M.ANIFEST
JOEWACKLE: Let’s end this debate. Who
do you do music for?
M.ANIFEST: Who do I make music for? I
think I make music for people who are music
lovers and not casual fans. Now to end the
actual debate you’re saying; No, I do not make
music for those going to school or so-called
elites, it is just a weird thing for people to say.
It’s a weird misconception that because my
music has substance, only people with some
diploma understand my music that’s why
I make it for them. That’s absolutely false.
I have seen people from all walks of life in
Ghana enjoying my music.
JWK: At what point did you decide to do
music?
MNF: I think at different points. The first one
was when I was about 6 or 10; my grandfa-
ther was returning from America and Koo
Nimo came with a guitar and a stool, sat
down and composed a song almost like free-
style to welcome my grandfather.
JWK: What aspect of the Ghanaian cul-
ture influences your music?
MNF: Wow that’s a good question. I think its
different things I pick up on. I think there’s
so much in our culture, in terms of even how
47| Colossium . December 2018
people behave - good or bad. For instance we
learn common courtesy and I translate that
into arts. Then our ‘Fa ma Nyame’ culture
- the suffering and smiling culture also frus-
trates me to do music.
JWK: Was there a point you were at the
confluence of culture considering the fact
that you lived abroad for a long time?
MNF: Yeah, I think my first couple of things
I did proved that. As much as Ghana was in
me, I was inspired by the environment I was
in Yankey. I realized that I wasn’t fully com-
fortable being that artiste I was, I was skillful
and proficient but I need who I am as Kwame
Amet to be the logical extension of Manifest;
the gap between them - part of it was always
to shrink that gap between these two per-
sonalities. So that the way I am in person will
reflect in my music; it’s funny that after my
first album which received a bit of acclaims,
I realized that for me to progress I have to re-
ally close the gap between the culture of my
upbringing and the music.
JWK: What song will you be caught lis-
tening to on a good day?
MNF: Chronics. Mr Eazi’s ‘I Miss U Bad’ - he’s
best song ever [laughs].