August 20, 2021 |
Haven’t heard of King Promise? Get to know the name – he’s about to be your new favourite artist. The up-and-coming talent is bringing us a much-needed dose of excitement with his perfect blend of afrobeats, highlife, hip-hop and R&B, all melded into one. Born and raised in Ghana, his inspiring lyrics come packed with stories from his childhood, his party antics, and the rapper’s everyday hustle.
Despite being fairly fresh into his career, the OG Soundcloud rapper is no stranger to the limelight. With over 35-million streams on Spotify and over 1.6 million followers on Instagram, his 2019 album As Promised has become Ghana’s most-streamed album in history. The artist grew up around all types of beats, as his music-head father immersed him in all genres, from reggae to R&B and boybands.
The viral West-African star is prepared to continue his journey into stardom, after the release of his melodic love song “Slow Done” earlier this year, he now teams up with Headie One for his latest single, “Ring My Line”.
The sun-drenched visuals see the duo rocking out to the beat on lush tropical coastlines, delivering smooth lyrics and laidback bars in a video oozing with summer hues. In between catching that last bit of August sunshine, we caught up with King Promise to hear about his musical journey thus far.
1. Tell us who King Promise is in 10 words.
“Hardworking, Ambitious, Fly, God-fearing, Bad, Smart, Focused, Adventurous, Rational & Respectful.”
2. What makes Ghanian talent the best in the world?
“There’s so much talent throughout the world but Ghanaian talent is distinct. Highlife, which is our main, is the basis on which afrobeats was created. We got the “main sauce” (as I like to call it). No disrespect to any other country. I love all types of music but I believe we Africans are the best.”
3. What are three Ghanian artists we need to be listening to?
“Gyakie, she’s hard. Darkovibes, he’s wavy & R2bees, the geniuses.”
4. How was it recording “Ring My Line” with Headie One?
“I actually made the song and later rang him saying that I had the perfect song for us and he was with it right away. He recorded his verse in London and sent it across. Then he flew to Ghana and we shot the video together.”
5. Why was Headie One the perfect artist to feature on the track?
“We’ve made other records, even before “Ring My Line”, so we’ve had the connection from time. But when I made “Ring My Line”, it just felt like the perfect song for both of us and he felt the same. The concept and nature of the song was something I could hear Headie on.”
6. If you could wear one item from your wardrobe for the rest of your life, which would you pick?
“My Cartier frames. I think they make me look like a cool boss.”
7. If you were going on a global tour tomorrow, which designer would you want to design your outfits?
“Damn I have a few. Louis Vuitton, Vigi Force (Ghana), Big Lomoz (Ghana), Off-White & Daily Paper. I dress depending on how I’m feeling.”
8. What are the three key ingredients to a successful studio session?
“Normally I just go with the vibes, good vibes with good people around me. Having some Henny and snacks makes it even better.”
9. If you had to describe your sound as a scent, what would it smell like?
“Oud.”
10. What can we expect from King Promise over the next year?
“More music, great videos, and eventually the album!”
Stream “Ring My Line” on all major platforms now.
