Ghanaian rap maverick M.anifest has revealed that he has a song with Asakaa rapper O’Kenneth for his latest album, “New Road and Guava Trees”, but it didn’t make the final tracklist.
“I actually recorded with O’Kenneth, one of my favourite guys out there for the album. We didn’t make it, but who knows, maybe for the Deluxe,” he shared in an interview with Dazed.
M.anifest also addressed the criticism of Ghanaian drill music, which is often compared to American hip-hop. Instead of dismissing it, he believes young artists need time to find their own voice.
“I really love those cats, man. Other people are criticising them while they’re copying [drill], but I’m like, yo, people sometimes need to go through a process of self-actualisation. As older people, sometimes you help guide instead of just criticising so loudly. Sometimes quiet guidance is better than loud criticism,” he told Dazed.
“New Road and Guava Trees,” M.anifest’s sixth studio album, was released on March 13. It is his first major-label release under Mass Appeal Records, the iconic label co-founded by American rapper Nas.
The 14-track project inspired by his childhood in Madina, Ghana, symbolises growth and resilience. Created between Accra, Seattle, and Los Angeles, it includes Budo, GuiltyBeatz, and MikeMillzOn’Em productions. The project explores love, struggle, and self-discovery themes, blending introspection with danceable rhythms.
Stream New Road and Guava Trees by M.anifest
