Kwesi Arthur - “Celebrate” (with Teni)

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 9

Pairs Well With…Mr Eazi, Stonebwoy, Burna Boy

Afro-pop artist Kwesi Arthur hasn’t let up heading into 2022, consistently releasing catchy singles and bangers while collaborating with Ghanian artists and artists from around the globe. Moving from classic hip hop tones (“John Wick Freestyle”) to the woozy, sunny sounds of Sarkodie collaboration “Coachella” to deep-trap bass rumble of “Winning” with Vic Mensa, Kwesi Arthur is a chameleon of a performer with a confident grasp on international pop throughout. Arthur delivers his lines with a light touch, adding delicacy to genres that often fall for ‘more is more’ patterns, accessibly crafting melodies without losing the artist’s natural charm. (Kevin McStravick)

2020 Review: Among the slew of interesting Afro-pop artists performing at SXSW 2020 is Kwesi Arthur, a Ghanaian artist with a noticeably light touch across his R&B/hip hop blended catalog. Frequently collaborating with his Afrobeat peers as well, Arthur’s music has a communal, warm spirit to it, ranging from cool R&B banger “Anthem” to “Zombie”, a dreamier, trap-infused track that has Arthur performing with psychedelic rap tones. Specifically, Kwesi Arthur’s music falls into Ghanaian Hiplife as a genre, leaning more into his hip hop side at times and proving himself as adapt at rapping as he is at singing in a naturally bouncy tone.