Wan O is one of the fastest rising rappers of the year. His consistency and determination to succeed puts him way above his peers without a doubt. His recent collaborations with artistes like Edem have given him the endorsement from already established artistes. Wan O is the next big thing in Ghanaian music. His career is officially on the move, and I caught up with him to find out more.
How did you begin your career as a recording artiste?
Wan: My career began officially at the age of 12 when I recorded my first studio song. Before then, I was rapping and freestyling but hadn’t actually been in a studio to record a song. As early as age six, I was freestyling my own lyrics as well as miming other rappers songs since I was a huge fan of hip-hop. Some of my early influences were Nas, Biggie, Wu Tang, Method Man, Mase, DMX, Redman, Eminem, Dr Dre and Jay-Z.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced so far?
Wan: Some challenges came from the fact that earlier on in my career; we didn’t have enough funds to get the proper promotion for the music and videos. This slowed down the promotion at a point in my career. Without a proper capital investment, things can move very slowly. Promotion, recording, videos, are all really expensive. It’s hard for any upcoming artiste to survive without money to push the work. Things are looking up, and I’m currently on my grind, doing promos for my music.
What do you normally talk about in your music?
Wan: Everything I talk about in my music comes from within. It is how I really feel at a point in my life or an experience I have been through. I am inspired by everyday life, my environment and what goes on around me. My music is aimed at inspiring another person from my experiences. That’s what music should be about. It’s not just about dancing and having fun. It’s also about inspiring and empowering people.
What are you working on at the moment?
Wan: At the moment, I am working on an album which is titled ‘Da Definition Of Greatness’. A single from the album will be released along with its video at the end of October. The title of the song is ‘Call My Name’, and it’s a song about the perfect love story. It features Adomaa, Reynolds the gentleman and Mike Feli.
What do you hope to achieve through your career?
Wan: Music is the gift that has been given to me by God. This is the tool He has given to enable me to feed my family. Fame is a by-product of this business, but certainly not the main goal, and money will certainly come when you are following your heart’s desire and doing what God put you here to do. The truth is, I aim to inspire. If my music touches lives, I know I am doing the Lord’s bidding.
Where do you see yourself in the near future?
Wan: In a few years, my distribution company which we started not too long ago will be the number one music distribution outlet in Africa. A few years from that, it will be the best in the world. These are dreams that I will turn into realities. It’s all about keeping your eyes on the prize, and working your hardest. Nothing is impossible.
What advice would you give to upcoming artistes reading this?
Wan: The advice I will give to upcoming artistes is, whatever you do, don’t forget to believe in yourself, no matter what whoever tells you. Greatness comes to those who believe they already are. That is the key to success. It’s not arrogance, it’s self-confidence.
A message to your fans?
Wan: To my fans, I say a huge thank you for supporting your boy and holding me down through this journey of ours. For my people who don’t know how to reach me on social media, you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @therealwano and like our Facebook page Wan O.