Paapa Wastik

Paapa Wastik is a conscious African Dancehall-Reggae artist whose musical talent began around the tender age of five in his hometown of Cape Coast, Ghana where music was a predominant part of his culture. Consequently he grew up surrounded by a variety of music and as a child he was always singing and beating the empty cans as drums. At the age of eight he was already an important part of his school's singing group. Through his passion for music he became a self-taught drummer and started drumming at church at the age of ten. In elementary school he started writing his own lyrics and formed a local group called Bones Brooklyn. This group performed in many venues throughout the central region of Ghana, and gained high recognition for their single hit "Wosuban," which led them to perform throughout the country. Within this time he was frequently invited to several radio stations to flow on rhythms and to host programs with several radio presenters. Paapa Wastik was also involved in organizing many music and talent shows around the Cape Coast municipalities. During this time he started to focus seriously on becoming a solo artist, so he left the group. In 1999 Celebrity Magazine (one of Ghana's popular musical magazines) discovered Paapa Wastik at their Miss Eloquence Beauty Pageant Show, when he shook the stage with his energetic performance and was featured in their 9th Edition Magazine, which sold widely throughout the country. In secondary school he shook the stage any time he appeared in the local entertainment activities, and wrote many songs that became very popular to the students and the entire campus. It was during his school time that he wanted to release his first album, but due to academic responsibilities at the time, he postponed his musical pursuits until he was out of Mfantsipim School. It was around the same year that his beliefs in Rastafari became stronger, when he went to live with some Rastafari elders and later trod to the camp of Rastafari in the eastern part of Ghana.. Through that the conception of his music became fully devoted to conscious and positive vibes of Rastafari, Mama Africa, and the oppression he sees toward poor people. Upon completing school, Paapa Wastik created his unique genre of music called "Roots Life," which is a combination of dancehall-reggae and Ghana's renowned highlife music. In 2002 Paapa Wastik met a producer Gabriel Fossati-Bellani, and began effort toward releasing his first album Champion Wastik's "Mama Africa". The following year the album was released and gained much air play from radio stations across the country, with his music video of his hit song "ntomakatadieso", which was speaking against the corruption of the system, achieving popularity on Ghana television and other T.V. networks. The album did good within the first year of its release, and continues to move forward with firm faith, positive messages, and more fire!! Within the same year as his album release, Paapa Wastik was invited to perform at the Pan-African festival (Panafest 2003), which was held in Ghana. He was then featured on many other albums of different artists and gained greater recognition not only in Ghana, but worldwide.

Within the same year an international reggae production group called "Greenlion Sounds" teamed up with Paapa Wastik to produce dubplate songs, which were featured on their "Greenlion in Ghana" CD mix.. He also recorded a single hit track called "Onu fe Kill,em" with a fellow Ghanaian based reggae artist, Gold-Teeth. Couple years later he resided to the United States to continue to work for his own independent record label, Asaase Music Foundation, and began playing with several bands and performing at various shows and festivals throughout the country.

He has opened up shows for reggae artists like Anthony B, Everton Blender, Junior Reid, Winston Jarrett, and many more. In 2006 Rommi Records teamed up with Paapa Wastik to work on his latest album.. He then made a journey to Jamaica to record at Tuft Gong Studios in Kingston, where he worked on some tracks for the album, "Thanks and Praise," which he featured Jamaican artists like Bongo Herman, Lutan Fyah, and Jah Marcus. This livicated Rastafarian DJ brings pure fire every time he touches the mic and is highly skilled in song writing, musicianship, production, and more. Paapa Wastik has been inspired by musicians like: Charlie Chaplain, Eva Edna Ogoli, Nana Kwame Ampadu, Daddy Lumba, Kojo Antwi, Joseph Hill, Lucky Dube, KK Kabobo,Gyadu Blay Ambulay, Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, Capleton, Sizzla and more.

Paapa Wastik is currently on tour for promotion of his new album, and may be in your area anytime soon! So give thanks and praise to the Most High, Jah Rastafari!!!!!!