Hiplife artiste, Obrafour born Michael Kwabena Okyere Darko has announced plans to change his stage name.
According to the rapper, he does not want to be called by his stage name, ‘Obrafour’, anymore.
Obrafour rose to fame when his album ‘Pae Mu Ka’ in 1999 became a hit. He since been a household name, and been at the centre for records when it comes to Ghana’s hiplife artistes.
Speaking in an interview with Franky 5 on ‘This Is Gospel’ on Hitz FM, the artiste revealed that he preferred the name ‘Rap Sofo’ to former.
“Now I wouldn’t want to be called Obrafour anymore. I am saying this for the first time here,” the rapper said.
When asked why he decided to let go of the name ‘Obrafour’ and stick to ‘Rap Sofo’, he stated that he was divinely influenced to use the latter name.
“I don’t know. There is something pushing me. I have said that I wouldn’t want to do anything in my own will and accord but wait to hear the voice of God,” he added.
The rapper also revealed that the Twi word ‘sofo’, which means Pastor has had an effect on him ever since the accolade ‘Rap Sofo’ was added to his stage name, ‘Obrafour’.
He chose the name ‘Obrafour’, which means executioner, at the beginning of his career, though he had first been referred to as ‘Rap Sofo’ because he wanted to sanitise Hiplife music, he adds.
He further explained that the hiplife genre had been regarded by many, especially the elderly, as one that lacked meaningful content.
“I realised that Hiplife at that time was just for the youth. The elderly were not part of it because the words in the songs at that time did not convey any meaning. People thought it was empty noise. So I told myself it will need somebody in the calibre of the executioner at the palace to bring sanity into Hiplife,” he said.
The rapper said his friends initially referred to him as the ‘Rap Sofo’ because the content of his songs ‘cut deep’.
He said he opted to add ‘Obrafour’ to ‘Rap Sofo’ at the time due to his urge to purge the genre of all negativity.
But he has gone past that stage now and wishes to be known only as ‘Rap Sofo’.
