MUMBAI: Rising Ghanaian-Canadian rapper, singer-songwriter, and producer Kofi today released his third single of the year, “I Know” on Red Bull Records.
Coming off his breakup-fuelled track “We Don’t Make Sense”, he doubles down on provocative lyrics and unfiltered emotions, setting the tone for his unapologetic era. He effortlessly blends hip-hop and R&B in his savage quips and club-inspired percussive elements, elevating the tempo from his previous releases.
On the background behind “I Know”, Kofi shares, “I wrote “I Know” while on tour in Europe last year. It came to me following an argument with my girlfriend who was frustrated by how much time I was spending on the road playing Volleyball and working on music. At one point she threatened to break up with me, and although it was probably for the best, there was a part of us that knew it wasn’t going happen.”
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Kofi redefines what it means to be a triple threat, as he excels in the studio, on the stage, and all over the court. Along with his passion for crafting hits, he’s an international volleyball sensation. Originally an all-star player on UCLA’s volleyball team in 2020, he left the sport behind to pursue music full-time – until now. Four years and several albums later, Kofi returns to the game in France, serving as a 6’8” middle blocker on Arago de Séte. The club plays in the top flight of French volleyball’s LNV Ligue A (A-League), and Kofi is set to bring the team another championship win this season.
With over 145K YouTube channel subscribers and 40K TikTok followers, Kofi’s music has garnered international appeal, including Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, which rank amongst his top 15 most streamed countries.
About Kofi
Experiences shape what we do and, in time, where we go. Kofi has quietly morphed from humble beginnings in Scarborough, Toronto to college volleyball superstar to culture-shifting singer, rapper, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. Absorbing the wisdom and skills from each phase, he takes control of his destiny, executing a singular vision through his lyrics and production.
Born to a Ghanaian immigrant father and Polish-Jewish mother, the diversity of his heritage translated to his musical palette. He played piano, guitar, and even trombone, listening to everything from hip-hop to Afrobeats—citing Akon and J. Cole as his two chief inspirations.
Armed with his MacBook, he became a go-to engineer for various local artists and taught himself how to produce in high school. Eventually, he wound up at UCLA as a star on the Bruins volleyball team. Simultaneously, he gained traction with a series of independent singles, including “Came Up” and “Wake Up.” Gaining momentum, he joined forces with multi-Platinum Canadian rapper Pressa on “Snow” and landed a sync placement on the NBA 2K20 Soundtrack with “Hold Me Down.”
Signing to Red Bull Records in 2020, he revealed the ‘Story of My Life’ EP, producing three of the project’s six cuts himself. The single “Babygirl” captured top placements on the SoundCloud charts including #1 on New & Hot US, #2 on Top 50 US Singles, and #4 on New & Hot Global. Along the way, he also earned high-profile fans such as Drake, Walshy Fire of Major Lazer, Preme, and Kardinal Offishall, to name a few.
When the pandemic shut down the volleyball season and in-person learning at UCLA, he returned to Scarborough. He dove head first into the next body of work, assembling what would become Why Not. His evolution comes into focus on the single “Haunt Me” featuring 2KBABY. A head-nodding beat— constructed by Kofi—simmers through a tightly threaded guitar line as he carries an instantly infectious and irresistible chorus.
After amassing tens of millions of streams and inciting applause from The New York Times, Complex, HotNewHipHop, and more, he unveiled his latest EP ‘Just To Piss You Off’, featuring tastemakers like Boslen and Kuami Eugene. Spanning a collection of bold and audacious songs, with each pettier than the next, he flexes his unfiltered attitude through smooth vocals and crisp beats. Kofi’s confidence shines in the best way through his robust musicianship, boasting songwriting, producing, mixing, and mastering credits across the entire package. It’s the ultimate mix of passion, ego, and dynamic lyrics that have established this chapter as one of his best.
