Kwaw Kese

Kwaw Kese, born Emmanuel Kofi Botwe in Agona Swedru and known to fans as Abodam ("madness"), is a hiplife rapper whose 2007 album Abodam made him the star of the 2008 Ghana Music Awards, where he was named Artiste of the Year.

Early life

He attended Happy Home Junior Secondary School and Winneba Secondary School and was writing and performing songs from the age of 14. After school he spent three years as a meter reader for the Electricity Company of Ghana, then left for Accra to take music seriously.

Career

In 2004 he met Hammer of The Last Two and signed to his label. He launched his own label, Mad-Time Entertainment, in 2005 and released his debut album, Na Ya Tal. Abodam followed, and at the 2008 Ghana Music Awards it won him Artiste of the Year, Hiplife Artiste of the Year, Hiplife Album of the Year and Hiplife Song of the Year for Odeim. In 2012 Popping with Opanka won Hip Hop Song of the Year.

Later singles include Swedru Agona with Obrafour and Teephlow, Allo with Shatta Wale and Unlooking with Zeal and Samini. In December 2014 he was arrested in Kumasi for smoking cannabis in public and stood trial.