Recorded across Accra, Seattle, and Los Angeles, New Road & Guava Trees is the result of nearly two years of creative exploration and collaboration.
By Emmanuel ‘Waziri’ Okoro
Award-winning Ghanaian musician and one of Africa’s most innovative Hip-Hop artistes, M.anifest, has officially released his highly anticipated sixth studio album, New Road & Guava Trees. The album, launched via the renowned Hip-Hop label, Mass Appeal, showcases M.anifest’s signature blend of Hip-Hop, Afrobeats, and Highlife, coupled with intricate storytelling and rich sonic textures.
New Road & Guava Trees features an impressive lineup of collaborators, including Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, Flea, Nigerian Highlife duo, The Cavemen, Afro-Pop sensation, King Promise, South African rapper, A-Reece, and Bien of the Kenyan band, Sauti Sol.
The album’s title carries both personal and symbolic meaning, drawing from M.anifest’s childhood in Madina, Ghana. “New Road & Guava Trees is about embarking on a fresh path,” he explains. “I grew up in a part of Madina called New Road, where we had a guava tree that symbolised growth and beginnings. This record is about the climb—facing challenges to reach the fruits of our labour”.
Recorded across Accra, Seattle, and Los Angeles, the album is the result of nearly two years of creative exploration and collaboration.
Listen to the album here.