Signal (rapper)
Signal | |
|---|---|
Signal (Rapper) | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Solomon Tettey |
| Also known as | WordPlayKing |
| Born | December 29, 1992 North Kaneshie, Accra, Ghana |
| Genres | Hip hop, Afrobeats, Rap |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, Rapper, record executive, Entrepreneur, Dietitian |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Labels | Regal Dynasty |
| Associated acts | Sarkodie, Kwesi Arthur, Ball J, Shatta Wale, Asem, Jayso, Stonebwoy, Kesse, Joss Stone |
Solomon Tettey (born December 29, 1992), professionally known as Signal, is a Ghanaian Rap Artist, Songwriter, and Entrepreneur.[1] He began recording music at the age of 16. He was fond of battling other rappers in neighboring schools during his teenage years. He admits battle rap made him confident in himself as an emcee, as he had to compose rhymes extemporaneously to annihilate opponents. He recorded several singles when he was in high school, such as Real Money, where he was introduced to Skillions (Nu Afrika) by Ball J, who mentored him then. Signal launched his independent record label called Regal Dynasty in 2015.
Signal served as deputy entertainment chairperson of his college Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST); where he studied Biochemistry and Biotechnology and later Nutrition and Dietetics as a Postgraduate.
Signal is a rare artist, as he seamlessly combines medical science research and music. He is a certified Dietitian by KNUST and ResearchGate.
Among the numerous achievements by Signal is his representation of Ghana at the 2013 Nokia Rap Competition and his New York Tour with Funkmaster Flex in August 2019.
Life and Music Career
1992-2011: Early Life and Career Beginnings
Signal grew up in North Kaneshie, Ghana, where he started elementary school around 1998. He later lived in Koforidua with his parents. He always describes his childhood as “Survival of the fittest” due to the bullying and promiscuous life of teenagers in his neighborhood. Despite all the foibles, he stood out as an exceptional science student in his high school, Ghana Senior High School (GHANASS) where he graduated with a distinction in 2011. He was fond of battling other rappers in neighboring schools during his teenage years. He admits battle rap made him confident in himself as an emcee, as he had to compose rhymes extemporaneously to annihilate opponents. He recorded several singles when he was in high school, where he was introduced to Skillions (Nu Afrika) by Ball J, who mentored him at age 16. He recorded About the Cream which received airplay from some urban radio stations in the capital, Accra.
Signal was introduced to his first commercial talent management agency Genius Selection by his high school friend and personal supporting vocalist Stitches. He went on to record his first proper commercial song Rough days which was a perfect staple for both Rap and Christian consumers. The song featured Ghana Music Awards Best male vocalist Kesse. He garnered enormous airplay and radio interviews with that urban gospel record.
2011-2015: Independent Record Label
While embarking on his National Service program in the last quarter of 2015, he launched an independent record label called Regal Dynasty[2]. The organization began to set him apart and made him more attractive and responsible for his own destiny. He took the pain of understanding the music business and the industry. Before Regal Dynasty, Signal was recording at Genius Selection—One of the forces to reckon with in the Ghanaian music scene between 2011 and 2013. They churned out hit after hit with the likes of Edem, Asem, Jupitar, Sarkodie, Raquel, Kesse, Guru, M.I Abaga, Pat Thomas, RnM, 4x4, among other prolific musicians in Africa.
2018:
Signal had his first global success in 2018 with his hit single Awula, which received massive airplay in Germany, Turkey, and United States radio, including his home country Ghana. The song is still regarded as his best performance. Signal has worked with several musicians from Ghana to other prolific foreign artists and producers like Joss Stone (U.K), Anno Domini (United States), Raquel (Ghana), Kesse (Ghana), Tulenkey (Ghana), Kula (Ghana), Maytronomy (Nigeria), Zepora Dickson (Ghana), Sedi Adayi (Ghana), among others.
2019:
In 2019, Signal was selected to perform at FLEX FEST 2019[3][4], where he alongside other artists opened the floor for Hip-Hop Giants including DJ Khaled, Fat Joe, French Montana.
2020-present: First Ever Pay-Per-View Music Concert in Ghana
In 2020, Signal organized the first-ever pay-per-view music concert in Ghana and maybe West Africa, amidst COVID-19. In the last quarter of 2020, Signal managed to transform Regal Dynasty from a sole individual record label to an international music marketing, Distribution, and Publishing Agency, headquartered in West Legon, Accra, Ghana.[5]
Signal admits that he draws inspiration from Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, Cassidy, Nasir Jones, Fabolous, M.anifest, KiDi, Russ, Cassper Nyovest, and Rick Ross. His sound has been described as Rap music, excessively spanning with melody. He is a highly revered emcee and usually referred to as the #Wordplayking.
Personal Life
Signal is a serial entrepreneur, who started his first cosmetic business at 18, on the streets of Koforidua to be able to afford studio time and features with prime artists. He continues to forge his way through business by investing in areas like Health, Clothing & Apparel, and Forex.
In addition, Signal has concentrated his medical science efforts on Maternal and Child Health challenges in Africa and the world. He has been advocating for zero alcohol during pregnancy, cervical cancer, and child cancers, etc.
Discography
Mixtapes
EPs
- Money God & Music (MGM)
References
- ↑ "Rapper Signal graduates with a GPA of 3.72". GhanaWeb. 16 July 2015.
- ↑ "Rapper Signal graduates with a GPA of 3.72". GhanaWeb. 16 July 2015.
- ↑ "Ghanaian Rapper Signal Selected For FLEX FEST 19 In New York". NY DJ Live. 25 July 2019.
- ↑ "Ghanaian Rapper, Signal Is Looking Forward To Performing At Flex Fest - Ameyaw Debrah".
- ↑ "Rapper Signal unveils record label Regal Dynasty". Ghana Weekend. 22 December 2020.
- ↑ "Audiomack: Free Music Sharing and Discovery". audiomack.com.
- ↑ "Roc Salt Mixtape Mixtape by Signal". www.datpiff.com.
External Links
- Signal on TwitterLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 23: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- Signal on Instagram
- Signal on Youtube
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