What happens when the daughter of a highlife legend takes music into her own hands? Just take a look at Ghanaian Afro-fusion darling Gyakie (read Jackie, aka Jackline Acheampong) brought to life in her debut EP, Seed.
Raised by the legendary Nana Acheampong (one half of the famous Lumba Brothers) Gyakie is barely pushing 21 and has already garnered a reputation as a fledgling artist fast on the rise. While her father’s prowess has served as inspiration, she’s charting her very own course into neo Afro-fusion waters, and her individuality blasts through with unique poise.
Her debut EP Seed, which dropped in August 2020, racked up 11 million streams in its formative five months and saw Gyakie debut on the Billboard Charts in 11th place. And while it might have been her scintillating textured love song “Forever” got her there, the rest of the EP is where she packs the real punch.
Looping her catchphrase “flip the music” into the intro of every track, Seed is short and delightfully sweet. Sandwiched between a freestyle opener (“Joy and Happiness” – where she flexes those rap vocals) and outro (“The Journey” – packed full of snappy acknowledgements) she channels Afro-beats and textured synth in the uplifting strains of “Forever” and the organic hopping rhythm of “Whine”.
“Vacation” – her personal favourite – cuts things back with a minimalist vibe as she gets real on chasing the life you really want to lead, and that’s where the real, cutting truth of the album lies. And she might be considering herself the seed of her father’s accomplishments, but damn, if she’s not growing to be one fine, genre-bending modernistic tree.
