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Overview
Hammer
Hammer of The Last Two is a record producer in the Ghanaian music industry. He is the founder and CEO of The Last Two Music Group and is also known for grooming some of the best Ghanaian Hip Hop or Hiplife artists, including Obrafour, Tinny, Kwaw Kese, Sarkodie, Ayigbe Edem, and others. As a producer, he is credited as one of the pioneers and key figures in the popularization of Hiplife or Hip Hop made in Ghana
27March
197727 March 1977
Born
Hammer of The Last Two was born Edward Nana Poku Osei on March 27, 1977
20July
198020 July 1980
Early life and education
Hammer, born Edward Nana Poku Osei, is the third child of Jones A. Osei and Marian Osei, with a passion for music that led him to forgo further education, coming from a family with a musical background and supportive parents, he exhibited his musical inclination from a young age, drumming on various surfaces and carrying a boom box sound system to play loud music with friends in his neighborhood.
20July
199020 July 1990
Career
Hammer accidentally started his music career after his friend, Way Deep, recognized his unique ability to analyze music and encouraged him to pursue it; together, they formed The Last Two production unit, producing a successful album for artist Obrafour, but Way Deep eventually left for the United States, leaving Hammer to carry on their dream alone while keeping The Last Two as a tribute to their friendship.
20July
199720 July 1997
Obrafour
In 1997, Hammer and Way Deep started their music production career and after being introduced to Obrafour by a friend, they groomed and produced his debut album, leading to his success as a multi-award-winning rapper; despite a disagreement that split the two producers, they remain friends outside their production differences and still keep in constant touch.
20July
200020 July 2000
Liberating the Tribes in Hip Hop
Hammer aimed to promote Hiplife in Ghana using various dialects instead of the dominant Akan language, succeeding with artists like Tinny (Ga), Kwaw Kese (Fante), and Ayigbe Edem (Ewe), making them the bestselling acts in their respective dialects and regions.
20July
200020 July 2000
Tinny
Hammer's grooming and production of Tinny's debut album, along with featuring him on Obrafour's hit single "Oye ohene" remix, propelled Tinny to stardom and popularity despite a dispute over language choice, ultimately leading to several awards and success at the Ghana Music Awards and other parts of Africa.
20July
200320 July 2003
Compilation albums
Hammer releases compilation albums to provide aspiring artists in his camp with opportunities to feature in recordings, showcasing his passion for music, though his artist grooming methods have faced criticism, the emergence of iconic stars speaks to his success, and he's also involved in scoring movies like Bloody Street.
20July
200420 July 2004
Kwaw Kese
In 2004, Hammer took on the challenge of grooming Kwaw Kese, an artist from the Fante language region, who quickly gained popularity with the release of singles and went on to win multiple awards at the Ghana Music Awards in 2007/2008.
20July
200720 July 2007
Ayigbe Edem
In 2005, after getting married and becoming a father, Hammer took a break from production until 2007 when he began grooming Ayigbe Edem, releasing the album "The Volta Regime" which gained recognition and nominations, putting the Volta Region on the hip hop musical map in Ghana.
20July
200920 July 2009
Sarkodie
During the recording of The Volta Regime album in 2009, Sarkodie approached Hammer for a recording deal and, impressed by his versatile rap skills, Hammer quickly signed him for a five-year contract, but a dispute arose over conflicting album promotions with Ayigbe Edem, leading Hammer to let Sarkodie go; however, their relationship remained strong, and their recent collaboration "Saa Okodie No" contributed to Sarkodie's success and BET Award win for Best International Act.
20July
202020 July 2020
Health
It was reported that he successfully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic after being admitted to Bemuah Royal Hospital in East Legon due to fever, staying there for a month.
20July
202220 July 2022
Offcamp production
Hammer played a significant role in giving New York-based Ghanaian Hip-hop artist Blitz the Ambassador a big break by featuring him on his productions, while also being contracted by executive producers to produce songs for various artists outside The Last Two camp.
20July
202220 July 2022
Smokey Beatz
In 2022, Hammer made an announcement about signing a young producer known as Smokey Beatz.
20July
202320 July 2023
Inspiration
Hammer's musical upbringing, influenced by his father's diverse collection and later by hip-hop icons, shaped his unique perspective and skills, leading to his successful career in music production, with the name "Hammer" now associated with the powerful drums in his music; despite his fame, he remains a reserved and down-to-earth person.
20July
202320 July 2023
Personal life
Hammer had several relationships, including a marriage and subsequent divorce, resulting in three children; he faced legal issues related to child support maintenance payments but had the arrest reversed, and currently lives in a retreat home in the outskirts of Accra while working on his new compilation album and managing new artists Agyekum and Joey B, in addition to serving as the national director of Hiplife at MUSIGA (the Musicians Union of Ghana).
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