Veteran Ghanaian rapper Tinny has revealed that his shift from rapping in Twi and English to Ga was entirely self-inspired, setting the record straight on long-standing rumours about producer Hammer’s involvement.
In a recent appearance on Joy Prime’s Prime Time Show with George Quaye, the “Makola Kwakwe” hitmaker opened up about his journey and identity as an artist.
“Yeah, I actually started as a Twi rapper,” Tinny admitted. “I was doing more Twi and English than a bit of Ga, but I wasn’t a Ga rapper.”
He explained that in the beginning, rapping in Twi and English made commercial sense. “Twi is the most spoken language in Ghana,” he noted. “So when you’re doing something in Twi, you perceive that the faster it will go. Consider merchandising and market-wise, I mean it goes fast. So I decided to do my thing in Twi.”
But over time, something shifted internally. “I realised that I’m not original. I have to be me and represent where I’m coming from,” Tinny said. That epiphany led to a new direction in his artistry, birthing signature Ga songs like Makola Kwakwe.
When asked whether anyone had influenced this transformation, Tinny was clear: “No one, I decided myself.”
George Quaye brought up industry chatter that famed producer Hammer had pushed for the switch, but Tinny quickly shut that down: “No, this was way before meeting Hammer. I was a Ga rapper before meeting him.”
He shared how the connection happened: “I met Hammer through Doggo. When Doggo was going to record his album, Hammer was looking for a Ga rapper. Doggo told him about me, and I was home when he called. I drove there, and the rest is history.”
Despite the speculation, Tinny praised Hammer for his production genius. “The feeling alone was great. Hammer can mute everything and drop you some baseline that you go crazy for… even before adding the strings. It brings out your creativity. I love working with Hammer; he’s one of the best engineers so far.”
Addressing rumours that Hammer is difficult to work with, Tinny laughed and added: “Maybe it is the understanding. I dey worry but Hammer still works with me.”
