CUE : THE PHOENIX AMONGST THE FLAMES 

You can’t skip the process. For Ko-Jo Cue, Ghana’s verse virtuoso, the journey has been a winding, rugged path. To his Kinsmen, Ko-Jo is known as Linford Amankwaa. The rapper, who regales his listeners with stories in his mother-tongue, has been sculpting sonic landscapes since 2007. His story is a kaleidoscope, beginning in his hometown, where the melodies of his life first found resonance.

Ko-Jo has never openly told his story with such depth. He is seen here with family.

Ko-Jo loves Kumasi. Over drinks in a hotel lobby on his home turf, he agreed to share his story with the world.

 

BEFORE WE SHINE 

[In TWI: Maame kaa m’asɛm, ɔse: Me ba ntoboaseɛ na ɛhia] [In ENGLISH: Mom spoke for me, saying: My son, patience is needed]

“I didn’t start out with the intent to be a rapper, I wanted to be a footballer”.

 Ko-Jo was born in Oduom, his home was close to the training grounds of the Asante Kotoko Sporting Club. His daily interactions with the club’s young footballers planted an idea in his mind. That idea was snuffed out by his mom. No son of hers would be a footballer. Not in 90s Ghana. 

On the Kwame Nkurmah University campus, where his mother shipped him to, his perspective broadened. Ko-Jo found solace in books. He spent hours in the library his aunt had built with her husband.

 

 

[In TWI: Everyday man dey hustle, y3 nfa nni agoro koraa Adwuma yi 3rekcso, y3 nfa nni agoro koraa] [In ENGLISH: Everyday, man grinds. We don’t play. The work goes on. We don’t play]

Ko-Jo Cue’s rap career started out at the Kumasi Anglican Secondary School (KASS). Ghanaian legends, Okyeame Kwame and Lord Kenya are alumni. 

“Opoku Ware Senior High School was my preferred choice, KASS wasn’t” 

His response when asked if he would have been rapping had he enrolled in Opoku Ware was, “I’m not sure.”

In KASS, Ko-Jo found and honed  his gift for rhyming. He would memorize and spit out, on impulse, bars from Cassidy and other American rappers. Ko-Jo began to understand and acknowledge these wordsmiths as poets. His gifts impressed his school mates and kept the bullies at bay.

In the months that followed, Ko-Jo spent hours practicing: the lyricist got a notebook and filled the pages with his own words – one page a day for 140 days.

He would write, then rehearse his lines.

 

See I’m a tell you like Reggie told, Me, keep your eyes on the road homie

With his focus still on music, the rapper started to build up his musical contacts.

He frequently visited “Pocalos”, a recording studio that drew in hiplife and gospel musical talent within Kumasi and neighboring municipalities.

After his parents split, the studio became a safe haven. A broken home meant his mother could not foot his university bill. Education no longer looked like an option. 

“Music became my way out,” he expressed with a sigh.

To survive, he took up a number of different paid roles. From a studio manager to a printing press assistant, and finally, an internet café manager. His driving force was now the paper

“I attempted teaching English at one point.” he laughed, “…but the headteacher thought I was not the ideal candidate because he feared the high school girls would think me too handsome and be distracted.” 

A risk the headmaster was unwilling to take.

 

Ko-Jo Cue’s complexion pales in comparison to your regular Ghanaian. Sitting in this lobby, with seven more people scattered across, excluding the very light skinned waiter, he is probably the the only other person a Ghanaian will refer to as “Obroni”.

GROWING PAINS

For Ko-jo, a change in environment was timely. It jolted him awake.

“No contribution no chop chale Show my enemies no love chale Make you no listen no one chale This life deɛ you den your God chale” Lyrics off the soundtrack “You Alone”. From the album, “For My Brothers”

On a night out, the rapper got introduced to Tallal. Tallal had a knack for artist management. Talla would only go on the work with Cue after Ko-Jo had agreed to keep his delivery Original.

Ko-jo’s love for music was heavily tethered to American influence. When words rolled off his tongue, he sounded almost American. He sounded inauthentic. 

He returned to Kumasi, after weeks with family in Accra and immediately started churning out mixtapes.

After his sixth mixtape, Tallal could not ignore the improvements. Ko-jo’s  stories were more riveting and he rapped more in TWI, his native tongue.

Tallal helped Ko-Jo get on “ Hip Hop Avenue”. A popular radio rap show which showcased emerging talent. For 20 minutes, Ko-jo dropped enough ammunition to fill up a kalashnikov. The performance was spectacular and it was also the catalyst which sped up his relocation to Accra.

Me nsɛe da oh (I’m the Young Daddy Lumba)

“The Cue was the name of the music collective I was a part of.” Ko-Jo explained.

“Mr Eazi, Lousika, Cabum and other creatives within Kumasi were members too. I suggested we add the suffix ‘Cue’ to our names to create brand awareness.”

“Obviously I’m the only one who stuck with it”. 

[In TWI only: Me ni hɔ a na rappers yi kasa basa basa Me yi me ti pɛ na ɔmo de me masa masa Frɛ wo favourite rapper BRA, mɛ yɛ no pasa pasa]

E.L. first noticed Ko-Jo after he released “Corolla Music”. A few interaction later, the duo birthed  “Lowkey“. The song raised Ko-Jo’s music profile.  Before he graduated, he was already signed.

[In Twi: Ɛba no cash a me nni agorɔ, chale I gets mine Me gye me deɛ, neat money, Kwame Despite] [In English: When is comes to cash, i don’t play. Chale, I get mine. I take what’s mine, Kwame Despite]

BBnZ was refreshing. Ko-Jo could finally just focus on making music and the label will handle all else, or so he thought.

At BBNZ, Ko-Jo dropped “The Shining”, followed by “Lavender” featuring E.L. and bagged a live performance at the Late Kiki Gyan’s memorial. His fame ballooned after his first sold-out concert: “Cue For President” and a KFC Ghana partnership deal.

THE BUSINESS

“Clark Kent with my glasses, super rapper without them.” – Ko-Jo Cue

Bantama Blues 1, 2 & 3

After E.L. left the record label in 2017, Ko-Jo and his label mate, Lil Shaker, released the 13-track album: “”Pen and Paper“. 

They shot visual masterpieces for  “Up and Awake“, “Untitled” and the title track.

Their efforts paid off. Ko-Jo was finally a first time Ghana Music Award nominee. BBnZ management leverages on their business relationships and got Ko-Jo on as an opener for the 20th Anniversary tour of the acclaimed “Miseducation of Lauryn Hill“

Against his will and rap customs, Ko-Jo was featured on the song “Mama Yie”. The song is was a commercial success and thrusted him further into the spotlight.

“I felt like I had betrayed my fans”. To make up for that, he released a remix to “Wole” and shortly followed that with one of his best albums, “For my Brothers“. 

Ko-Jo believes that album put him in the top-five-Ghanaian-rappers conversation. The album would probably not have seen the light of day without Amaarae’s help.

Ko-Jo Cue and Amaarae are cousins. In exchanging correspondence with her, he noticed she shared the same last name with his uncle. A few connected dotted later, it all made sense. Amaarae shared resources, information and good advice.

“Up and awake, glory to God. Meedi me lane, never dey worry.” – Ko-Jo Cue

Mid-way through plans for Ko-Jo’s tour, everything stops – COVID 19. During lockdown, Linford started “rain. Labs” with long-time friends and partners. 

To create awareness, the boutique music marketing agency worked, pro bono, for  Joey B, Kidi and Gyakie.

After the success of “For My Brothers”, the musician thrilled fans with  “21 Memory Lane”, an Extended Playlist (E.P.). The E.P. was released exclusively on  Boomplay, a music streaming platform,  for a few weeks.

In Ko-Jo’s words, “It felt like mercenary work. My heart was not in that project, I did it for the bag”

Isolating for a long period had it down sides. Cue’s mental health took a hit. To recuperate, he facilitated a writing camp for Ludacris in Ghana. When he was in better spirit, he took up the country manager position for a music startup: Music Split.

NEW FLAME

“Sɛ ɛyɛ wo ya a nom panadol. Wo yɛ 2 slow, Tramol. Me yɛ 2 dope, Tagor. Always up to something, Back in the trap it’s jumping, parkour.”

In Paris on vacation with his wife, the mind got clearer. The flame is still flickering and his love for music still burns.

“I never made music for the money, I always made music to tell my story. It’s why I was never too keen to drop a verse for “Mama Yie””

“It’s never been about my commercial successful. To me, music is for motivation, education and a literal guide though life.” he continued to explain.

“Bismillah hir-rahman nir-raheem Wallahi shake back, I’m HIM!” – Big Homie Flee

He bought a few pieces of equipment. Got back home and set up a studio. The phoenix has risen, again. This time going bar for bar with younger rappers and still packing a punch. 

“Just like Jordan.” 

“still holding his own with youngins till he retired.” This thought help frame the rollout for his latest album, “I’m back”. It was 2023. He couldn’t have chosen a better year.

Ko-Jo looked out the lobby window and noticed the skies had bruised black. His cup was empty. The parking lot was lit and the night, quiet.

To think in another life, the decorated rapper may have been an exceptional pro footballer. He already has the traits: enough discipline, grit and an imagination that knows no bounds.

Listen to Ko-Jo Cue Latest Album, “I’m Back”, Now!