C-Real

C-Real won the Ghana edition of Channel O's Sprite Emcee Africa in 2009 and finished runner-up in the continental final. His debut album, Em C.E.O., came out in 2012.

Hohoe roots

Cyril-Alex Gockel was born in Hohoe in the Volta Region on 16 July 1984. As a boy he listened to Ini Kamoze, Das EFX and KRS-One, and with a friend he formed a rap group called NT, short for Nipa Tumtum. He attended St. Peter's Boys Senior Secondary School and the University of Ghana. He counts The Notorious B.I.G., Black Thought, Mos Def, Jay-Z, Nas and Eminem among his main influences.

Records

After the Emcee Africa win in 2009, where he beat Padlock, Chymny and Rocky, he did the radio rounds and became co-host of a show on Choice FM. His first mixtape, the seven-track Multiples of C, came out on 3 November 2009. In April 2011 he and E.L released Project Hip Hop, produced by DJ Juls, E.L and Aphroteq. He recorded Em C.E.O. at Mix Down Studios and appeared on "Next Up" from Coptic's 2012 mixtape The Rising Stars of Gh. He also writes poetry, and the Ghana 40 Under 40 Awards have nominated him twice.