Why Vibe Is More Important Than Perfection

Have you ever wondered — as you stare at the blaring screen of your computer half way through your nine-to-five — what life would be like if you ditched it all for music?

Well, that's exactly what 26-year-old Benjamin Karikari-Yeboah aka Kwasi decided to do. "I started freestyling in high school and writing beats on a mobile phone ringtone maker. Fast forward a few years and I'm working a nine-to-five in IT. I decided to ditch this after three years and take the music seriously, as I was always at my desk on Ableton writing beats/rhymes." The big leap paid off, with the rapper/producer supporting the likes of Grammy winner M-Phazes, Yelawolf, 360 and Hopsin. The Melburnian has just independently dropped a new single Fast Lane with producer HFNR. "He tweaked sounds while I came up with the melodies and lyrics, occasionally helping tweak the production. Working closely with another producer was very inspiring. I usually produce alone but having someone on the same vibe can push things to new levels. The different sonics we managed to touch on are very inspiring," says Karikari-Yeboah.

The rapper's style is a product of the grunge and reggae records his Ghanian father played, as well as Dr Dre's 2001 that first inspired the young'n to start writing with his sister under the name Dr Jazz & Snoop Ben. "When I first started, perfection was very important to me but I've reached a point that I am confident with my abilities as a vocalist/rapper and vibe has now taken the forefront. For a song to have the right impact the emotion and feeling needs to be on point."