Kumasi rapper O’Kenneth leans into melodic Asakaa on “MENTUMI NKA,” a mellow cut from his debut album “Came Of Age.”
Kwame Agger produced the record, while O’Kenneth wrote it under his own name, Kenneth Opoku. It runs two minutes and twenty-three seconds, so it stays short and focused. The mood is calm, and listings tag it as melodic rap with a motivational streak. It is not a loud drill record. Instead, the pace is slow and the hook arrives early. Shazam data shows people tag it most often around the forty-second mark, which suggests the chorus does its job quickly.
The numbers back it up too. “MENTUMI NKA” has passed 1.8 million plays on Audiomack, strong for an album cut.
“Came Of Age” is a milestone for him. Before it, O’Kenneth built his name through joint projects. He teamed up with Reggie on the “Straight Outta Kumerica” EPs, and he also made “Pain In Glory” with Xlimkid. So a solo debut album marks a new chapter. He stays busy beyond the album as well, because he recently linked with M.anifest and wavypae on “ON TEN.”
For an artist who spent years sharing the spotlight, a solo body of work was always going to be the real test. Did “MENTUMI NKA” meet what you expected from him? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
