Kojey Radical

Kwado Adu Genfi Amponsah, known as Kojey Radical and recognized as a British rapper, poet, and creative director, draws on grime, alternative rap, and spoken word to articulate his outlook on race and existence in Britain. Growing up in Shoreditch, London, under Ghanaian parents, Amponsah first gained notice as a spoken word poet. Completion of his Fashion Illustration degree at the London College of Fashion led directly to the release of his earliest music project, Dear Daisy: Opium, titled after a book he had been illustrating during his studies. Production assistance from Jay Prince shaped his official debut EP, The Garden Party, which appeared in 2014. The project established him as a breakout artist and earned a support slot on Young Fathers’ U.K. tour; that period on the road pushed his material into more explicitly political territory. The resulting self-awareness shaped his second EP, 23Winters, issued in 2016. His third EP, In God’s Body, followed the same course later that year and featured guest appearances by Shola Ama, Ghetts, and Obongjayar. Outside his own releases, Amponsah joined forces with other acts, among them contributions to Mahalia’s “Water” and MJ Cole’s “Soak It Up.” Cashmere Tears, his fourth EP, arrived in 2019 and preceded the arrival of his debut album, Reason to Smile, in 2022.