Kojey Radical — Reason to Smile — Album Review
Hip-Hop | Rap
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
Until recently, I only had really known of the hip-hop alias of
Kwadwo Adu Genfi Amponsah, known as Kojey Radical, through his feature on the Sons of Kemet track “Hustle”, which was released last year. Nevertheless, I definitely enjoyed his vocal input on the track enough for me to keep a listen out for whatever projects he would have up his sleeve for the future.
Luckily for me, nearly a year later, I knew of the artist before the arrival of his debut studio album. Leady my very busy current life however, Reason to Smile was an album that I was juggling my thoughts around with in regards to whether I would end up reviewing it on time or not. I eventually decided that I wanted to give the record the proper listens and the write-up it deserved before the month was up; and thank goodness I did.
But enough about me; Reason to Smile, as mentioned earlier, is the first full-length record to be released by Kojey Radical. He had obviously been musically active for quite some time beforehand, specifically beginning the pursuit of a rap career in 2014. However, he had been releasing musical projects in the form of EPs primarily. Reason to Smile is not only the first project to introduce a full-length creative process from the artist, but also the true gateway project for myself.
Up until my first initial listen of this album, the only real thing I had gathered from Kojey Radical, and his involvement on the aforementioned “Hustle”, was that he obviously honoured the more poetic style of rapping. With this, he had championed said quality enough for listeners to engage with what he is actually saying.
The same can most certainly be said for Reason to Smile. If not that, however, I would say it is the best example yet. Kojey Radical clearly had a vision for what this album would tell listeners. Apt for a debut album (one that will likely pull many new fans like myself aboard), Reason to Smile is perfectly introspective, telling the listener many aspects of Kojey’s life and road to success. For instance, he talks about his financial struggles, Ghanan origins, love for his family, and more. Tying this narrative all together, are plentiful sound-bites provided by Kojey’s mother (a pivotal figure in the album as a whole).
However, that’s far from the only thing tying the tracks on this album together to make one awesome package. Another thing to credit for how great of a musical experience Reason to Smile is, would be the absolutely amazing production.
Seriously, the production on this album is near Smiling with No Teeth levels of vibrant. While Reason to Smile isn’t quite as genre-bending as that album I made the comparison to, each and every track on this record has at least a few memorable qualities to take away. It has driven me to the extent where I’m getting one song from the album stuck in my head, and when that’s over, getting another from the same album cause the same effect in its place.
If you’ve been following my reviews for the last few weeks, you may have heard me harp on about albums that musically feel apt for the springtime, by merit of their warmth. But believe me when I say, this album seems to have struck that very idea the hardest.
With the tracklist carrying a generous load of 15 tracks, and the whole thing clocking in at just below an hour, it’s definitely a hefty task to make the full experience engaging at every turn. But this magnificent debut album has achieved that and then some.
Favourite Tracks: Reason to Smile | Pressure | Born | War Outside | Gangsta
Warner Music UK | Asylum Records | Bellyempty
