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Biography of Kwame Ametepee Tsikata (M.anifest)

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KWAME AMETEPEE TSIKATA

M.ANIFEST

Kwame Ametepee Tsikata (M.anifest)  born in November 20, 1982 is talented Ghanaian songwriter and rapper. He started music when he was young believing to the blood of his grandfather, an ethnomusicologist, J.H. Kwabena Nketia. He was tipped by the BBC to be on of the African acts to be looked out for and he surely has proven them right with awards and achievements in his name. He is attracted to the youth with his trend in African fashion. He is gradually taking over Ghana and the world.

EARLY LIFE

CAREER

M.anifest is a  wonderful talent who uses his music to influence the nations youth on a good course. He has been described as an artist with “an incredible gift” (the run off groove) who possesses “the kind of assured, joyful, ruminative voice that made Mos Def into Hollywood’s favorite conscious-rap star” (City Page).In his time in the Twin Cities, he learnt  the do-it-yourself credo that helped him become and independent artiste. He released his first solo album, Manifestations, in 2007 funded by royalties he received from using his voice in Pepsi jingle that played nationwide  U.S frequencies. Manifestations earned him Songwriter of the year Honors in the City Pages. Also, his album gained recognition in the Star Tribune. In 2009 he released a free album, the Birds and the Beats, to raise awareness and funds for the work of a non-profit, Young Entrepreneurs Africa.
The next 3 years, M.anifest linked up with Africa Express and played with them in France and Spain with them in the same year. He played the Festa Dos Mundos festival with Africa Express in Spain in front of a 50,000 crowd and was part of the historic PUMA world cup showcase in Paris. His music was also featured on the official Nike and Fader Magazine 2010 World Cup Podcast. He was invited by Africa Express co-founder Damon Albarn to be a collaborator on Rocket Juice & the Moon in 2011. In September 2012 M.anifest joined the historic Africa Express train touring the U.K. He wrote for the Huffington Post about his experiences with Africa Express.
 In September 2011,He released his sophomore album “Immigrant Chronicles: Coming to America,” which included the singles “Suffer,” “Asa,” and “Blue (Chale What Dey Happen). It marked 10 years of his life in the U.S and the beginning of his transition  to Ghana.

 In 2012 M.anifest began making major inroads in Africa performing on the Channel O Music Video Awards stage in South Africa and The Big Brother Africa stage that same year . 
M.anifest has had a tremendous output; he co-wrote and produced an independence mini Hip-Hopera for Channel O to commemorate Ghana’s 55th Independence Day . Also he gave an outstanding performance at the first Africa Music Week detailing the history of Ghanaian music.  He is  featured in the documentary We Rock Long Distance by filmmaker Justin Schell. The documentary is about the musical and cultural roots of international hip hop artists based in Minnesota’s Twin Cities. The centrepiece of that film involved a life-changing musical experience for the rapper: working for the first time with his grandfather, the renowned ethnomusicologist and composer J.H. Kwabena Nketia. M.anifest is co-founder of Giant Steps, an interactive conference for entrepreneurial creatives and creative entrepreneurs.

DISCOGRAPHY

Albums

Manifestations (2007)

The Birds and the Beats (2009)

Immigrant Chronicles:  Coming to America (2011)

Apae (2013)

Collaborations

Richy Pitch
Bodi 
Team Dharma
Camp Mulla
E.L
Proverb
Sedem 
Obrafour 
Dee Moneey
A.R.M (Budo, Krudid, M.anifest) – Two Africans and a Jew EP 
A.R.M (Budo, Krudid, M.anifest) ft Brother Ali – Heaven Only Knows 
S&M (Sarah White & M.anifest) – Losing My Religion 

Awards and Nominations

Awards

2008

City Pages: Songwriter of the Year 


2010

Minnesota Emerging Composer Award (MECA): American Composers Forum

2012

2013 

Ghana Music Award: Best Rapper of the Year 

Ghana Music Awards: Hip-Hop Song of the Year 


Nominations

2012

Ghana Music Awards: Best Rapper, Songwriter of the Year.

Channel O Music Video Awards: Most Gifted Hip-Hop

4syte TV Music Video Awards: Best Directed Video, Best Photography Video, Best Edited Video,

Best Hip-Life Video, Overall Best Video

*Some Hit Songs

2007

Gentleman 

Babylon Breakdown 

2011

Suffer 

2012

Makaa Maka 

2013

Someway Bi

Coming to America

Mind Games 

Ebei 

Blue (Chale What Dey Happen) 

2014

Jigah ft. HHP 
No Shortcut to Heaven Ft. Obrafuor

ENDORSEMENT

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