4×4: Forward ever

Entertainment of Sunday, 13 January 2013

Source: Graphic Showbiz

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The popular saying in music circles that it is more difficult staying at the top than getting there, must be on the minds of the three young men who make up 4×4.

Since 2001 when the trio came together and subsequently made their big entry onto the music scene with their debut Sikilitele, they have maintained their place among the top players in the Hiplife league.

After ten-years, five albums and countless stage appearances both in Ghana and abroad, 4×4 appear poised to maintain their position at the top with their forthcoming album titled “Forward Ever, Backward Never “which is due for release in the next couple of weeks.

According to managers, iBack Entertainment, the motivation that has been behind the remarkable success story of 4X4 is their willingness to learn and adapt to new situations to make them fresh at any given time.

4×4 has always be a group of contrast. Captain Planet (Sylvanus Jeff Dodji) is a rapper in four different Ghanaian languages, Coded (Russel Edem Avornyo) is a Ragga/Dancehall artiste and Fresh Prince (Prince Tamaklo) is an R&B crooner.

When the group was founded in 2001it was a duo between Captain Planet and Coded through mutual acquaintances within the biggest group in Hiplife then Buk Bak, who went on to mentor them to release their very first album “Sikilitele” in 2003.

The group’s name was inspired by that collaboration which represents four elevated minds (Buk Bak had 2 members then too) from there on they became unstoppable on the Ghanaian Hiplife scene with hit after hit leading to four highly successful albums.

After their 3rd Studio album, the group decided to expand the membership and infuse more rhythm in their music, so they asked real named Prince Tamakloe aka Fresh Prince in the music scene who had previously collaborated with them on the hit crank tune and album title track “Hotgirls.com” in 2007 to join them. With Fresh Prince in they went on to release the “World Trade Centre” album in 2009 which won them a GMA nomination and five 4syte Music Video Awards in 2010.

4×4 truly went international when they joined hands with 8 other African acts including Fally Ipupa and 2Face Idibia to form the ONE8 Supergroup which recorded the global hit single “Hands across the World” with international R&B superstar Robert Kelly.

The group has performed alongside some of the biggest names in music including Jay-Z, Akon, and Keri Hilson, Bow Wow, Dbanj, P square, 2face, Omarion, Busta Rhymes, Shaggy, Bennie man, and thrilled fans across the world in various events in USA, Europe and Africa.

Even as Hiplife enthusiasts wait to recieve the new album, a single from that collection is spinning like hot cake on radio as London Bridge.