Don't Call Ghostpoet A Rapper

There is generally a clue to Obaro Ejimiwe's lyrics. Ejimiwe, better known as Ghostpoet to the masses, is a melancholic MC with a reputation for lyrics that chronicle life's variances. His prose is firmly rooted in the abstract. He laughs, “It's not really that complex as it's me mumbling over my diverse musical tastes and then getting people to like it. I don't make records for anybody but myself and most times I go in with the mindset of making a record that I would like listen to.” He says he doesn't want to be a pop star and his lyrics aren't complex. “I mean, my lyrics aren't as straightforward as an abc rhyme or anything and they're not Bob Dylan. It's just me talking about the world as I see it.”  

After his 2011 debut album, which carried an abstract moniker (Peanut Butter Blues And Melancholy Jam) was shortlisted for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize, some tagged Ejimiwe as a neo-rapper – a guy who represented a new direction for British rap. He disagrees. “I'm not a rapper and would never describe myself as one. I'm a fan of rap music but I'm a fan of many genres. I listen to hip hop, trance, indie and all kinds of music and don't need to limit myself to one genre. I hope the diversity comes out in my music as I don't write to sound like one particular style.” 

Released in 2010, Peanut Butter Blues And Melancholy Jam was picked up by Radio 1 DJ Gilles Peterson's Brownswood label and the album immediately earned praise for lyrics that spoke of everyday life. And by everyday life, that's exactly what Ejimiwe speaks of: lyrics could reference a past takeaway, a movie or a dream he had last year. On paper it's hardly the subject matter that speaks to a generation, yet Ejimiwe has achieved the feat of being completely and easily identifiable. He sees the funny side: “I just say what I want and what I feel. It's me talking about everyday life, the people I meet and the situations that arise.” Nevertheless, the comparisons with rap are easy to reconcile. If rappers tell stories of personal adversity, triumph, hardships and life's twists and turns, so too does Ejimiwe. Still, if comparisons are to be made it's probably with Mike Skinner (The Streets) or Roots Manuva. Like Ejimiwe, both artists combine tales of gritty urban life with electronic and atmospheric influences. It's evident in Ejimiwe's latest and equally conceptual album title, Some Say I So I Say Light. “As strange as it sounds the album title came to me in a dream,” he laughs.

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