Ghanaian Stallion Is Connecting Both Of His Worlds With His Debut Album, “Bridges”

One week after my physical interaction with Ghanaian Stallion at his album listening party in South Village, Accra, I was setting up an interview with him for the release of his debut album. On Tuesday afternoon, April 1st,  three days after his arrival in Germany, he sat in his studio and conversed with me on Google Meet. He had a little case of the sniffles as his body was still adjusting to the weather, from extreme heat here in Ghana to the extreme cold in Germany. He was still sharp and in great focus, though; A project that was dear to his heart was finally out. His debut project, his baby, “Bridges” was out for the world to listen to and enjoy. 

Ghanaian Stallion has been in the scene for a long time now, starting as a DJ in Germany. Then, travelling and touring Africa, getting accustomed to the realisation of how much the people in Africa gravitated toward his sound because of the similarities between his sound and that in Africa. Speaking on that, he said “..When I started going to Africa around 2016, […]I realised that the people like the beats, because they had something familiar,[…]. That opened my eyes to wanting to work more with African artists.”

Ghanaian Stallion enjoyed the natural progression of his career, having to connect with the Ghanaian talents and earning the respect of Ghanaians organically. He came in, not expecting to be handed recognition on a platter, but striving to earn his place in the music space. “…. I had to make my way in the industry. I had to put in the work. I had to come with the First and Second Sermon for the people to let me in. Which is okay, I earned my way in there; it was a natural process. I always say it was a calling, because I naturally developed to put more African sounds, and connect with African artists.”

On his debut album, he wanted to come through with a bang, creating a project that had something for everyone in Highlife, Hip-Hop, Afrobeats, and Afro Drill; his authentic and natural sound. With the release of his album now and his plans for 2025, there are massive routes that Ghanaian Stallion can take in the advancement of his career, and frankly, we can’t wait to see where his future holds.

In a conversation with iMullar, he speaks about his journey, Afro Drill, his favourite collaborators, his debut album, “Bridges”, and more.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

I want to know the person behind the creative, Ghanaian Stallion. Can you tell us a bit about who Alan Mensah is and then who the Ghanaian Stallion is? 

I would say you can’t even really differentiate the two. It’s not like there’s a persona that I put on for Alan Mensah and Ghanaian Stallion. A lot of people can attest that I’m very authentic. That’s why when people like the music, and get to know me, it makes sense to them the kind of music I make, because you get a feeling that it matches the person, Alan Mensah, as well. I would say Alan Mensah is the personal story and all the experiences that led up to being Ghanaian Stallion. At some point when they merged, they still kept evolving, but they evolved together. Everything that affects Ghanaian Stallion would affect Alan Mensah, and everything that affects Alan Mensah would affect Ghanaian Stallion since it’s the same person. 

How much of Alan Mensah is in Ghanaian Stallion? 

Everything is in there. For instance, privately as Alan Mensah, I’ve chosen to surround myself with people who have the same wavelength and who I don’t need to have unnecessary conversations about things that should be common sense. I don’t want to spend my energy with negativity, so I choose to surround myself with people that I like and view as quality people. It’s the same thing with my work as Ghanaian Stallion. Some people put less emphasis on who they work with. It’s like, let me just get my check regardless of the artist’s views, work ethic, or personality. Whereas, I will not put up with something that I think will not vibe. We don’t have to always be like best friends, but there needs to be a vibe or a connection on some level. That happens on the private side and the music side.

Your work is a fusion of Afrobeats, Hip-Hop, and a sound you call Afrodrill. How do you choose which element to blend? 

Certain things come naturally to me that I always want people to hear. You hear a lot of guitars, small vocal samples, and chops in my beats. There are certain things that I always like to use, because they help me get a certain feeling that I want to get across. Depending on whether I choose it to be an Afrodrill, Afrofusion, or an Afrobeats song. There’s a certain balance that comes from me being a hip-hop producer, and always making sure that the drums are present in the beat. “Bus Station” is a proper Afrofusion song. It’s a very Afrobeatish song. For AratheJay, I knew that would be the perfect song. It depends on the artist that I work with and the vibe that I’m in. Let’s say I have this nice guitar that I want to do something with, I try some things, and end up doing an Afrobeat song. If I flip it in a drill way, I’ll end up doing a drill song. If I’m by myself, I try new things and see what the vibe is telling me to do. 

You mentioned that Bridges, your new album, reflects your experiences between Ghana and Germany. What specific tracks inspire you the most on the album?

I don’t specifically make beats that are more German, Zimbabwean, or Ghanaian. The thing is, all the artists that I work with, I always have something for them. My sound is very broad, so I can find something for any artist, even if their style is different from mine. I’ll find something within my style, which is very versatile, to suit each artist very well. I thought more in an artistic way, rather than regions, because that’s what I’m trying to do, to bridge them in a way that you wouldn’t say, this is a German artist or this is a Ghana artist. They’re just dope artists. This guy happens to come from Ghana, this guy happens to come from Germany, and this girl happens to come from Zimbabwe, but all met on a Stallion sound project, and did their thing. None of the artists had to go out of their way to work on the song. If you listen to Bus Station, even if you didn’t know me, you would say that’s a perfect beat for AratheJay. It’s not a surprise that Ara is on a beat like this, and Kweku Flick on “Ndwom”, the Afro drill. That’s his sound. All of the songs could also be songs on the projects of those artists. 

You are more into artistry and are very intentional about what you do. I want to know what inspired the title, “Bridges, for your debut album name? 

My story, always going back and forth, for me, the bridge was always existing; it never broke. At some point, I didn’t come to Ghana as frequently as I am now, but the link was always there. I always spoke the language, I went to school here, so the bridge was always there. Some people do not have the connection; they come in December, spend a month, and go back. For me, I was always at home, so everything about me is bridging my heritage, and the sounds that I make. I went through different eras of sound that inspired me, and I always keep learning and evolving. When I go to a new sound, I find a way to bridge it. I don’t box myself. Everything that I like to listen to or that inspires me, I also want to do it, so I’m constantly bridging. It’s a theme that has many layers, it’s not just the heritage or the music, it’s also the generations. You have some artists on there like Patrice, who is a legend, and you have artists like Black Sherif, who started his career like four, five years ago. I’m also bridging generations. Patrice has worked with Chronixx and other Jamaican legends, and now you have Black Sherif working with Fireboy DML, and more, so we are all bridging. At some point, when you do a project, you have to find a name, and that’s always a bit tricky. At first, the working title was “Somewhere In Between”, but then, when I thought more about it, it didn’t reflect what I wanted, because it sounded more negative. “Somewhere In Between” sounds like you don’t belong, and in a negative way. I live in Ghana. I am used to Uber arriving late or cancelling. Same thing in Germany as well.  That’s why I chose “Bridges”, because it’s more positive. I am connecting the best of both worlds.

What inspired your choice of collaborators? 

One factor that decided was the artists with whom I was having sessions anyway. For instance, someone like WES7AR 22, I met him three or four years ago, Free The Youth had their studio at Cantoments., I heard him in a session there, and I was like, “This guy can sing”.I asked $pacely about him and asked him to work with me sometime. I was doing a session, and all these guys were there: Korshi T,  Dajon, and Spliff. The only one who wasn’t there from that camp at that time was AratheJay, but I remember they were telling me about him. With WES7AR 22 and the boys, we made two songs. I had songs and the files. I like to gather all the songs, put them in a playlist, and keep listening to them to get ideas on how to make them better. For instance, I love the WES7AR 22 song so much. I wanted to have that kind of vibe on my album, because it was a bit more mellow, but still represents what I like.  I asked him to let me have the song for my project. The song with the Asakaa Boyz, because I had been working with Kwaku DMC and Jay Bahd before, I knew them, and I thought I wanted a hardcore drill vibe with them, with a little Afro Drill. I hit up DMC and told him I needed them on the album, leaving him control of who he would select. I sent them a few beat options, and they made their selection. It was pretty easy. I didn’t have to chase them for the verses; it was pretty straightforward, thanks to DMC.

Power is my favourite song. I  want to know how that song came about. From making the production, to meeting the vocalist from Santrofi. 

The beat has its own story, and the vocals, too, have their own story. I had this beat for a while, not the way it was, but I had the horns, the guitars, and everything. I had it on a more drum-heavy track, and I recorded it back in the days, when I was doing some sessions with the Kwashibu Area Band, Kwame Yeboah, and those who used to play with Pat Thomas, and Ebo Taylor. They came to Berlin, and I recorded with them for another project. I had a few beats, and they still had some time left, so I snuck in some more beats for them to play over, and they played over this one. I always liked it, and it was special to me. At some point, when I was working on the album, I always put the songs in the playlist and shifted them around to see the sequence. The second playlist would be beats that I think would still also be nice for the project. Whenever I was scrolling and trying to get some more ideas and inspiration, I always saw that beat, and I played it. I thought that at some point, something would come. Fast forward a few years, I think it was two years ago, Santrofi, the HighLife Band with Nsoroma, the lead singer, were on tour in Germany. On that tour, they brought Yaw Tog. They had a show in Berlin, so I went there to check it out, because I knew the people who were organising. I went and said hello to Yaw Tog, and I met the Santrofi band. I saw the show, and I saw him singing, and I was like “this guy has a crazy voice”, and while I was watching the concert, I saw he also plays various instruments, but it was the voice. I immediately decided to work with him on a song. I went backstage after the show, I met them, and then I told them. We exchanged numbers, and I went back home. A few weeks later, I was thinking it would be nice if I sent him this beat, so I made some changes. I reduced the heavy drums and put that percussion that you hear, but I knew the horns and the guitar were magic. I added some twists and sent it to him, and then, he sent me a whole song. It wasn’t arranged the way I  arranged it. I listened to it and saw the potential of it being a song on its own. I was building around, arranging, trying stuff out, putting the chorus here, doing this, and then, I ended up deciding to make it an intro song. I cut some of the vocals just to keep it simple, leaving the vocals that you hear. The beat, that’s also his vocals. He recorded choirs under it. I used that throughout the beats, and I sent it to him. He liked it.

“Pelé” and “Qoqoqo”, on the album, showcase your versatility. I want to know how you had that versatile approach to the album. What was the creative and thought process that you had making these different types of beats?

Everything you hear is what I can do and what I like to do. Depending on which artist, you have to lean more to this side or bring out Hip-Hop more. Awa Khiwe, the woman who’s rapping in Ndebele, a Zimbabwean language, she’s a pure Hip-Hop artist. She will rap anyone into the ground, and she will deliver this flow double time. She will do it live in your face, no backups or playback songs. I knew I wanted to do something with her. She has a nice voice and can sing, but she comes from rapping; that’s her strong suit. I wanted to show people that this hardcore Hip-Hop is something that I come from, even though I don’t do it as much lately. Also, based on the majority of the artists that I work with, who are more African artists, you don’t find a lot of artists who do straight Hip-Hop like the New York kind of Hip-Hop. It’s mainly trap, Drill, or Afrobeats. Awa and I have like two, three albums and projects on the hard drive. We’ve been working for some time, she’s also actually dropping her album that was completely produced by me. We have a lot of songs, and I asked her for this song for my project. If you hear “Stallion on the beat”, that’s her voice. She’s also the one talking during the interlude. That was a voice note that she sent me. That voice note was nine minutes long, and she said something that was interlude material. I don’t like to praise myself, but it just fits so well. It’s good to have someone else say it about you. She is a hardcore rapper, so I live my Hip-Hop side through that. Also, the way she goes on it with the click sounds is pure African. It’s not less African just because it’s a Hip-Hop track. With ALBI X, my trademark sound, the Afro Drill, like the second sermon and first sermon, “Pelé”, that’s the Stallion sound that people know. ALBI X fits very well with the stuff that I do because he’s been doing Trap and Drill. He also wants to do more Afro now. It was a natural chemistry between him and me. 

Let’s talk about your favourite collaborator, G-West. How did that relationship start, and how did you incorporate him into your debut album? 

Shout out to Kwame Yesu, because he introduced me to Black Sherif and also G-West, because Kwame Yesu was one of the first people that I connected with in Ghana. There’s a song he did that’s not out, that G-West sang the chorus on. I was in Accra three, four years ago. We had a session and he played me that song. I asked him who was singing the chorus. He told me it was G-West. I went to Instagram and I checked him out. He had one song out, and I listened to it. He sounded legit. I  reached out to him and he responded. That’s how it went. I sent him one pack of beats, and soon after, we decided to do a project. The funny thing is, we have a lot of songs. With him, we don’t even have to be in the studio together because he’s someone who likes to be alone. If he feels like recording a verse 50 times, he will do it, and if someone is in the studio waiting, you might not feel free. We have worked in a studio together, though. There’s a trust that we have, and he inspires me. Every time I get a new message with demos, it’s like Christmas because I’m just a fan of him and our sound together. There’s proper chemistry. I can’t even explain it. It’s just there. With G-West, it’s just the way we work together. 

The album has 16 tracks, intending to tell a story. How did you structure it to tell your story, incorporating different languages like Twi, German, and English?

I didn’t create the album in the beginning to tell this story. It’s just something that evolved over time. With the intro, I wanted something to open it up with something breathtaking. I wanted something reminiscent of the Ghanaian Highlife sound that influenced me so much and made me become a global producer. I wanted something that didn’t have too many vocals on it because, since I’m a producer, I wanted to have the music play and give the musicians their space to play.  I also needed to come in with a bang. Something that represents the sound that I do, but that’s also fresh and new. “Pelé” was the perfect song for the first single. I released “Pelé” first, afterwards I released “Finish Line” and “We OK”. A lot of it was planned, some of it just fit into the vibe. At some point, it was like musically, how does the transition sound if this comes after this? And then what is the feeling that I have when I listen to the Awa interlude? What song would I want to come after? I wanted something that uplifts you. The Kweku Flick song comes in where he is giving you music from the heart. That’s what I described my music to be: Music that comes from the soul. I then thought of putting some German influence, which is three songs where it’s mainly German, that I placed towards the end. At the end was “We OK,” which I believe was a good outro.

How did the “Bus Station” happen?  I saw the music video as well. What was the storytelling behind the track and video as well?

I did a song with AratheJay called “Vous Allez” in collaboration with the MIK boys. That’s when I also had direct contact with Ara. We didn’t meet physically. I was in Berlin and he was in Ghana. I was finishing up the album, and I needed one of those sweet ones because that’s what represents me. I thought AratheJay was a dope artist to have on there. The song was done some time ago, and if everything had worked out with the timing like I expected, the album would have been released last year, but in the end, everything fits perfectly because AratheJay is now at a different stage. I sent him two beats, the “Bus Station” beat and another beat. He recorded “Bus Station” and sent it to me on WhatsApp. I clicked on it and listened to it like five times in a row. It was the final song that I wanted. That was also very intentional, because I knew I wanted a vibe like this. The connection with AratheJay was there. For the video, fun fact, we shot a video for it last year, but we scrapped it because we didn’t have enough time. AratheJay had to leave earlier because he had interviews, and Crayture, who directed the new one, was doing everything by himself. I reached out to Daniel Attoh to assist in making the video. We came up with a budget, and we pulled through. I didn’t want to do one reel and call it a day. I wanted to do a proper promotion for the record to show everyone how good a collaboration this is. 

You produced the First and Second Sermon, and you had multiple productions before you dropped your debut album. What was the journey like from your very first production to “Bridges”?

I had planned to produce an album before with German artists, but I didn’t end up releasing it because I wasn’t ready at that time. With Bridges specifically, it has to do with me reconnecting with Africa again. I went to school in Ghana, but then I came back to Germany to continue school here. I was here most of the time, and then I started making music, travelling, and touring African countries to see the way they resonate with the sound that I was making. When I started going to Africa around 2016, going to places like Uganda, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe, I realised that the people like the beats, because they had something familiar, but there was something new for them to explore. That opened my eyes to wanting to work more with African artists. In the beginning, I was working more with artists from Kenya like Octopizzo, Uganda and Zimbabwe, some of whom are on the album like Awa Khiwe. I came and started working in Ghana because that was my home. I’m from Winneba. That’s where I went to school. I was never this mixed kid from somewhere in Accra who knows everyone. My parents didn’t have those connections, so I had to make my way in the industry. I had to put in the work. I had to come with the First and Second Sermon for the people to let me in. Which is okay, I earned my way in there; it was a natural process. I always say it was a calling, because I naturally developed to put more African sounds, and connect with African artists.  It has inspired me to want to do more. One of the biggest German artists approached me to work with him after he heard the “First Sermon”. If people in Germany see that you’re doing your thing in Ghana, and people in Ghana see you touring in Europe, there is massive recognition and respect from both ends. If you are genuine and pure, you believe in the artist that you work with, your music travels organically. The story is being told more and more, and that’s a natural progression. 

With “Bridges” setting the tone as the debut album, what should we expect from you in the coming years?

I have projects with different artists, not necessarily joint projects, but projects that I have produced. With G-West, the majority of songs he’s been doing were produced by me, and there’s a lot more coming. That’s something I’m very passionate about: getting the guy to go to a place where he goes mainstream. I’ll also keep promoting on the album. You might see another video for a song if the opportunity comes, like in the middle of the year. I will keep working on a lot of songs on my hard drive. I’m already thinking about the next project. “Bridges” is my proper major studio debut album, but I released two instrumental projects before that. I’m thinking about doing an instrumental EP; That’s something that has been on my mind. Then again, I am also thinking about working on the next project, whether it’s an EP or an album.

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