"Everyday be questions / Likes and impressions / Problem no dey finish, Helsinki I’m guessing..."
The versatile, dynamically chill island rap fusions of "Puff Puff" by trailblazing Ghanaian rap artist, musician, and producer M.ANIFEST and featuring The Cavemen and Flea (not on bass) runs on percussive movements, vocal flows that rush, dance and sustain encapsulating rap, jazz dips (vintage and contemporary, hip hop and more all colliding in embracing ways. The track, incredibly uplifting and cool is tailor made as a daily affirmation, at least to me and I am digging the sheer poetry.
"Everyday be questions
Likes and impressions
Problem no dey finish, Helsinki I’m guessing
Boys dey use humor to cover up
That currently, currency low and dollar up
No sweetness here, what my auntie talk
But I’m cool with the palmie, pants and socks "
Maybe the track ruminates on the those above us who create the constructs, the systems that benefit them and not the masses but maybe the track also speaks to survivorship. Sure the puff puff, pass o / keep the fire burning speaks to the beauty of certain herbs and the reflective qualities they bring but I think those lines also speak of keeping our passions burning, keeping our healing power of fighting the good fight burning too. Yes, maan, a daily affirmation for me.
"Puff puff, pass o
Keep the fire burning
Pass o
Keep the fire burning
Puff puff, pass o
Keep the fire burning
Pass o
Keep the fire burning
Puff puff"
This track feels like kismet like it was preordained in some way- SEE LINER NOTES:
The collaboration was born out of a chance conversation between M.anifest and The Cavemen. at his annual music festival Manifestivities in Accra two years ago, and seamlessly evolved over time, with M.anifest and The Cavemen. reconnecting in Lagos to work on the track. M.anifest would then link up with Flea in Los Angeles to bring the track further to life. While bonding over a shared love for jazz music, books, and Tony Allen, Flea offers up an unexpected and yet resounding trumpet solo on ‘Puff Puff’, despite being one of the two best bassists of all time. The result is ‘Puff Puff’, a powerful song that is a melting pot and collision of three diverse musical worlds.
M.anifest says ‘Puff Puff’ is “one of the most seamless blends of highlife and hip-hop you’ve ever heard. I really dig how we switch up from the dreamy highlife hook into the pithy verses driven by head banging 808s, and then cap it off with that jazz trumpet solo. It’s one of my favourite-ever collaborations because of how it’s so innovative and unexpected yet still so familiar. The video came out from a fortuitous happenstance where Flea, The Cavemen., and I were all in California at the same time. The song speaks for itself, so we shot easy going visuals where we could amplify the feel of the song through performance. It’s got this free-spirited vibe that flows effortlessly, harmonious yet reflective, set against these warm, natural backdrops. It’s cruising in a vintage car down empty streets, laid back but vibing with the energy of the moment”.
So stoke your daily medicines, whatever they may be. Stoke your love for community and the power of your community, whatever they may be and puff puff.
-Robb Donker Curtius
https://twitter.com/manifestive
https://www.facebook.com/manifestations
https://www.manifestmc.com
M.ANIFEST is a trailblazing Ghanaian rap artist, musician, and producer renowned for his exceptional lyricism, vivid storytelling, and groundbreaking fusion of hip-hop and West African pop music. With over a decade in the game, he has crafted a series of critically acclaimed and transformative works, including five studio albums and three EPs that showcase his deep connection to his African roots while pushing the boundaries of modern hip-hop music – from 2013’s Apae: The Price of Free, to Madina to the Universe from 2021. The grandson of the legendary ethnomusicologist Professor J.H. Nketia, M.anifest brings a unique depth and perspective to his music, using his platform to humanize the African experience and bridge cultural divides through his rich soundscapes as a true innovator.
M.anifest boasts over 50 million global streams, a cult following of over 3.5 million devoted digital fans, and a swarm of accolades, including multiple ‘Best Rapper of the Year’ and ‘Hip-Hop Song of the Year’ awards, an International MIDEM Award. His influence also reaches far beyond the continent, with cross-cultural collaborations with global icons such as Damon Albarn, Erykah Badu, and Burna Boy. His most recent work The E.P.ilogue solidified his reputation as a creative visionary, reimagining the traditional EP format with a bold, genre-defying approach. As he prepares to release his highly anticipated sixth studio album, M.anifest continues to redefine the landscape of African music, cementing his status as one of the continent’s most revered and forward-thinking artists.
"Everyday be questions
Likes and impressions
Problem no dey finish, Helsinki I’m guessing
Boys dey use humor to cover up
That currently, currency low and dollar up
No sweetness here, what my auntie talk
But I’m cool with the palmie, pants and socks "
Maybe the track ruminates on the those above us who create the constructs, the systems that benefit them and not the masses but maybe the track also speaks to survivorship. Sure the puff puff, pass o / keep the fire burning speaks to the beauty of certain herbs and the reflective qualities they bring but I think those lines also speak of keeping our passions burning, keeping our healing power of fighting the good fight burning too. Yes, maan, a daily affirmation for me.
"Puff puff, pass o
Keep the fire burning
Pass o
Keep the fire burning
Puff puff, pass o
Keep the fire burning
Pass o
Keep the fire burning
Puff puff"
This track feels like kismet like it was preordained in some way- SEE LINER NOTES:
The collaboration was born out of a chance conversation between M.anifest and The Cavemen. at his annual music festival Manifestivities in Accra two years ago, and seamlessly evolved over time, with M.anifest and The Cavemen. reconnecting in Lagos to work on the track. M.anifest would then link up with Flea in Los Angeles to bring the track further to life. While bonding over a shared love for jazz music, books, and Tony Allen, Flea offers up an unexpected and yet resounding trumpet solo on ‘Puff Puff’, despite being one of the two best bassists of all time. The result is ‘Puff Puff’, a powerful song that is a melting pot and collision of three diverse musical worlds.
M.anifest says ‘Puff Puff’ is “one of the most seamless blends of highlife and hip-hop you’ve ever heard. I really dig how we switch up from the dreamy highlife hook into the pithy verses driven by head banging 808s, and then cap it off with that jazz trumpet solo. It’s one of my favourite-ever collaborations because of how it’s so innovative and unexpected yet still so familiar. The video came out from a fortuitous happenstance where Flea, The Cavemen., and I were all in California at the same time. The song speaks for itself, so we shot easy going visuals where we could amplify the feel of the song through performance. It’s got this free-spirited vibe that flows effortlessly, harmonious yet reflective, set against these warm, natural backdrops. It’s cruising in a vintage car down empty streets, laid back but vibing with the energy of the moment”.
So stoke your daily medicines, whatever they may be. Stoke your love for community and the power of your community, whatever they may be and puff puff.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://twitter.com/manifestive
https://www.facebook.com/manifestations
https://www.manifestmc.com
M.ANIFEST is a trailblazing Ghanaian rap artist, musician, and producer renowned for his exceptional lyricism, vivid storytelling, and groundbreaking fusion of hip-hop and West African pop music. With over a decade in the game, he has crafted a series of critically acclaimed and transformative works, including five studio albums and three EPs that showcase his deep connection to his African roots while pushing the boundaries of modern hip-hop music – from 2013’s Apae: The Price of Free, to Madina to the Universe from 2021. The grandson of the legendary ethnomusicologist Professor J.H. Nketia, M.anifest brings a unique depth and perspective to his music, using his platform to humanize the African experience and bridge cultural divides through his rich soundscapes as a true innovator.
M.anifest boasts over 50 million global streams, a cult following of over 3.5 million devoted digital fans, and a swarm of accolades, including multiple ‘Best Rapper of the Year’ and ‘Hip-Hop Song of the Year’ awards, an International MIDEM Award. His influence also reaches far beyond the continent, with cross-cultural collaborations with global icons such as Damon Albarn, Erykah Badu, and Burna Boy. His most recent work The E.P.ilogue solidified his reputation as a creative visionary, reimagining the traditional EP format with a bold, genre-defying approach. As he prepares to release his highly anticipated sixth studio album, M.anifest continues to redefine the landscape of African music, cementing his status as one of the continent’s most revered and forward-thinking artists.
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