We can never overstate Ghana’s position as a music powerhouse in Africa. The varied genres that are consumed in the country have kept our names across different spheres when it comes to music on the continent. One genre where Ghana stands tall is the Reggae-Dancehall, adopted from Jamaica. We can trace Ghana’s popularity in the genre to guys like Sonny Bali, Afro Moses, Samini, Rock Dawuni, Shatta Wale, and Stonebwoy, among many others. Now, more recently, Larruso makes an appearance in the industry.
Between the years 2013 and 2015/16, there was a huge dancehall revolution led by Shatta Wale, Samini, and Stonebwoy. They were involved in numerous heated moments. Amidst all the heated moments and beef, they had the country in a chokehold with back-to-back from these three artists and others like Kaakie, Iwan, Mzvee, Rudebwoy, and many others.
The dominance of the artists and genre led to the discovery of more dancehall acts like Masani, the late Vybrant Fire, Rashid Metal, AK Songstress, Ras Kuuku, and many others. Years down the line, despite the dominance of the afrobeats genre, Ghana’s music industry has continued to produce chart-topping reggae/dancehall artists like the one featured in this article.
His real name is Ridwan Abdul Ridwan, but professionally, Larruso. The Accra Newtown native (a suburb of Accra that has produced some incredible reggae/dancehall acts in the country) has waved the flag of the genre high ever since his breakout onto the scene. In this interview, he shared some insight into his life, career and what we should expect from him.
Larruso, “Music started very early for me. I started as a freestyle singer and I used to skip classes in basic school to engage in street freestyles. My friends pushed me and gave me the confidence to do it; they always brought my name up in freestyle conversations. We mostly battled in Ragga. Everything made sense when I came on Stonebwoy’s “Go Higher” tour in Ashaiman in 2015.
The reception from the crowd was massive, and I still think about that day. Later in 2015, I recorded my first demo as a cover of Pappy Kojo’s “Aye Late”. Titled “Link Up”, released in 2016. In the Ghanaian setting, every parent would want their kids to go to school and have a regular white-collar job. I faced the same pressure, but everything changed when my current management came on board in 2018. They assured my family, and yeah, we are here.“
Since his breakout in 2019 with the song Killy Killy, Larruso has been on a streak of hits while gaining fans and popularity in the hundreds of thousands on and off social media. His catalog holds songs such as Killy Killy and its remix, Celebrity, Eeba, Giddem, Ego, and Poisonous, just to name a few. At a time when there aren’t many people giving Afrobeat artists a run for their money, Larruso has stood tall. As such, he is described as one of the people who will carry the genre to the next level in the years to come. When asked if he agrees with the assertion that he is the new face of the genre, how he deals with the pressure that comes with it, and how he is able to maintain his level of output, this is what he said.
Larruso: I understand that society sets standards for each individual; for me, I’m just creating for my fans. If they say I am the new face of the reggae-dancehall genre, then they are right! With being pressured? Not at all; I just challenge myself to be better than yesterday. So that’s the only pressure I put on myself. The goal is to be better than yesterday, so I’m pressured to develop, but at my own pace. I just continue telling my stories through music as I work on my personal development as well.
Despite his young age, Larruso has worked with some of the biggest names in the Ghanaian/African music spaces. He has worked with Shatta Wale, Stonebwoy, Kwesi Arthur, Samini, Bella Shmurda, and M.anifest, just to mention a few. Getting featured and collaborating is a tussle on its own. But getting the right person for the right feature is something very few artists get right. Larruso shared how he goes about his collaborations. He also touched on why despite the struggles artists face in the space, he is one of the few who has complained openly.
“I love sharing and working with others, so I wouldn’t mind working with all my colleagues in the industry. I believe working together enforces love, so yeah, I love collaborating. What informs my decision to work with an artist? Sometimes when I create a song, I can clearly see specific artists who will make the piece special and further propagate my message. So I tell my management about it and they make it happen. For instance, my collaboration with M.anifest on my song “The Truth,” . After recording, I felt I needed the legend on it to make the song wholesome, so I scrapped a verse. And he honored the call, and I am very grateful he did. M.anifest is a great artist, and the song “The Truth” is special to me.
I think we are all going through it in our own way. Obstacles will cross your path, and you can choose to complain or deal with them. I choose to deal with them, so yeah, you won’t see me complaining, although I also face some obstacles. I believe my struggles are not alien to those of my other colleagues; it’s all similar stuff, so I just pray about it and find a solution.“
Although a dancehall artiste, Larruso has broadened himself beyond just the genre. Thus far in his career, we have seen him jump on some other genres while maintaining a firm grip on reggae/dancehall. He shared why he believes it is okay to switch genres as an artiste from time to time. We have heard him make some beautiful amapiano and afrobeats records. In the same time span, he has served consumers with two projects in back-to-back years.
“Yeah, you’re right; I’m experimenting with my sound; I’m just creating as a musician, and the genre shouldn’t really matter. I understand I am a dancehall artiste. But don’t be surprised if you see me delivering on a drill sound or probably gospel music. It’s music, and I’m comfortable in every genre I want to test myself on.
Yeah, dropping the “New Gen” EP and “Sounds from the Slums” LP was intentional. This is just me telling people how I feel. Audience reception does not influence my releases. Just like the prophet, I will preach; some will hear and some will ignore. But that will not stop me from preaching; the sermon has to go on.“
In 2022, he dropped his project “Sounds From The Slums”, which had his hit single “Midnight”. He shared with SootAfrica the motivation behind the project while highlighting the process of making Midnight.
“My new project, “Sounds from the Slums” was just me in my raw state. No fine-tuning of ideas for a target audience. I recorded most of the songs in my lowest phase and needed to share the experience with my listeners as well. I built “Midnight” with Gigz Beatz. Initially, I was going to record on another beat. After finishing that song, “Make a Way”, we started building another idea through production. I left and came back the next day, and Gigz had finished the beat. So I vibed to it, and now we have “Midnight”; I didn’t write it.“
Five years into his career, Larruso has maintained a high level of artistry as not only a hitmaker, but also as an outstanding performer. He has performed on some of the biggest stages around the country, worked with the biggest acts, and bagged various awards and recognitions along the way. He has warmed his way into the hearts of fans and is definitely living up to the tag many have ascribed to him as Next Gen Royalty.
“The journey continues, brother. We can only get better. So, while we are still on earth, we are determined to be better at what we do. I’m on the right path, and we are just starting. To the young ones coming, keep creating, no one is going to believe in you until you prove a point. I believe that they will all get to the top one day.“