Netherlands-born, Ghanaian artist Kevin Adu Yeboah Martin, known as Kay Slice, returns with his sophomore studio album “I Take U Highlife”. His music transcends standard boundaries—bridging old cultural identity with modern expression to shape a sound known as “diaspora highlife”.
A Sound That Crosses Borders and Connects Continents
Kay Slice’s music is more than just listening; it is the embodiment of a movement connecting the soul of Africa with its scattered children across the globe. Growing up in the Netherlands with Ghanaian roots, his musical language was shaped by American hip-hop as well as family celebrations filled with afrobeat rhythms.Across twelve tracks, the new release delivers a genre synthesis: from hip-hop breakbeats and neo-soul to organic highlife rhythms inspired by legends like Ebo Taylor and Fela Kuti.
The album bridges older generations of musical greats with the contemporary wave of artists. Featured guests include Ghanaian music icons Gyedu-Blay Ambolley and Pat Thomas, London-based rapper and vocalist Bryte, and the Berlin-based afrosoul and highlife collective Jembaa Groove, alongside a new wave of young diasporic voices. As the artist himself notes, music and rhythm are deeply connected to human nature:
“There’s the breath, the heart — different rhythms going on inside our bodies. Moving is also a rhythm, so I feel like music is connected to our being as humans.”
Highlife Heritage in a New Garment
The highlife genre originated in Ghana in the early 20th century, and in late 2024, UNESCO officially inscribed it on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Kay Slice builds upon this tradition to give a voice to the unseen and create space for people carrying the heritage of multiple cultures. According to his words, the genre brings contrast and a deeper message to society:
“Highlife is about elevating yourself.”
The album ‘I Take U Highlife’ is a mature journey across generations that effortlessly transcends the boundaries between poetry, music and the visual arts, which is why we are delighted to feature it in the ‘Album of the Week’ section of our online broadcast on the Mixcloud platform.
NMR (photo: press Key Slice)
