Kpanto

Last updated
Kpanto
Birth nameFranklin Edward Harris
BornLiberia
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active2014–present

Franklin Edward Harris, who is known professionally as Kpanto (previously Skinnyboi Kpanto), is a Liberian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He started his music career in 2014 and gained recognition in 2015 after releasing a cover of Desiigner's single "Panda". His eponymous debut studio album, Skinny Boy Kpanto, was released on August 22, 2020. It comprises nine tracks and contains the songs "Take off Trouser", which was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2020 Liberia Music Awards, and "Flukor", which won Song of the Year at the 2021 Tunes Liberia Music Awards.

Contents

His second studio album Sound from the Xtreetz, which was supported by the singles "Dey Say" and "Community Thing", won Album of the Year at the 2021 Liberia Music Awards. Kpanto released his third studio album, Son of the Soil, in 2022.

Career

Kpanto, who previously went by the stage name Skinnyboi Kpanto, released his debut single "Dope Boy" in 2014. [1] He gained recognition after releasing a cover of Desiigner's 2015 single "Panda". [1] He was previously signed to Holy Records. [1] In 2018, Kpanto was featured on "Bring our Containers Back", a protest song produced and released by AFo4Doe. [2] Recorded entirely in Liberian Kolokwa English, the song addresses Liberia's bank notes that went missing in a shipping container. [2] Bettie Johnson-Mbayo of FrontPage Africa said the singers recorded the song to put an "emphasis on the authority bringing the containers back". [2]

Kpanto's eponymous debut studio album, Skinny Boy Kpanto, was released on August 22, 2020. [3] The album has nine tracks and contains the songs "Take off Trouser", which was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2020 Liberia Music Awards, and "Flukor", which won Song of the Year at the 2021 Tunes Liberia Music Awards. [4] [5] In September 2020, the Music Union of Liberia banned Kpanto's music due to explicit lyrics. [6] Prior to making the announcement, the organization held several meetings to discuss whether his music was suitable for airplay. [6] After the organization's president made the announcement, several artists in the Liberian music industry showed Kpanto support and said they had his back. [6]

Kpanto released his second studio album, Sound from the Xtreetz, on May 16, 2021. [7] It comprises sixteen tracks and features guest appearances from Takun J, PCK, Badman H, Paradise Queen, Primeboy, AFo4doe, Revelation, and Mandingo Priest. [8] The album won Album of the Year at the 2021 Liberia Music Awards. [9] The PCK-assisted track "Dey Say" was released on March 24, 2021, as the album's lead single. [10] The song was produced by Kpanto and has been described as a "party and street banger". [10] It won Collaboration of the Year and was nominated for Song of the Year and Afropop Song of the Year at the 2021 Liberia Music Awards. [11] [9] The Badman H-assisted track "Community Thing" was released on May 9, 2021, as the album's second single. [12] The song won Hipco/Trapco Song of the Year and was nominated for Collaboration of the Year at the 2021 Liberia Music Awards. [11] [9]

In May 2022, Kpanto performed at four musical concerts held across Nimba, Margibi, Grand Bassa, and Montserrado counties. [13] The concerts commemorated the fifth anniversary of Orange S.A.'s arrival in Liberia, and featured additional performances from MC Caro, Stunna, and Kobazzie, among others. [13] Kpanto's third studio album, Son of the Soil, was released on May 14, 2022. [14] The album comprises sixteen tracks and garnered over 390,000 streams on Audiomack as of August 2022. [15]

Discography

Studio albums

Awards and nominations

YearEventPrizeRecipientResultRef
2017 Liberia Music Awards New Artist of the YearHimselfNominated [16]
Hipco Artist Year of the YearNominated
Hipco Song of the Year"Heavy Weight"Nominated
2018Hipco Artist of the YearHimselfNominated [17]
2019 Tunes Liberia Music Awards Nominated [18]
Collaboration of the Year"Bring our Containers Back" (with AFo4doe)Nominated
2020Liberia Music AwardsMale Artist of the YearHimselfWon [4]
Hipco/Trapco Artist of the YearWon
Artist of the YearNominated
Hipco/Trapco Song of the Year"I Eat Your Jue"Nominated
Song of the Year"Take off Trouser"Nominated
2021Tunes Liberia Music AwardsArtist of the YearHimselfNominated [19]
Best Trapco ArtistNominated
Song of the Year"Flukor"Won [5]
Liberia Music AwardsArtist of the YearHimselfWon [11]
Male Artist of the YearWon
Hipco/Trapco Artist of the YearWon
Album of the YearSound from the XtreetzWon
Afropop Song of the Year"Dey Say" (featuring PCK)Nominated [9]
Song of the YearNominated
Hipco/Trapco Song of the Year"Infront Them"Nominated
"Community Thing" (featuring Badman H)Won [11]
Collaboration of the YearNominated [9]
"Dey Say" (featuring PCK)Won [11]
2022Artist of the YearHimselfNominated [20]
Male Artist of the YearWon
Album of the YearSon of the SoilNominated
Song of the Year"Charger" (featuring PCK)Nominated
Collaboration of the YearNominated

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Choicee Gardia (March 7, 2018). "Entertainment Spotlight: Talen to Watch Out For (Skinnyboi Kpanto)". Plus Liberia. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Bettie Johnson-Mbayo (October 1, 2018). "'We Want Justice for Missing Containers' – Say Musicians Who Sang "Bring Our Containers Back"". Front Page Africa. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  3. ↑ "Skinny Boy Kpanto by Kpanto". Apple Music. August 22, 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  4. 1 2 Gabriel Myers Hansen (16 November 2020). "MTN Liberia Music Awards 2020: All the winners". Music in Africa. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Tunes Liberia Music Awards 2021". Facebook. 28 March 2021. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 "Kpanto Music Ban from playing in Liberia". Liberian Stars View. September 5, 2020. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  7. ↑ "Sound From the Xtreetz by Kpanto". Apple Music. 16 May 2021. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  8. ↑ "Skinnyboi Kpanto – Sound From The Xtreetz (Album)". Plus Liberia. May 15, 2021. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Gabriel Myers Hansen (27 September 2021). "MTN Liberia Music Awards 2021: All the nominees". Music in Africa. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Kpanto Feat. PCK – Dey Say – [Prod. Kpanto]". Plus Liberia. March 24, 2021. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "Kpanto wins Artiste of the Year at MTN Liberia Music Awards (See full list of Winners)". African Entertainment. November 26, 2021. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  12. ↑ "Skinnyboi Kpanto Feat. Badman – Community Thing – [Prod. Afo4doe]". Plus Liberia. May 9, 2021. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  13. 1 2 "Liberia: Orange Celebrates 5th Year Anniversary with Explosive Free Concerts". Liberian Observer. May 26, 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  14. ↑ "Son of the Soil by Kpanto". Apple Music. May 14, 2021. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  15. ↑ "ENTERTAINMENTWho's running the industry right now? Kpanto or Teddyride?". Plus Liberia. August 6, 2022. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  16. ↑ "Official Nominees list - Atlanta 2017". Constant Contact. November 19, 2017. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  17. ↑ "Liberia Music Awards (LMA) 2018 Nominees". Plus Liberia. November 6, 2018. Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  18. ↑ "TunesLiberia Music Awards 2019 Full Nominations". Tunes Liberia. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  19. ↑ "TunesLiberia Music Award 2021 Official Nominees". Tunes Liberia. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  20. ↑ Gabriel Hansen (28 November 2022). "MTN Liberia Music Awards 2022: All the winners". Music in Africa. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
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