Urban Gospel Music has been on the rise in the last three years on the Ghana music scene and is gradually gaining attention and paving its way into the mainstream market. The struggle for attention was achieved when Ace Gospel Musician Cwesi Oteng hit the market with his “GOD DEY BLESS” banger. The Pidgin-English lyrics which was recorded on a fusion beat was a revolution for urban and hip-hop gospel artists. This significant move brought to the limelight of some major urban/hip-hop gospel artists we have such as KingzKid, Jay Smoke, Preachers, Jay Shady just to mention a few.
“It’s now time for the real deal, I’m taking the industry by storm!!!” says KOJO BENTIL. Kojo Bentil is the new face of Hip-Hop and Urban Gospel music, produced locally for Ghana and the global market. He also stated, “This type of music is not parallel to the traditional Ghana Gospel that has been around for years. This is more contemporary and appeals both to the ordinary secular man and to the people of faith. The target is not just to reach out to church folks only as it has been the usual norm, this is to go beyond to reach out to everyone out there”.
Off the stage, Samuel Kojo Bentil Odoom, passionate about music, started his music dream and made himself relevant in a choir headed by the Gospel music legend Joe Beechem in 2004 right in the harbour city Takoradi, Western Region. Kojo lost the faith in 2009 and migrated into the secular music industry with the stage name SAMMIE HOLMES. He featured a few known artists with songs that were rotated on radio and Tv. He re-traced his roots back to the church in 2013.
After a long struggle with self issues and confirmations from Men of Faith like Bishop Tarkie-Yarboi of Victory Bible church, Kojo finally heeded the call to go into ministry. His ministry is to use music as a tool to win the lost at all cost as it was messiah’s last charge to his disciples to preach the message of the Kingdom to the rest of the world. He chooses to put Gospel lyrics into hip-hop beats that will appeal to everybody who appreciates music.
Kojo Bentil, calls his maiden Gospel single “WON BOM”, the local translation of “clap”. The song clearly talks about the goodness of Yahweh and urges all people of faith to still continue to praise Him even in hard and turbulent times. The banger that will make you move your head to the beat will be released mid this month on one of Accra’s favorite radio drive time shows.
Follow KoJo Bentil on facebook, other social media platforms and keep watching this space for release dates and updates on the new face of Urban Gospel music.
Story by Nick Solomon
