Who is Richy Pitch? Aside from the brief introduction which was an invitation to review his latest work titled Ye Fre Mi Richy Pitch (They Call Me Richy Pitch) which stated that Pitch is a producer and DJ from the U.K. I had no clue. Wikipedia had no page for him (come on Richy Pitch fans) and the net itself produced mostly references to Pitch as support for another artist. Regardless of the facts all it takes is one listen to Pitch’s new album and your hooked thanks to a collection of Ghanaian artists backed by Pitch.

Pitch spent two years in Ghana getting acquainted with the artists there and in the end worked together with them to create an album that’s got such a great flavor. The first track on the album pairs Pitch with Wanluv the Kubolor that is reminiscent of rock steady with horns, organs, and just an infectious drumbeat. Going in a totally different direction is the second track Abanaba which is a slower tempo track with singing acoustic guitars, a smooth percussion, and Kwesi Dankwa delivering his native tongue with a rough raspy voice that seems to fit perfectly with the design of the track. Up next you’ve got M.anifest with Black Star. Its interesting to see the difference between Hip Hop here and Hip Hop in the states. Apparently we’ve got room to grow if the scene can manage to expand outside of the current curriculum of rapping for dollars. Dey Suffer featuring Yasmeen is a more traditional track which is a prime example of what can happen when two culture sounds are thrown against one another. Smart. Because the album is so diverse its hard to say what you will get out of it until you listen to it for yourself. For me, I loved it. What a unique mix of sounds, styles, and passion that is totally lacking in the scene here. Do yourself a favor and grab this album before its gone.