Interview: Ghanaian rapper Edem

Due to the economic uncertainty brought about by the pandemic, Edem has had to push his pepperDem chilli sauce business that he runs with his wife. In the lockdown period, he also put the finishing touches to his latest EP Mood Swings from his home office in Accra.

Edem began his music career under the mentorship of Hammer, the veteran producer who sketched hiplife’s blueprint. Since then, the 34-year-old hasn’t looked back. With three albums and a plethora of emphatic singles, he has indented his name as one of Ghana’s most enduring and technically gifted rappers. But like most players in the entertainment industry around the world, the COVID-19 crisis has made a profound impact on the musician.

"COVID has given all of us a rude awakening," he says. "I know now that the most important things in life are family, what to eat and where to sleep, because during the COVID times, the private jet couldn’t do anything for you and you couldn’t pop champagne in a club to impress anybody, so it just opens me up to the things that are of real value.”

Edem also says the pandemic has helped him rethink his strategies both as a musician and businessman. Recently, Kanye West, one of his major influences, became a billionaire, and watching the American rapper-turned-politician’s journey, Edem observes how that career progression was defined by his sneaker line. A similar feature attended Dr Dre’s billionaire status. Even if he’s always been a music industry mogul, the Beats by Dre earphones were pivotal in his ascension. It’s something Edem admits he's always grappled with: creating opportunities in music and outside it. “My theory is that once I can empower people through music, I should also be able to empower them through job creation, because some of my fans are very smart and need opportunities."

Edem believes that his fondness for releasing full albums has ensured his continual presence in the Ghanaian music industry. And yet, this is his first collection in five years –  enough time for an artist to be forgotten in the current 'fast food' pop climate. What's the reason for such a big gap between projects? He chuckles...

"Aside from everything else, albums must be timeless," Edem says. "That is the trick. When one composes a collection from this mindset, his stay in the industry will be significant. Also, we like our projects to be big and very purposeful."

Edem's debut album Volta Regime focused on the musician's identity and heritage. It also sought to highlight his native Ewe language and get appreciation for it across Ghana. His next offering, Mass Production, expanded on all of that and demonstrated his diversity as an artist. Its follow-up Books and Rhymes’ thesis was direct: "The basis of everybody’s life is rhyme."

The digital era has birthed an impatient audience with consumption now 'on-the-go'. Edem says it took him some time to realign to the new rules of the game. In the background of his public-facing campaigns, he wants to be a brand beyond just music and "have branches that people can touch." To achieve this while still staying true to his philosophy of releasing complete works of art, Edem explored the singles route, ensuring that his radio presence did not wane. "And so, though we are not releasing a body of work, we also understand that consistency is what is going to keep us in the space and keep people reminded of your calibre until the body of work is released," he says.

The Mood Swings EP is a multi-layered audio-visual offering that is a tribute to Edem's late mother, who died when he was a teenager. It is supposed to be a precursor to his long-awaited fourth album The African Answer, which has been delayed since 2017. Three years later, the mystery surrounding the album’s release remains, and Edem says he has lined up a number of other projects before The African Answer is released.

A highlight of Edem’s craft is his alchemy with language, especially his radiating flair to whip up euphony with Ewe, where the listener need not necessarily understand the lyrics to enjoy a composition.

Edem says that although Ewe is not the most widely spoken language in Ghana, it contains attributes too iconic not to share with others. When he involved Davido for the remix of 'Toto', Edem got the Nigerian superstar to speak Ewe to assure younger acts that any language can be crafted into melodies, and not just English and Pidgin.

"We are very diverse with a lot of rich heritage from the north to the south. That’s why I have taken up the mantle to throw more light on that and further show people the beauty in it," Edem says.