Dr. Cryme, whose real name is Darlington Kwasi Agyekum, is known for his “Twipop” sound, which mixes rap, hiplife, and Afro-pop.
He has been one of Ghana’s most varied hitmakers since his breakout song, “Kill Me Shy.” He blends street anthems with radio-friendly melodies while staying true to his roots.
Dr Cryme has showed both constancy and innovation across six major projects, from his first album, Finally Finally, to the Unexpected series. A quick dive into his amazing projects over the years.
His first studio album, “Finally Finally” (2011), made him a household name in Ghanaian music. “Kill Me Shy,” his first big hit, is on the album and it won Hiplife Song of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards. The project shows how he mixes Twipop, Hiplife, and rap with catchy hooks and a lot of energy. It established the tone for his approach, which was lyrical, fun, and based on the rhythms of Ghanaian pop music.
“Showtime”, his second big studio album, came out in February 2018. There are 20 songs on it, including the hit “Koko Sakora” with Sarkodie, “Weak Point”, “Too Serious”, “Bonanza” with Captain Planet & Master Garzy, and “Mbaa Mu” with D-Black. This record shows how playful his lyrics are, how well he can work with artistes from different genres, and how much bigger his productions are getting. He sounds good switching between rap and sing-rap and making songs that are good for parties as well as songs that are more personal.
A lot of music blogs list this as an album, but “Unexpected 1” (2019) seems to be one of his later big projects. It kept up the pattern of mixing, but this time the production values were better because they were older. Tracks from this time, like those on EPs related to the “Unexpected” series, lean more toward Afro-pop, Twipop, and danceable rhythms, but the lyrics still talk about his rap background.
The Kwasi EP is an important project, even though it’s not a full “album.” Five songs are on it: “Wo Soa” (ft. Ypee & Amerado), “I Wanna Turn Up” (ft. Tammy), “Kropot”, “Too Known”, and “Atanfo” (ft. Flema T). It came out on April 2, 2021. It shows how versatile he is by combining tough hip-hop tracks with ones with catchier melodies and hooks. What’s also intriguing is how he works with known artistes and up-and-coming ones, like Tammy.
“Nika,” “Party,” “My Lover,” and “Honey Sugar” are the four songs on the Unexpected II EP (2023). Here, Dr. Cryme keeps trying Afro-pop/Twipop and softer melodies that might be better for radio, showing how flexible he is. It’s a more current example of how his music has grown up, with better production and themes.
Some don’t make it clear that “Unexpected III” (2024) is a full album, but its songs (like “Gogome”) and the way it’s packaged make it seem like it works like an album project in terms of keeping the themes going. Also, many of his songs in the past few years, like “Happy,” “Our Father,” and “Eva,” show how he is still changing. These pieces show that Dr. Cryme is still busy and moving his sound forward even when he’s not putting out full albums.
Dr. Cryme’s six albums show how he has grown as an artiste and how Ghanaian music has changed over the years. From his early work as a Twipop pioneer to his more recent explorations of Afro-pop and new sounds, he has always had a dynamic style that mixes the old and the new.
His catalog shows how versatile he is, how willing he is to work with others, and how he can change while still leaving a lasting mark on the business. Should we look forward to another album soon?
