For many in Ghana and Kumasi in particular, Kwame Nsiah Apau, known
simply in showbiz circles as Okyeame Kwame, is one of the finest
lyricists and rappers in the Ghanaian hip life industry.

The talented musician who has been consistent with his positive lyrics and rap for the past 11 years, is currently in school pursuing a Bachelor’s programme in Social Science at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

Okyeame Kwame told The Mirror in Kumasi that he was back in school to develop himself as well as serve as a role model for young and upcoming musicians thereby reiterating the fact that education is very important and serves as a medium of self empowerment to whoever seeks it.

He is reading Akan and Sociology and is presently in Level 200.

He explained he was in school currently because he thinks knowledge is power and that everybody has to seek it and use it for the benefit of everybody.

“Let’s find knowledge. Africans need it. I want to be an ambassador for people to go to school. People should not be scared but should go to school no matter their age. I stayed at home for 11 years after my sixth form education”.

Kwame explained that to help ensure his dream of serving as a role model for the youth and upcoming musicians, his outfit, One Mic Entertainment, currently in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES), was embarking on a project to encourage schoolchildren to strive and achieve higher laurels in academia.

“This time we are trying to give back to society so we have been going to the senior high schools, especially in the rural areas with the support of the GES, interacting with the students at symposia and telling them about the importance of tertiary education”.

According to Okyeame Kwame, the project has intentions of picking one brilliant student and sponsoring him or her through school.

He named some patrons of the project as Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante, Head of Religious Studies Department at the KNUST, and Mr Charles Marfo, a Linguistics Lecturer, also at the KNUST.

Okyeame Kwame has been rapping since 1990 with Okyeame Quophi and the duo were known as Akyeame. They were together until a few years ago when they had to go their separate ways.

Kwame has been consistent with his positive lyrics for the past 11 years and his latest work M’awensem , literally translated as My Poetry, on which he has the controversial song, Medo mmaa nanso mempe mmaa is doing well on the airwaves.

It may be difficult for some people to draw a clear distinction as to how they would be able to love women and at the same time dislike them. But for Okyeame Kwame, that is no problem as he says in the song.

He introduces the song in stanzas, categorising how he has girlfriends in various suburbs in Kumasi from Bantama to Asokwa, Ashtown, Krofrom and at Nsawam and Koforidua, in Accra from East Legon to Nima, James Town, Cantonments and Ashongman. He claims he also has one in Sunyani and even in London and New York.
So is this a reflection of the lifestyle of Okyeame Kwame?

“No, I have time and patience for pampering women, but the aim is not to end up in bed with them”, he said. He said his idea for the song was to try and show the lifestyle of some guys when it comes to women but adds, “my idea was also to induce humour in the system”.

Kwame claims he was inspired to do this particular song as a reflection of what pertains in real life but not necessarily with him as a person.

Other songs on the album are Kwame Ghana, Mmere, Odo nkyen, Anaa, Woso, Odo wo owuo akyi, Woani nso anaa, Yentu nsuo mu and Tutu and all the songs on the album are done in stanzas just as in poems.

Kwame was born in 1976 to an accountant, Mr Kwasi Nsiah Bota, and Mrs Alice Nsiah Bota. He is a native of Nsuta and has four brothers, two of whom — Stone and Kunta Kinte-are also musicians.
 
He attended St Joseph’s Experimental and Kumasi Anglican Secondary School (KASS).