In a 2015 documentary titled ‘nuse: Strength Within’ that chronicled his music journey, then budding musician Worlasi named Ghanaian Afro-Rock band Osibisa and The Last Two as the two entities that inspired him.
“While I was growing in the music, Osibisa and The Last Two. Those are the people who really motivated me to keep going,” he disclosed and followed it up with a word for persons who seem to not appreciate his kind of music.
“It’s about what I felt during the time I was recording. So if you don’t feel the same way, I’m sorry. There are some people who have this knowledge about music so if they tell you your music is good, you have to be proud of it. The Last Two Hammer is one.”
For those who were privy to this, it came as no surprise when Worlasi decided to honour Hammer at this year’s edition of his music concert WorlaFest. The narrative wasn’t same for Hammer of The Last Two Music group though.
“When Worlasi saw me at his concert and asked me to stick around, little did I know what he had in mind,” said Hammer in a social media post that communicated how appreciative he was for an acknowledgement from Worlasi at WorlaFest.
Worlasi, one of Ghana’s finest performers had a simple but thoughtful proclamation to make on the night – to pay a glowing tribute to the man whose support and contribution to his music career has been unflinching and profound.
“Thank you for inspiring and influencing me and my music,” Worlasi said. “I appreciate your intelligence and contribution to our industry.”
The legendary music producer known in private life as Edward Nana Poku Osei had left his home to witness the ‘star boy’ perform at Alliance Francaise over the weekend only for the musician to pull a surprise.
“Even when he called on me to mount the stage for an award, I still thought to myself, this is so corny... he’s probably doing this just cos he saw me here; this can’t be premeditated... that’s when I saw my name engraved in the bronze... I shy rough,” Hammer continued recounting.
He, however, did not shy away from throwing shades at some award schemes he thinks have lost their credibility.
“It felt great because unlike a profit-motivated award scheme, this was different, this the real deal. This was far from a clueless committee debating your fate,” he poked while placing value on Worlasi’s gesture. “This came from someone who knew exactly why he was doing this... and you also felt it because you knew exactly why you were being given this. I appreciate you bro... anyone who knows how real you are will agree that this is a great big deal. Thank you, bro."
The Last Two Music Group boss is a very respected figure in the arts space, known for grooming and contributing immensely to the success stories of many musicians, including Sarkodie, Shatta Wale, Edem, Kwaw Kese, Kwabena Kwabena and Obour.
In 2016, Hammer featured Worlasi on several songs on his ‘Last of a Dying Breed’ album. Notable among them were ‘Sarkastic’, ‘Effortless’ and ‘Repercussions’. This was after Worlasi had released his maiden album 'nuse'. The youngster has since become a force to reckon with in Ghana's music industry with his annual WorlaFest being one of the most patronised events on the music calendar.
Worlasi [R] honoured Hammer [L] at WorlaFest 2020