M3NSA

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NO ONE KNOWS

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Released: Oct 4, 2010

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NO ONE KNOWS
3:30
706 plays
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Ajuma (Work!! Hussle!!)
3:54
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SEE WHERE WE DEY
3:44
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M3NSA ON SOUNDCLOUD

Latest tracks by M3NSA

General Info

Genre: Afro-beat / Hip Hop / Pop
Location London, London and South East, Un
Profile Views: 91970
Last Login: 7/28/2011
Member Since 2/22/2005
Website www.m3nsa.com
Record Label INSTRUM3NSA
Type of Label Indie
Bio
From one half of FOKN BOIS, the renowned Ghanaian duo behind world-wide acclaimed short film Coz Ov Moni comes No.1 Mango Street – the international debut album by MC, singer and producer M3NSA. Having conceptualised and performed on the hilarious Coz Ov Moni (known as the world’s first pidgin musical) with Wanlov Kubolor, and produced the bulk of its soundtrack, 2010 has been an incredible highlight in M3NSA’s 12-year music career. The film itself premiered in the UK and the US, has been accepted at the Rio International Film Festival (Brazil), and at the Pan African Film Festivals in Los Angeles and Cannes. It was screened at the Black August Festival in New York, where M3NSA blessed the stage with Hip-hop icons Dead Prez and Talib Kweli. It is also partly the inspiration for No. 1 Mango Street, a nostalgic yet contemporary take on the place M3NSA grew up in Accra. Here, at a young age he produced songs for the legendary founder of Hip-Life, Reggie Rockstone, (a blend of Highlife and Hip-Hop) and also released the single “If You Don’t Know”, nominated for four awards by the pan-African music channel, Channel O. Opening a 14-track set, the title song concisely rounds up the many musical influences of Ghana’s number one beat maker: Nu-jazz, Soul, Hip-hop, Afro beat and High-Life delicately underscore sweet harmonies with his guitarist cousin Ryan Ansah, yearning for the place he still calls home. M3NSA paraphrases, “I talk about going back to pick up from where I left things at, and where everything started. It's about acknowledging exactly where I come from and bringing all those experiences with me.” M3NSA’s father Tumi Ebo Ansah was a guitarist in the British afro-pop collective Osibisa, while his mother taught him how to play the piano when he was eight. Now living in London, he enjoys the unique global positioning that cosmopolitan city allows. And No.1 reflects this: From the breezy pensiveness of the first single, the Nigerian soul singer Asa-sampled ‘No One Knows’, to the party-starter Adjuma (“work”) which could easily be as large as erstwhile Hip-hop club anthem ‘A Milli’ was. Just with the benefit of a dialect switch here and there. With snatches of Twi and Pidgen, the clever rhyme schemes and narratives are what make this album universally relatable. Says M3NSA, “You don't have to be into African hip-hop to listen to the album, you just have to be into music.” That wide-reaching relevance will be the reason why you may have heard M3NSA’s work on legendary North London producer/DJ Richy Pitch’s Ghana-inspired Ye Fre Mi Richy Pitch LP (on which he wrote 6 tracks). And also why you will have seen him opening shows for Wu-Tang Clan, The Roots, Little Brother and the Gorillaz. Not to mention recently rocking the mic with Damon Albarn, The Gorillaz, Tony Allen and Amadou and Mariam at the Africa Express events in France and Spain. No.1 Mango Street is one of those albums which will help bring to the menu what Hip-hop has been missing for a long time – an authentic, everyday perspective which made the genre fun and enlightening at the same time.
Members
M3NSA and The Light Offs. Drums :Akinori Fujimoto, Bass: Jean Berthon, Lead Guitar: Ryan Ansah, Alex Hunter, Keyboard: Esben Tjalve, Percussions: Kensaye Russell
Influences
Parents, AB Crentsil, Fela Kuti, Osibisa, Busta Rhymes, Mos Def, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Jazzmatazz, Wes Montgomery, Tim Maia, Parliament Funkadelic, ..Friends.... M.anifest, Richy Pitch, Kid Suda, Wanlov The Kubolor, Reggie Rockstone,
Sounds Like
Sounds Like That Fresh Original Thing That's Coming Out Of AFRIKA!

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Single 'No One Knows' - Available on iTunes Monday 29th November 2010!

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This is a quick run thru the jawns on the unreleased classic work from M3NSA, recorded a few moons ago, with some very interesting production from some very talented folk. This video gives insight on the music, the frame of mind and the energy behind every song recorded for the Daily Basses EP... enjoy!!

Click here to download the EP.

Member Since:

February 22, 2005

Members:

M3NSA = MC / producer
Mr Hagan - DJ

Press
lindy@m3nsa.com
.. UK Booking
m3nsa@m3nsa.com
.. Distributor
TBA
.. Photography
Theo Chalmers

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Influences:

Parents
Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Manfred Mann
AB Crentsil
Osibisa
Jazzmatazz
Wes Montgomery
Tim Maia
Fela Kuti
Parliament Funkadelic

Friends
M.anifest
Richy Pitch
Kid Suda
Cage
Archa
Wanlov The Kubolor
Reggie Rocksone

Seasons
Harmattan
Winter
Summer!
Autumn