joseph ofori
We caught up with fast rising London based Ghanaian artiste 1willthewordsmith to dig into his musical career thus far, his source of inspiration and his take on the Ghana Music Industry.
1willthewordsmith who is gradually setting pace in his quest to become a musical household name amongst communities in the Ghana and UK owning to his unique wordy style, heavy poetic punch-lines and deep yet oftentimes comical lyrical delivery is set to take on the even bigger challenge—of breaking into the international market.
During our interview, 1willthewordsmith revealed that he will be visiting Ghana soon where he has planned several recording collaborations and immersive performances to break the ice and serve as an introduction for most audiences that haven’t heard his music yet.
William Adomako-Opoku known better in the music world as 1willthewordsmith was born and bred in Hackney, East London. His formative years were spent in Ghana where he attended St John’s Preparatory in Accra before going to secondary at Adisadel College in Cape Coast. Where he fell in love with the art of performing and first took to a stage to rock the microphone.
He returned to London after 10 years of studying in Ghana and religiously persued any possibility to become a performance artist. This is what led to his training in theatre and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama and Race Equality Studies.
1willthewordsmith’s stage name is a testimony to his style of music as he is known for combining a number of musical genres interwoven incredibly with words to create a unique sound and style.
When asked his source of inspiration, he said “I saw my mum and them at family gatherings playing Ghanaian music greats like Amakye Dede, Daddy Lumba and Kojo Antwi‘s songs. Whenever we’d have our Ghanaian house parties the adults would get hype to these songs and loved getting us kids to dance along, we thought it was just a nostalgic novelty. Then when I moved to Ghana anytime I heard any of those songs, it brought back good memories. I would dance and imitate them with glee. This is where my love story began with the Ghanaian entertainment scene and its legendary Hi-life music.
When I first arrived in Accra in 89, my love for Ghanaian music definitely soared. Remember coming back to London and year after for a visit singing along to KK Kabobo on my sony Walkman, playing my favourite song for anyone that would listen. My performances were probably giving more cringe than cool back then. I’ve never known how to follow trends so I navigated through by creating my own paths throughout my time in the music industry.“
1willthewordsmith has put smiles on faces of his fans, promoted so many up and coming artists, concerts and events, like the dope parties he throws whenever he’s in Ghana at his venue 2020pubx in Tesano. His ultimate aim is building a brand recognisable as an international entertainment franchise.
While in Ghana he dropped 3 hot tapes, 10 Year Stretch, Tuesday’s Child and “4 My G’z” which still remains a firm fan favourite and one of his best bodies of work released so far.
1willthewordsmith plans to release his fourth tape for the streets, potentially his most explosive titled N.A.N.G before finally releasing his much anticipated debut album Bibini Broni in 2023.
When asked about his new release, he said, “We are going back to our cave, no rushing, it’s time to get back to the drawing board so I can plan every meticulous detail of the roll out of my next release, the goal is to keep showcasing my skills while utilising my God given talents. Telling my truth with authenticity and striving in everyway to always get better at it”
Formerly, the founding member of ‘3rdOGz’ A supergroup that was formed in 2020. However the collective fell apart after a shortlived successful stint due to creative differences.
Keep reading here for more info and convos. Be on the lookout for updates on our new exciting artiste 1willthewordsmith. As he pursues his artistic dreams as both an Actor and recording artist. And watch this space for his lead single LEGO off the soon to be released tape N.A.N.G coming soon.
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