studio and at home influenced Kweku immensely. His passion for music grew stronger, and at that point, there was no turning back. He completed his basic education at Victory International and had his high school education at Benkum Senior High before attending Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). By 2015, he began his career officially and started catching attention on social media. His rap style, which is mainly in English, Twi, and Pidgin languages, got many people on his side, and gradually began to gain some prominence. With the proliferation of social media came more avenues to promote himself to a larger audience. He started releasing freestyle under the stage name “YRS” before changing his name to Kweku Smoke in 2019.
In 2019, he met Nana Boro in the studio, who enjoyed his music and gave him some positive words. The same year, he got endorsed by Sarkodie on social media, and they got to work together on a song. “Yedin,” a song featuring Sarkodie, was released in 2019, and it instantly caught the ears of Ghanaian music fans. The song became an instant hit, and Kweku Smoke got more fans for himself. A single social media endorsement from one of the biggest music stars in Ghana gave his career a turnaround. Since then, Kweku Smoke has vowed not to misuse the opportunity of fame that he got with that encounter.
Looking back at his life and career trajectory, his talent has mostly paved the way for him and helped him gain access to opportunities that changed his status from an upcoming artist to an artist with a bit of clout. Moving forward, Kweku Smoke hopes to keep growing his brand and working on more songs to establish his presence as a solid rapper and Hip-Hop artist in Ghana. Music success from Africa these days is measured by global impact, which is one of the things Kweku Smoke will be focusing on.
He recently released his album titled “Snoop Forever,” which he has dedicated to his late brother – the same brother that influenced his music. In his words, “When I started working on this album, I had other plans, but when my brother died, I had to go back to the studio and start all over again because my brother had the biggest influence on my music career. He taught me everything, and with this album named after him (his name is Snoop) and mostly about him, I feel relieved knowing that I have done something to keep his memory alive, and I know he will be happy and proud wherever he is.”
Learn more about Kweku Smoke on his official Instagram page and check out his album Snoop Forever here.
