Ata Kak returns with “Batakari”, his first new release since Obaa Sima (1994). Known offstage as Yaw Atta-Owusu, the Ghanaian rapper-singer became a cult figure after his 1994 cassette Obaa Sima — initially unnoticed in Ghana — resurfaced online in 2006 as the first post on Awesome Tapes From Africa. Its collision of drum machines, synth lines, and Twi vocals was later reissued in 2015, leading to international tours and festival sets at Glastonbury, Sónar, and Pop Montreal.

Recorded in Kumasi and set for release on 7 November, the self-titled record spans six tracks and places his rapid-fire raps and scatting against percussion-heavy arrangements, vocal layering, and the timbre of Akan harp. The title track runs close to five minutes, a dense weave of programmed rhythm and voice that carries the eccentric drive of his earlier recordings into a broader frame.

Pieces such as “DJ”, “Medoba”, “Osoowa”, “Yasi Town”, and “Kae” expand the palette. “Medoba” adds acoustic guitar lines played by Justice Amoh, while “Yasi Town” pivots around interlocked beats and harmony parts that stretch further than the lo-fi textures of his debut. Studio engineer and co-producer Victor Bassy shapes the sessions with Ata Kak, providing both backing vocals and sonic depth across the album.

Batakari arrives three decades later as both continuation and shift: the eccentric energy of Obaa Sima remains intact, but the arrangements are larger, the instrumentation broader, and the scope unmistakably shaped by the long break between recordings.

Stream, listen to and get your copy of Batakari HERE