Yaa Pono

Yaa Pono, also known as Ponobiom, is a Ghanaian rapper widely regarded as one of the country's best freestyle rappers. He rose through the Kasahari Level radio battles, and his song Obiaa Wone Master, with Stonebwoy, won Hiplife Song of the Year at the 2019 Ghana Music Awards.

Early life

He was born in 1986 in Tema to Solomon Antwi and Gloria, and attended Star of Hope Academy before senior high school in the Ashanti Region. He is closely associated with Ashaiman: the rapper Eno Barony has said she learned the street side of rap there from him and Stay Jay.

Career

He entered local radio competitions and made his first studio recording in the late 1990s, but his breakthrough came on Kasahari Level, the radio rap battle where he became a regular. He signed to Pidgin Records in 2009 and has worked with Chris Waddle, Sarkodie and Stonebwoy.

His singles include Atinga and Go Low (2015), Demolition Exercise and Obiaa Wone Master (2018), Control and 16 Years (2019), and Fa Adwen with Flowking Stone (2022). He released the projects Thug Diaries (2020), Sovran (2021) and Mawusi (2022), and features on Kwame Yogot's Bitter Sweet and Oseikrom Sikanii's album Big Trapper.

Personal life

He married the singer Molly Q (Mzqua) on 27 April 2018, and they have a daughter.