4x4

4x4 is made up of strangely named trio consisting of Captain Planet, Fresh Prince and Abortion. Captain Planet's real name is Sylvanus Dodji Jeoffrey and Abortion was christened Raphael Edem Avornyo. Fresh Prince’s real name is Prince Tamakloe.

4X4 is a rap group mentored by hip-life duo Buk Bak (Bright and Rooney). They released their first album ‘Siklitele’ in 2003, followed by a second album ‘Contestant Number 1’ in 2007. The group explain that they choose the name 4×4 because the whole crew was elevated by four minds: Bright, Ronny, Captain Planet and Abortion.
4X4, was initially a duo, later bringing Fresh Prince (Prince Tamakloe) on board to feature on their 2007 hit ‘HotGirls.com’ eventually joining the group permanently to make it a trio.
Under the watchful eye of Ronnie Coches and Bright Bling Sparkles (Buk Bak) the group has made a massive name for themselves in the Ghanaian music scene.

Captain Planet is the first person to rap in Ghanaian vernacular languages which include Akuapem, Twi, Ga, Ewe, and Pidgin English.

Abortion, who is a ragga artist, started rapping with a group called Kokorokoo in high school which featured Ghana's premier Akuapem rapper, Pope Skinnie. Captain Planet also started rapping in secondary school with a group called the Wu Clan. He was discovered by Buk Bak after being featured on a television programme called Kiddafest.
As great role models to the youth in Ghana, the members of 4x4 have worked extremely hard to get where they are today. Captain Planet has a degree in Advanced Marketing while Abortion studied his dream career of being an architect at ATTC.

Their latest album, Hotgirls.com is a blend of foreign touch (hip hop style) but with a local dialect and dancehall flavour. Speaking to Ghanaian media, they stated that ‘we have introduced this new blend of foreign touch (hip hop style) with local dialect and dancehall to sound different, more productive and very hot. The album is going to be launched in some tertiary institutions like University of Ghana, Legon, Kwame Nkrumah of Science and Technology and Cape Coast University.”
“We have decided to launch the album in tertiary institutions because our target audience are the youth and the best place to reach their hearts is to be at their doorsteps in their various institutions”, they said.
We are sure that their great example to the youth mixed with their pride for their country will see 4x4 fit perfectly into the One8 project.

Alikiba

When it comes to the Tanzanian music style of Bongo Flava, (a combination of hip hop and traditional East African music), one man is at the top of the food chain. He goes by the name Alikiba and he is fast becoming an internationally recognised star. Alikiba’s Bongo Flava style is largely influenced “Zouk” music which has it’s origins in the Caribbean Islands. “Zouk” means “party” or “festival” in Antillean Creole and that is exactly what the music of Alikiba is all about.

Alikiba’s first album was released in 2008 and shortly after it hit shelves the album became one the top selling albums in East Africa. Its main feature was the hit “Cinderella,” the popularity of which propelled him on a whirlwind tour of the UK and the US.

In 2009 Alikiba released his second album entitled “Ali K 4Real” which saw him nominated for two extremely prestigious awards in the UK. The first award that the Swahili speaking artist was recognised for was the Best East African Artist at the African Music Awards for 2009. Alikiba was then nominated for Best International Act at the BEFFTA Awards, (Black Entertainment, Film, Fashion, Television and Arts Awards) which was held at the London Hilton Metropol.

With a career on the rise, Alikiba will bring a unique style and flair to the ONE8 music project.

Amani

Amani is one of the most talented and beautiful singing stars ever to come out of Kenya. Her name is a Swahili word that literally means peace and tranquillity, and the soothing sounds of Amani’s music reflect exactly that.

Amani, then still known as Cecilia Wairimu, started performing at an early age in church talent shows and was already writing her own songs by the time she was in primary school. By the time she was in high school she had already recorded her first single.

In 1999 she had her first radio hit, with the massive track Move On, one of the first home grown Kenyan songs to reach number one all major local radio charts. She followed up on this success with a collaboration with top Kenyan artist Nameless, and the song Ninanoki became an instant classic across East Africa.

In 2004 another collaboration, this time with Big Pin and Pantonee gave Amani another hit with Talk to You, a song that became the most requested song on Kenyan radio that year. The song topped all the charts and saw Amani’s sound developing into a richer and more accessible R & B style.

Her debut album, Amani was released in 2006, soon followed with the release of Tamani in 2007, both being awarded and acclaimed across the continent.

Amani’s soothing music is urban and African, uplifting with unforgettable melodies that showcase both Amani’s vocal and song-writing talents.

This talent has not gone unrecognised in the awards category with Amani having won numerous awards including the Kenya Kisima Award in 2006 for Best Female Artist and Best Collaboration, and in 2007 for Best Female Boomba Artist. Amani has also been nominated for a Channel O video award in 2008 for Best Female Artist East Africa. In 2009 she won the MTV African Music Award for Best Female Artist alongside a slew of nominations at the 2009 Channel O Music Awards.

Amani has toured the world having played concerts in Norway in 2007, in Germany in 2008 at the Zanzibar International Film Festival, for the president of Ghana and even in San Diego, California during a US tour in 2008.

Amani’s unique East African R & B and her undeniable style bring an uplifting and soulful feel to the ONE8 group.

Fally Ipupa

Ipupa Nsimba aka Fally Ipupa is a singer, songwriter and respected guitarist who was born and raised in Kingshasa, DRC. Like many young performers of his generation, music was not considered more than a hobby and studies were forced to take priority over the young man’s passion.
At a young age the singer started playing invarious small groups on Congolese streets until he was eventually noticed by the acclaimed group Quartier Latin, who scooped him up to play guitar for them.
Over the next ten years he honed his craft under the watchful eye of his mentor, Koffi Olomide. Fally ended up composing two of Koffi’s biggest hits, namely Eternellement on the album Force De Frappe in 2001 and Ko Ko Ko Ko on the album Affaire d’Etat. This fast rocketed him to the position of band composer despite his young age.
Fally, as a young star, was still curious with his musical style and craved creativity and change. His influences and creative spirit saw him dreaming of creating a new sound. Feeling the constraints of Latin Quarter, he eventually had to break free in order to pursue a solo career.
A wise decision it was. His first solo album was released in 2006 and Droit Chemin sold over 100 000 units, spawning the hits Droit Chemin, Liputa and Kidiamfuka.
In 2007 Fally was acknowledged by his peers in the music industry when he won the Best Male Artist Cesaire Award and Best Artist or Group from Central Africa in the continental Kora Awards.
Fally Ipupa’s career had just started. His silky smooth voice soon reached the hearts of many, both in DRC and internationally, due to his blend of various musical styles including soukous, ndombolo, pop and R&B. In 2009, his album Arsenal de Belles Mélodies received much media attention and rave reviews, with hits like Chaise Electrique, a duet performed with Olivia from the group G-Unit.



That same year, he participated in the “MTV Awards Made in Africa”, where he performed his hit Bicarbonate for millions of viewers.
Fally is the first Congolese artist of his generation to attempt an adventurous musical career which combines innovation and tradition. His fans and media alike have named him a prodigy who lives for his time without forgetting his roots.
It’s this créative spirit, incredible talent and youthful passion that makes him a perfect addition to the ONE8 team.