Scientific
He is still one of the most versatile and conscious rap artistes in Ghana. His name ‘Scientific’ correctly describes his word play and accurate, flawless delivery. Scientific has been doing this for long, but he is yet to achieve the mega success an artiste of his calibre is meant to have. This doesn’t seem to faze him one bit, as he continues to grind on, dropping tune after tune, and staying true to his core fans by not giving in to the pressure of ‘going commercial’. I caught up with him to find out more.
What have you been up to recently?
Scientific: Well, I’ve been working on songs, albums, videos and a lot of collaborations with some big international names, all of which will be revealed this year. I have definitely hit the ground running, as I’m constantly in the studio or on location shooting videos. I’m pulling no punches this year, and the grind will never stop for me. These projects that I’m working on now will be industry game changers, and I’m super-excited about all of it.
What is the most memorable moment of your career so far?
Scientific: It would have to be when I opened the show for Jay Z in Ghana. Jigga is one of the biggest names in rap music, so it was an honour. Rappers live for that sort of thing. The crowd loved my performance as well so I went home a really happy MC. (laughs) The love I get from the fans when I perform ‘Africa Unite’ is a memorable moment each time. After so many years, fans still go crazy when they hear that song. That was the song that launched my career. I think the message in that song is so powerful.
How would you describe the life of a hip-hop artiste in Ghana?
Scientific: Well, the life of any artiste is about constantly working and keeping the fire burning. We do this for the passion first, so it doesn’t really feel like you’re going to work. When you love what you do, you do it with no complaints and overcome the obstacles without any reservations. Hip-hop artistes have to work extra hard to be recognised because most are taken for granted. Unless you are a superstar, you hardly get recognised. It’s all about paying your dues, which is what I’ve been doing over the years. Hip-hop is a way of life, and not just about the music. That’s what many people don’t seem to understand or care about. This makes is really hard for rappers to get their due recognition.
With the ever-changing trends in music, how do you manage to stay on top of your game?
Scientific: Well, I believe in myself and I’ve always remained focus. I put God first and work extra hard because family, fans and friends have been really supportive. My legion of core fans wouldn’t want me to be any different so I give them what they want. They know my style is unique, so I keep it 100 percent real with them. I will continue to give them music that only Scientific can give them for many years to come.
What don’t you like about hip-hop?
Scientific: Some of the songs that get released have no message and contain a lot of blasphemy too. I just can’t tolerate it. I believe hip-hop is about the people and delivering a strong message to them. Sure, it’s good to have some music for dancing and relaxing, but hip-hop was always used as a vehicle to uplift the people or give them a voice to express themselves. Nowadays, a lot of it is just synthetic, with no soul. Then you get some artistes that blaspheme in their music. That, I just don’t understand. Why would you even do that? Are they not God-fearing?
Which artiste worldwide would you like to collaborate with, and why?
Scientific: I would love to do a song with Nas because I grew up listening to him. He’s my idol as well, and I always feel we both spit that knowledge and do meaningful tracks that the less fortunate can rock with, and feel some kind of hope to move forward in life. It goes back to spreading that message, and Nas does it with his music.
I remember you ‘battling’ with Wyclef Jean when he came to Ghana a few years ago. Which artiste would you like to battle?
Scientific: Again, that would have to be Nas. It would be a classic!
Many people say that hip-hop has lost its edge, and artistes rap about the same boring thing. What are your thoughts?
Scientific: I agree in some way, but hip-hop is a culture and it evolves. I think some content that are being released do not really speak about anything potent and nowadays people just want to dance and have completely deaf ears to what’s being said in the records. You can’t really blame them. These are hard times and people want to forget about their struggles when they listen to music. But, there are still many people that want to hear an uplifting message in their music. The trick is in the packaging. You need to be able to do music that people can enjoy, and still get a message out of it. That said, I think the next step in the evolution of hip-hop will see it go back to the days of punchlines, wordplay and delivery.
A message to your fans?
Scientific: I want to thank all my fans worldwide for the support they give me, and for believing in me. I owe it to them to give hit records and classic verses. They should watch out for whole lot from Wonda World Entertainment! God bless!
Scientific’s new singles ‘Shawty’ and ‘What’s On Your Mind’ are out now.