• View all from OJ Blaq
  Artistes OJ Blaq, Richie
  Album Galanja
  Year 2008
  Writer Andy Nii Akrashi
  Language Twi, English
  Runtime 3:52

This is part 2 of the interview with Richie, Asem and OJ Blaq. Check out the first instalment at this link.

Museke: What is the inspiration for the songs you write?
Asem – Inspiration is divine, someone might say, you look at your environment and write songs. God inspires you to see what you see around. What people say through conversation and when someone passes a phrase, you catch it and use in the studio. You use someone’s experience - life experiences.

OJ Blaq – It comes from around, reality, what happens in the world and the people in the studio. Everybody around would give you ideas, it’s like a family. People give pointers, Richie directs most of the works I do. Anybody around who is also musically inclined chips in, and if it works out, we take it. We don’t mind who talks, if it’s good for what Lynx is doing, it’s allowed. You see realities around. If you feel what you bring (that) something out, it would make people comfortable, then you use it.

Richie – It comes from within and without. Music is inside of me so I get some ideas from divine inspiration and some from my environment and people around me.

Museke: Richie, where did you learn to make beats and what are some songs you’ve done beats for?
It was self-taught. I started making beats because I was suffering to find producers who could make beats for the kind of music I wanted to do. I have this belief that with determination everything is possible. I started when I was 17.
I have done beats for Scientific (Till Africa unites), Heated up (Irene n Jane), Tinny (Incomplete), Okyeame Kwame (Wo so n Mmaa), Amandzeba and Irene and Jane (Don’t want to be lonely), Tiffany (How we do it), Asem (Gimme blow), OJ Blaq (Me kura mu), among others.

This interview was done at Lynx Entertainment Records studio at New Achimota, Accra, Ghana. Present were Richie (executive producer), as well as Asem and OJ Blaq, two other musicians on the Lynx record label.

Museke: Can you tell us about your background, family and education?
OJ Blaq – I was born Nii Akrashi in Accra, and am the only child. I attended Motown (Achimota) prep, junior high and senior high school, through out. I also studied some ICM travel and tourism courses in the UK. I have also taken some Ghana Institute of Journalism courses.

Asem – My real name is Nana Wiafe Asante-Mensah. I was born in Cape Coast, and my family moved around and got to Accra when I was 6 years old. I attended St. John’s basic schools in Achimota and then St. Peters Secondary School in Nkwatia (Eastern Region). I am now at the Ghana Institute of Journalism studying communication studies.

Richie – I was born Richie Mensah in Accra, both parents are Ashantis. My mum is Alberta Mensah. I have 2 more siblings, a brother and a sister. I atteneded Christ the King school and then Achimota.

• View all from Asem
  Artistes Asem
  Album Better late than never
  Year 2008
  Writer Nana Wiafe Asante-Mensah
  Language Twi, English
  Runtime 3:53
  Video URL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ6yDpT2CdQ

• View all from Richie
  Artistes Richie
  Album Frema
  Year 2008
  Writer Richie Mensah
  Language Twi, English
  Runtime 3:52
  Video URL http://youtube.com/watch?v=yFPXZo97_3g