AraTheJay

AraTheJay (born Samuel Ofei Ankrah Badu) is a Ghanaian singer, songwriter and rapper whose music mixes Afropop, highlife and hip hop with openly spiritual lyrics. His songs include Sankofa, Jesus Christ and Put Am On God, which won Best Music Video at the 2026 Ghana Music Awards.

Background

He spent much of his childhood in Kenya, where he learned Swahili and first got into Jamaican music. He performs under the persona Nimo Constantine: "Nimo" stands for the highlife side of his sound, and "Constantine" refers to the Roman emperor who brought Christianity into the empire. Early on he performed in a balaclava to keep attention on the music rather than his face.

Career

His official debut, Sankofa, came out in 2021 and was later remixed with King Promise. Singles such as Chosen, My Baby and Kasapa! followed in 2023, and in 2024 he released Jesus Christ and the project Finding Nimo Series: The Capsule. Apple Music also named him its Up Next artist in Ghana.

Jesus Christ 2, with Black Sherif, and Fire, with Bella Shmurda, led into his 2025 album The Odyssey. At the 2025 Ghana Music Awards he was nominated for Best New Artist, and Jesus Christ 2 for Best Afropop Song. In 2026 Put Am On God won Best Music Video, and Talisman was nominated for Best Reggae/Dancehall Song. His 2026 releases include Christo Disco and Healing Power.