Part of what has made Medikal one of the most celebrated Ghanaian acts of his generation is the depth of his unflinching observations and insightful critiques of modern life. On SOCIETY—his second album of 2022 following Crossroads with close collaborator Shatta Wale—Medikal (born Samuel Adu Frimpong) taps into that heralded instinct. He rages at the state of the world like only someone in tune with its ebb and flow can, cutting right to the heart of the most precarious situations over delightful, throbbing instrumentals. Across 10 tracks, the ice-cool MC turns a critical eye to the failing of modern society, finding points of convergence between the capitalist superstructure of the world (“ELON (SETTINGS)”) and the cybercrime culture (“ONLINE”) that he can observe around him. Still, not all of SOCIETY makes for grim listening: “STREET ANTHEM” is a drill-inspired hyper-dedication to the streets that he so closely identifies with, while “IDGAF,” another collaboration with Shatta Wale, is a thematic detour into lighter waters that sees both artists trade verses about being unconcerned with typical earthly bothers.
- Strongman
- Kofi Mole
- Shatta Wale
- Kwesi Arthur
- Pappy Kojo
- Stonebwoy