Renowned rapper Desmond Kwesi Blackmore, known by his stage name D-Black, shared insights into his early career tactics, highlighting strategic collaborations as the key to his mainstream breakthrough.
Speaking on his show ‘Uncut,’ D-Black disclosed that aligning with artists boasting substantial followings and singing in local dialects was instrumental in dispelling misconceptions about his nationality and amplifying his music’s appeal.
The ‘Vera’ hit-maker emphasized the importance of choosing collaborators who not only resonated with the masses but also incorporated languages like Twi.
By breaking the language barrier, D-Black effectively connected with a broader audience, addressing perceptions that his English-language raps might suggest otherwise.
D-Black reflected on the music landscape of that time, noting the limited commercial presence of Hip-hop in Ghana.
“It (Hiphop) didn’t exist commercially, people were doing it but the songs were not huge…My strategy was to always do a Hip-hop song with an artiste who was singing in a local dialect. So I will do a song with Kwabena Kwabena so that his fans or the rest of Ghana will listen to it. Just doing those collaborations I think is what broke me into the commercial scene,” D-Black said.
He strategically chose artists, such as Kwabena Kwabena, with whom he collaborated on Hip-hop tracks infused with local dialects.
“As soon as it happened for me Ghana Music Awards created Hip Hop Song of the Year because there was nowhere to fit me in. You couldn’t fit me in hiplife, so as soon as that category came I won that and it continued,” D-Black added.
This approach, as D-Black asserted, played a pivotal role in propelling him into the commercial scene, garnering more listeners and followers along the way.