Veteran Hiplife artiste Tinny has crowned fellow rapper Lord Kenya as the finest to ever pick up a microphone in Ghana, calling him the complete package in style, delivery and lyricism.
Speaking on Hot 93.9FM’s Hot Weekend Jam with host DJ Lord Dash, Tinny—born Nii Addo Quaynor—left no room for debate.
“Lord Kenya is my greatest Ghanaian rapper of all time. I like the way he raps, his style, lyrical content, everything. He is the GOAT,” Tinny said.
Lord Kenya, whose birth name is Abraham Philip Akpor Kojo Kainya, was a defining force of Ghana’s Hiplife movement. He rose to national fame after signing to Slip Music in 1998 and releasing his debut album Sika Card, which became an instant hit.
Over his music career, he released seven albums including Sika Baa, Yeesom Sika, Sika Mpo Fane Ho, Akasieni, Born Again and God Dey. Yeesom Sika topped Ghanaian charts. His talent earned him the Best Ghanaian Rap Music award at the Anansekrom Festival in Canada in 2000 and the Hiplife Album of the Year prize at the 2001 Ghana Music Awards.
But on October 28, 2010, Lord Kenya’s life took a dramatic turn. He says he encountered the Holy Spirit, embraced Christianity, and released a gospel album titled Christlife in 2011. In a striking move, he relinquished the rights to his entire Hiplife catalogue, declaring he had no interest in the royalties.
Though he has acknowledged the financial cost of that decision, he has expressed no regret, saying he believes it saved his soul.
Today, Lord Kenya leads the Face of Grace Covenant Temple in Ahodwo, Kumasi—a man who traded one legacy for another, entirely on his own terms.
